- Was engaged to actress Natalie Schafer, who played Mrs. Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island (1964), at the time of his tragic death.
- Although his death in a single automobile crash was listed an accident, some say that Butterworth was extremely despondent over the death of close friend Robert Benchley a few months earlier and deliberately crashed his speeding car.
- Died of a fractured skull when he lost control of his speeding convertible on Sunset Boulevard and crashed into a lamp post.
- Graduated from Notre Dame's law school in 1924 and passed the bar but decided against a law career and moved into journalism.
- Close friends included fellow humorist Robert Benchley and Corey Ford.
- A one-time news reporter for the Chicago American and New York Times, his talents as a writer were instrumental in establishing solid friendships with journalist Heywood Hale Broun and humorist Frank Sullivan, who helped him find initial work on radio.
- He was the inspiration for cereal icon Cap'n Crunch.
- Appeared in several jazz-age Broadway musicals, including "Allez Oop (1927), "Good Boy" (1928) and "Sweet Adeline" (1929), before making films.
- Buried in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Granger, Indiana.
- Cousin of Mabel Butterworth and Walter Butterworth.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content