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Bill Butler

Bill Butler

Cinematographer, also actor · Died April 5, 2023, aged 101 · Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA

Wilmer Cable Butler (April 7, 1921 – April 5, 2023) was an American cinematographer who was known for his work on The Conversation (1974), Jaws (1975), and three Rocky sequels. Butler also completed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) after Haskell Wexler was fired from the production, and was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 7, 1921
Died
April 5, 2023 (aged 101)
From
Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also actor
Titles
61 on MovieCove · 83 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 40% in 30 days

What are Bill Butler's films like?

Across their 56 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Horror7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Biography6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
23%
Self
20%
Survival
17%
Morality
17%
Power
11%
Society
7%
Ideas
5%
Survival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 56 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 19 · Serious 15 · Dark 22

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 30 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 27 · Intense 20

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 21 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 8

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 31 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 36 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 24 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 6

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 21 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 15

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 44 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 7

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
33
Melancholic
20
Dread
14
Absurd
12
Hopeful
14
Other
59

How their films linger

Feel-good16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 13 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous13

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bill Butler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 61 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bill Butler's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

83 credits, 61 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour(2023)

    Camera Technician

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Evil Angel(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Limousine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Redline(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Plague(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Funny Money(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Frailty(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Joe and Max(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Hendrix(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Passing Glory(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Don King: Only in America(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Deceiver(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Anaconda(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Dark Skies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Flipper(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • A Walton Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Beethoven's 2nd(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Cop & ½(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Sniper(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Hot Shots!(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Graffiti Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • When We Were Young(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Child's Play(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Wildfire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Biloxi Blues(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Bates Motel(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Big Trouble(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Rocky IV(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Beer(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • A Streetcar Named Desire(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Thorn Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The Sting II(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Rocky III(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Killing at Hell's Gate(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Stripes(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Death Ray 2000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • It's My Turn(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Can't Stop the Music(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Rocky II(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Ice Castles(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Grease(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Damien: Omen II(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Uncle Joe Shannon(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Capricorn One(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Mary White(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Demon Seed(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Raid on Entebbe(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Alex & the Gypsy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Lipstick(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Fear on Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • Jaws(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hustling(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Target Risk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • Old Dracula(1974)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Conversation(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Execution of Private Slovik(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Indict and Convict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Cinematographer

  • I Heard the Owl Call My Name (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Sunshine(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Deliver Us from Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Running Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Savage! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Hickey & Boggs(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 5 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Deliverance(1972)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Deathmaster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Cinematographer

  • Melinda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Cinematographer

  • The Godfather(1972)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Something Evil(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Return of Count Yorga(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Drive, He Said(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • A Clear and Present Danger(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Adam's Woman(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Fearless Frank(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Rain People(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Space to Grow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum(1966)

    Sound Editor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Bold Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • Star Trek: The Cage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Assistant Camera

  • The People vs. Paul Crump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 83 titles from 1962 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Jaws (1975)

$491M worldwide

Highest rated

Jaws (1975)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Child's Play (1988)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography79 of 83: 79 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thEditing1 of 83: 1 only editing, 0 with another roleOther crew3 of 83: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1960s7 · crew1970s37 · crew1980s18 · crew1990s12 · crew2000s8 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Bill Butler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 61; across their 56 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Midcredits score across 61 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th18

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 61 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed27

Most divisive · cinematographer

Can't Stop the Music (1980)

90th percentile spread · 54% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Godfather (1972)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 59/100 in their films, across 47 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Bill Butler's work okay for kids?

Across up to 22 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles34–79 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity22 titles10–64 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity17 titles30–57 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles27–39 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles9–75 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Bill Butler work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bill Butler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Burt Young shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles