Evening star., 1945-01-28
From a Directors Viewpoint
By Sheifah Graham .

direct nowadays is Ann Sheridan
She's very regular" he says. There
is no act with Annie. She does her
work well, it's a business with her
She never argues with the director
/ get so tired of women who look
at the script and say, I don't think
a girl like that would say a thing
like this / always know we're head
ing for trouble after that"
Hope and Crosby Favorites.
The favorite boys on Buffers
schedule are Hope and Crosby. The
director was responsible for the re-
cent Princess and the Pirate,
which, incidentally, he thinks will
make star of Virginia Mayo. You
always have fun with Bob and Bing, >
continues Dave, land little bit OF
funmaking always is better for the
picture"
Buffers recent film, San An
tonic" staring Enrol Flynn, was his
SD feature picture, but his first
western-"although," he tells me
that's how I started in pictures
acting in westerns"
When Butler came here from Sar
Francisco about 81 years ago, he al
ready was an established youne
leading man, and he started in with
the old New York Motion Picture Co
as a leading man at $35 a week
But they gave me only $50 a week,
says Dave. so, after making two
pictures I went in for the extra ss
and said 1 would quit If they didn't
come through. ! quit"
Shortly after this shattering Incl
dent, Butler bumped into Mr.. Seelig
then q big-shot in film circles. Are
you looking for work p" he asked
Dave, who replied he was. Are YOU
pretty strong?" was the next ques-
ton. Dave then weighed ITS pounds
He now tips the beam at $50. Yes,
he said he was strong. So they gave
him bowl with a dark stain in 1t
and told him he was to be a Hindu
1t was while he was carrying the
bowl that Dave darkened the shadow
of leading man Hal Cooley, who
snorted, Get out of my way" "Hal
Is now an agent" says Butler, "and
always tease him about this"
Played in Serial.
Dave needed all his strength In
his next acting role-a serial star
ring betty Kathleen Williams. Dave
was the guy who had to carry her.
His first big acting assignment came
from D. w. Griffith, who gave him
the lead, with Lillian Gish (in 1879
in The Greatest Thing in Life"
In all, Dave acted in $50 epics be-
fore ne directed his own scene in
the silent version of Seventh
Heaven" to make his part of Goblin
the street cleaner more important.
From then on, he stuck. to directing
And that's how he lost his boyish
figure. Il hadn't time to exercise, I"
he tells me.
Perhaps my most difficult Job of
says Dave, was the last
picture in which John Barrymore
appeared. If it hadn't been for Door
old Lupe Velez, who also was in It..
we never could have finished it.
Johns memory had completely gone
and Lupe practically would hold him
up for the scenes. She was a swell
girl, never grumbled, never said it
was time to go home, always ready
on time. I miss her in pictures ana
also at the Friday night fights where
I'd wink and ask her who was the
new boy friend"
Apart from pictures, the two
great interests of Buffers life are
boxing and horse racing. He has a
six-horse stable and had looked for
ward to the meet at Santa Anita.
where he was planning his vacation
after San Antonio" Now Dave is
reduced to relaxing at his Malibu
Beach home.
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