The same year, Butler made his directorial debut with High School Hero, a comedy for Fox.

During Butler's nine-year tenure at Fox, he directed over 30 films, including four Shirley Temple vehicles.

Butler's last film for Fox, Kentucky, won Walter Brennan an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He directed many films starring Doris Day, including It's a Great Feeling, Tea for Two, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Lullaby of Broadway, April in Paris, and Calamity Jane.

During the late 1950s and 1960s, Butler directed primarily television episodes, mainly for Leave It to Beaver and Wagon Train.