Robert Butler, a television director for the pilot shows for Star Trek, Batman, Hill Street Blues, and Moonlighting, has died. He was 95.
Butler’s family announced that the Emmy award-winning director died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.
Graduating from UCLA where he majored in English, Butler started his career in entertainment as an usher at CBS. His first credit as a director would come in 1959 when he directed an episode for the military comedy-drama Hennesey which starred Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Over the years, Butler was sought out to direct pilots for shows like Hogan’s Heroes (1965), the original Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), the first mini-series on television The Blue Knight (1973), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).
Butler won two Emmy Awards, the first one for The Blue Knight pilot in 1973 and the second one in 1981 for Hill Street Blues. In 2015 he was...
Butler’s family announced that the Emmy award-winning director died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.
Graduating from UCLA where he majored in English, Butler started his career in entertainment as an usher at CBS. His first credit as a director would come in 1959 when he directed an episode for the military comedy-drama Hennesey which starred Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Over the years, Butler was sought out to direct pilots for shows like Hogan’s Heroes (1965), the original Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), the first mini-series on television The Blue Knight (1973), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).
Butler won two Emmy Awards, the first one for The Blue Knight pilot in 1973 and the second one in 1981 for Hill Street Blues. In 2015 he was...
- 11/11/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Robert Butler, the co-creator of “Remington Steele” and a veteran television director who worked on such series as “Hill Street Blues,” “Star Trek” and “Batman,” died Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. He was 95.
Butler’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which he directed many notable series, including “Hennesey,” “Star Trek,” “Batman,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Bonanza,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii Five-o” and more. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards: two for “The Blue Knight” in 1974 and the other for “Hill Street Blues” in 1981. He also received Emmy nominations for episodes of “Moonlighting,” “Sirens” and “Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman.”
Butler and Michael Gleason co-created “Remington Steele,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist, which ran from 1982 to 1987 on NBC. Butler directed five episodes of the detective procedural series between 1982 and 1983, including the pilot.
He also directed several feature films and TV movies, including “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,...
Butler’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which he directed many notable series, including “Hennesey,” “Star Trek,” “Batman,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Bonanza,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii Five-o” and more. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards: two for “The Blue Knight” in 1974 and the other for “Hill Street Blues” in 1981. He also received Emmy nominations for episodes of “Moonlighting,” “Sirens” and “Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman.”
Butler and Michael Gleason co-created “Remington Steele,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist, which ran from 1982 to 1987 on NBC. Butler directed five episodes of the detective procedural series between 1982 and 1983, including the pilot.
He also directed several feature films and TV movies, including “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Arte Johnson, Emmy-winning star of 1960s and ’70s comedy sketch show “Laugh-In,” died July 3 in Los Angeles of heart failure. He was 90.
On “Laugh-In,” he was most familiar as Wolfgang, the German soldier who thought World War II was still going on. His catchphrase “Very interesting…” was one of many that caught on from the hit show. He won one Emmy for the show and was nominated two more times.
Johnson appeared in early TV series including “Sally” and “Hennesey.” He appeared in the “Twilight Zone” episdoe “The Whole Truth” as a car salesman who punches a used car lot owner.
His other TV appearances included “Bewitched,” “Lost in Space” and “The Donna Reed Show.”
He did voice work for cartoons including “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo,” “Ducktales” and “Animaniacs.”
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gisela, and his brother, Coslogh. Donations maybe be made to Actors & Others for Animals,...
On “Laugh-In,” he was most familiar as Wolfgang, the German soldier who thought World War II was still going on. His catchphrase “Very interesting…” was one of many that caught on from the hit show. He won one Emmy for the show and was nominated two more times.
Johnson appeared in early TV series including “Sally” and “Hennesey.” He appeared in the “Twilight Zone” episdoe “The Whole Truth” as a car salesman who punches a used car lot owner.
His other TV appearances included “Bewitched,” “Lost in Space” and “The Donna Reed Show.”
He did voice work for cartoons including “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo,” “Ducktales” and “Animaniacs.”
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gisela, and his brother, Coslogh. Donations maybe be made to Actors & Others for Animals,...
- 7/3/2019
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Herb Ellis, an actor and director known for helping Jack Webb create the iconic TV series Dragnet, died Dec. 26 in San Gabriel, Calif. He was 97.
Born Herbert Siegel in Cleveland, Ohio on Jan. 7, 1921, Ellis was a radio actor and director. His frequent collaborations with Webb included a pilot they wrote titled Joe Friday, Room Five which later served as the foundation for the iconic TV procedural Dragnet.
For the first eight episodes of the series, which debuted in 1952, Ellis played Officer Frank Smith opposite Webb before Ben Alexander took over the role until the series ended in 1959.
In addition to Dragnet, Ellis appeared in various other radio series including Dangerous Assignment, Escape, Tales of the Texas Rangers, and The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe.
On the movie side, Ellis appeared in notable films such as Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing and Billy Wilder’s The Fortune Cookie.
In 1967, he returned...
Born Herbert Siegel in Cleveland, Ohio on Jan. 7, 1921, Ellis was a radio actor and director. His frequent collaborations with Webb included a pilot they wrote titled Joe Friday, Room Five which later served as the foundation for the iconic TV procedural Dragnet.
For the first eight episodes of the series, which debuted in 1952, Ellis played Officer Frank Smith opposite Webb before Ben Alexander took over the role until the series ended in 1959.
In addition to Dragnet, Ellis appeared in various other radio series including Dangerous Assignment, Escape, Tales of the Texas Rangers, and The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe.
On the movie side, Ellis appeared in notable films such as Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing and Billy Wilder’s The Fortune Cookie.
In 1967, he returned...
- 1/3/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
A reluctant Hollywood child star, he returned to the spotlight in the Superman movies
Jackie Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the first child star of the talkies, paving the way for Freddie Bartholomew, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney. While they could turn on the waterworks when called for, Cooper beat them all easily at the crying game. Little Jackie, from the age of eight until his early teens, blubbed his way effectively through a number of tearjerkers. Sometimes he would try to suppress his tears, pouting and saying, "Ah, shucks! Ah, shucks!" As a critic wrote in 1934: "Jackie Cooper's tear ducts, having been more or less in abeyance for the past few months, have been opened up to provide an autumn freshet in Peck's Bad Boy."
Cooper had started off in the movies billed as "the little tough guy" in eight of Hal Roach's Our Gang comedy shorts.
Jackie Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the first child star of the talkies, paving the way for Freddie Bartholomew, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney. While they could turn on the waterworks when called for, Cooper beat them all easily at the crying game. Little Jackie, from the age of eight until his early teens, blubbed his way effectively through a number of tearjerkers. Sometimes he would try to suppress his tears, pouting and saying, "Ah, shucks! Ah, shucks!" As a critic wrote in 1934: "Jackie Cooper's tear ducts, having been more or less in abeyance for the past few months, have been opened up to provide an autumn freshet in Peck's Bad Boy."
Cooper had started off in the movies billed as "the little tough guy" in eight of Hal Roach's Our Gang comedy shorts.
- 5/5/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.