Robert Butler and Tom Donovan, both DGA television and feature film directors, will be the recipients of the Directors Guild of America’s 2001 Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award, DGA President Jack Shea and Awards Committee Chairperson Howard Storm announced today. The Aldrich Award, given for extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership, will be presented to Butler and Donovan at the DGA Awards on March 10, 2001.
"We are a strong Guild, and our strength lies in the many gifted and talented men and women who comprise our membership," said DGA President Shea. "Among them, Robert Butler and Tom Donovan whose continued commitment to service to the DGA make them such deserving recipients of the Guild's highest service award."
Robert Butler served as an alternate member on the DGA National Board of Directors beginning in 1985, was elected a National Board of Directors member in 1987, and was elected as Fifth Vice President in 1995, a position he held until 1999. Butler currently serves as an Alternate member of both the National Board of Directors and the Western Directors Council.
Butler’s directing career includes the theatrical films Turbulence, Night of the Juggler and Up the Creek, television movies White Mile and Out of Time, and television pilots St. Michael’s Crossing, Last Chance, Lois & Clark, Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting and Remington Steele, which he created. Butler’s latest pilot, The Division, aired in January on Lifetime.
Tom Donovan served as First Vice President from 1967–1981, National Vice President from 1983–1987, and was a multi-term National Board member. In addition, he has served on the DGA-PAC helping to create a more powerful voice for Guild members in Washington, DC. He has served as past Chairman of Special Projects–East, Trustee of the Directors Guild Foundation, two term President of the Radio and Television Directors Guild, and Trustee of the Actors Fund of America. Donovan won the DGA Honorary Life Member Award in 1985.
Donovan’s directing career includes the theatrical film Tristan and Isolt, live teleplays including Danger, Playhouse 90, Mama and Dupont Show of the Month; he directed several series including Adventure, Another World and Our Private World, as well as television specials including The Time of Your Life, The First Day, The Hasty Heart, The Three Musketeers, A Smile for Oona and Harriet. Donovan was also Producer-Director for such television series as Love is a Many Splendored Thing, A World Apart, Love of Life, CBS Daytime 90’s and General Hospital.
The Robert B. Aldrich Award was established in 1984 to recognize extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership. Robert Aldrich served as DGA President from 1975-1979. Past recipients include Robert E. Wise, Elliot Silverstein, George Sidney, Sheldon Leonard, Gilbert Cates, George L. Schaefer, Larry Auerbach, Milt Felsen, Jack Shea, Gene Reynolds, John Rich, Burt Bluestein, Max A. Schindler, Daniel Petrie, Delbert Mann, Martha Coolidge and Arthur Hiller.
