Herb Butterfield

Herb Butterfield
Butterfield and Muriel Bremner as Mr. & Mrs. Carter Colby in the radio program Lonely Women.
Born	October 28, 1895 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died	May 2, 1957 (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, US
Nationality	American
Education	Brown University (BA) University of London American Academy of Dramatic Arts University of Iowa (MA)
Occupation	Actor

Herbert Butterfield (October 28, 1895 – May 2, 1957) was an actor best known for his work in American radio.

Early life and career

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Butterfield graduated with a BA from Brown University before serving in World War I in France and Germany. After the war, he attended University of London, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and earned his MA from the University of Iowa.[1]

Perhaps his major roles on radio were those of crime-lab expert Lee Jones (as well as many supporting characters) in Dragnet, and The Commissioner in Dangerous Assignment.[2]

Butterfield acted in dozens of roles on Broadway Is My Beat. His other roles in radio programs included: Rex Kramer on Dan Harding's Wife, Ziehm in Girl Alone, Clarence Wellman in The Halls of Ivy, Weissoul in Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, Preacher Jim in Kitty Keene, Inc., Judge Carter Colby in Lonely Women, Phineas Herringbone in Ma Perkins, Judge Glenn Hunter in One Man's Family, and Judge Colby in Today's Children.[3] He also was the last actor to play Inspector Richard Queen in The Adventures of Ellery Queen on radio.[4]

Butterfield's limited activity on television included reprising his roles of Clarence Wellman in The Halls of Ivy[5] and The Commissioner in Dangerous Assignment. He appeared in many episodes of the TV version of Dragnet and in a episode of Colgate Theatre. He also appeared as kindly old man in “Father Knows Best” in season 3 episode 6. He also had roles in a few movies, including The House on Telegraph Hill and Shield for Murder.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	Never Fear	Walter Williams
1951	The House on Telegraph Hill	Joseph C. Callahan
1953	The I Don't Care Girl	Doctor	Uncredited
1953	A Blueprint for Murder	Judge at Preliminary Hearing	Uncredited
1954	Shield for Murder	Cabot
1955	The Tender Trap	Minister	Voice, Uncredited
1955	The Fighting Chance	Tipsy Man	Uncredited
1956	The Ten Commandments	Royal Physician	Uncredited

References

1. Collican, Thomas D. (October 16, 1950). "Looking and Listening". Syracuse Herald-Journal. p. 7. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
2. Dunning, John (1976). Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. 1925–1976. Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN 0139326162
3. Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. ISBN 978-0670162406
4. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
5. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television, Penguin Books, ISBN 0140249168

External links

• Herbert Butterfield at IMDb
• Herbert Butterfield at the Internet Broadway Database
• Herbert 'Herb' Butterfield at Old Time Radio Researchers.org