David Dalrymple Butler (12 November 1927 – 27 May 2006) was a Scottish writer of numerous screenplays and teleplays who won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
In 1959, he married actress Norma Ronald and, by the early 1960s, was supplementing his acting career with scriptwriting. Following a 1966 divorce, his 1969 marriage to Mary McPhail lasted for the remainder of his life and produced two daughters.
Circumstances also permitted an occasional return to acting, as in his own teleplays of the 1974–78 prison television series Within These Walls, in some episodes of which he played the penal institution chaplain, Rev. Henry Prentice.[5] During this time, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his historical screenplay of 1976's Voyage of the Damned, depicting the 1939 attempt by 937 Jews to escape the looming Holocaust via a ship traveling from Hitler's Germany to Havana, but denied permission to disembark in Cuba or in the United States.[3]
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This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations September 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message David Dalrymple Butler 12 November 1927 27 May 2006 was a Scottish writer of numerous screenplays and teleplays who won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award David ButlerBornDavid Dalrymple Butler 1927 11 12 12 November 1927Larkhall Lanarkshire Scotland United KingdomDied27 May 2006 2006 05 27 aged 78 London England United KingdomResting placeHighgate CemeteryOccupationsDirectorproducerscreenwriterMember of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Writers Branch clarification needed Years active1961 1992Spouse s Norma Ronald 1959 1966 divorced Mary McPhail 1969 2006 his death ChildrenTwo daughters The grave of David Dalrymple Butler Highgate Cemetery London He specialized in period piece drama and is particularly remembered for a string of hit British television shows including Within These Walls Lillie We ll Meet Again and Edward the Seventh as well as for his acting most specifically as Dr Nick Williams on British television s first medical soap opera Emergency Ward 10 in 1960 62 1 Contents 1 Early years 2 Career highlights 3 Death 4 Awards and nominations 5 References 5 1 Notes 5 2 Sources 6 External linksEarly years editA native of the town of Larkhall in South Lanarkshire Butler was born into a well educated family with his parents working as teachers At the age of 18 as World War II came to an end he enrolled at the University of St Andrews but ultimately abandoned his studies before attaining a degree upon becoming interested in acting with the university drama society 2 He subsequently trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his performing career in West End revues 3 David completed his national service with the Royal Air Force during the Korean War initially training as a pilot officer Due to his poor eyesight he ended up being posted to Singapore where he led jungle patrols against terrorists in Malaya in 1953 4 In 1956 at the age of 29 he played a prison officer in Joan Littlewood s Theatre Workshop production of Brendan Behan s The Quare Fellow 2 Career highlights editIn 1959 he married actress Norma Ronald and by the early 1960s was supplementing his acting career with scriptwriting Following a 1966 divorce his 1969 marriage to Mary McPhail lasted for the remainder of his life and produced two daughters By 1971 he had mostly given up acting and began to devote all of his energies to turning out teleplays One of his first successes in the historical genre was 1972 s The Strauss Family followed by many other productions including The Duchess of Duke Street in 1976 77 1978 s Disraeli starring Ian McShane and his 1986 Primetime Emmy Award winning Lord Mountbatten The Last Viceroy with Nicol Williamson in the title role 2 Circumstances also permitted an occasional return to acting as in his own teleplays of the 1974 78 prison television series Within These Walls in some episodes of which he played the penal institution chaplain Rev Henry Prentice 5 During this time he was nominated for an Academy Award for his historical screenplay of 1976 s Voyage of the Damned depicting the 1939 attempt by 937 Jews to escape the looming Holocaust via a ship traveling from Hitler s Germany to Havana but denied permission to disembark in Cuba or in the United States 3 Death editButler died in London at the age of 78 6 He is buried in the section of modern graves in the north east quadrant of the eastern half of Highgate Cemetery in north London Awards and nominations editAcademy Award nomination for Best Writing Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Voyage of the Damned 7 1976 Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay Motion Picture for Voyage of the Damned 8 1976 Winner Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries Movie or a Dramatic Special for Lord Mountbatten The Last Viceroy 9 1986 References editNotes edit BFI Screenonline Emergency Ward 10 1957 67 Credits www screenonline org uk a b c Hayward Anthony 8 June 2006 David Butler Writer of TV historical dramas The Independent Retrieved 23 February 2020 a b Stage The 26 June 2006 David Butler Obituaries David Butler Biography Retrieved June 16 2022 For Life 1975 BFI dead link David Butler BFI Archived from the original on 8 March 2019 The 49th Academy Awards 1977 Oscars org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences David Butler Hollywood Foreign Press Association Retrieved 30 September 2009 Lord Mountbatten The Last Viceroy Masterpiece Th Television Academy Sources edit Hayward Anthony David Butler Writer of TV historical dramas The Independent 8 June 2006 Newley Patrick David Butler The Stage 26 June 2006 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Dalrymple Butler David Butler at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title David Butler screenwriter amp oldid 1200304031, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
