A survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which happened when he was 11 years old. He said the quake shook the city so violently and for so long that he remembered his father saying, "I think this is the end. Get down and pray". He and his family escaped uninjured.
Directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Stuart Erwin (Best Supporting Actor, Pigskin Parade (1936)) and Walter Brennan (Best Supporting Actor, Kentucky (1938)). Brennan won an Oscar for his performance in Butler's film.
Son of players Adele Belgrade and Fred J. Butler.