Editing Red Buttons

{{Short description|American comedian and actor (1919–2006)}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Red button (disambiguation)|red button]], a term with various uses}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
<!--link to disambig page is intentional-->

{{Infobox person
| name = Red Buttons
| image = Red Buttons - 1959.jpg
| caption = Buttons in 1959
| birth_name = Aaron Chwatt
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|02|5|}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2006|07|13|1919|02|05}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian}}
| years_active = 1935–2006
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Roxanne Arlen]]|1947|1949|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Helayne McNorton|1949|1963|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Alicia Prats|1964|2001|end=d}}}}
| children = 2
}}

'''Red Buttons''' (born '''Aaron Chwatt'''; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Oscar]] and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe]] for ''[[Sayonara]]''. He was nominated for awards for his work such as ''[[Harlow (Paramount film)|Harlow]]'' (1965), ''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]'' (1969), and ''[[Pete's Dragon (1977 film)|Pete's Dragon]]'' (1977).

From the 1970s he was a familiar face on TV, with his "Never Got a Dinner" comedy monologues.

==Early life==
Red Buttons was born Aaron Chwatt<ref name="bbc"/> on February 5, 1919, in [[Manhattan]],<ref name="bbc"/> New York, to Russo-Polish [[Jews|Jewish]] immigrants Sophie (née Baker) and Michael Chwatt.<ref name="judaicaref">{{cite encyclopedia | title =Motion Pictures| encyclopedia =Encyclopaedia Judaica| publisher =Keter Publishing House| date =1971–1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/55/Red-Buttons.html|title=Red Buttons Biography (1919-)|website= filmreference.com|access-date=May 4, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100532/http://www.filmreference.com/film/55/Red-Buttons.html|archive-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref> At 16 years old, Chwatt got a job as an entertaining [[bellhop]] at Ryan's Tavern in [[City Island, Bronx|City Island]], [[the Bronx]], New York. The combination of his red hair and the large, shiny buttons on the bellhop uniforms inspired orchestra leader Charles "Dinty" Moore to call him "Red Buttons", the name under which he would later perform.

Later that same summer, Buttons worked on the [[Borscht Belt]];<ref name="bbc"/> his [[double act|straight man]] was [[Robert Alda]]. Buttons was working at the Irvington Hotel in [[South Fallsburg, New York]], when the master of ceremonies became incapacitated, and Buttons asked for the chance to replace him. In 1939, Buttons started working for [[Minsky's Burlesque]]; in 1941, [[José Ferrer]] chose Buttons to appear in a [[Broadway theater|Broadway show]] ''The Admiral Had a Wife'', a [[farce]], set in [[Pearl Harbor]] at [[Oahu]], [[Hawaii]]. It was due to open on December 8, 1941, but never did.  It was deemed inappropriate after the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor]]. In later years, Buttons would joke that the Japanese only attacked Pearl Harbor to keep him off Broadway.

==Career==
In September 1942, Buttons made his Broadway debut in ''Vickie'' with Ferrer and [[Uta Hagen]]. Later that year, he appeared in the Minsky's show ''Wine, Women and Song.'' This was the last classic [[American burlesque|burlesque]] show in New York City history;  the Mayor [[Fiorello H. LaGuardia|La Guardia]] administration closed it down. Buttons was on stage when the show was raided.

Drafted into the [[United States Army Air Forces]], Buttons in 1943 appeared in the Army Air Forces' Broadway show ''[[Winged Victory (play)|Winged Victory]]'', along with several future stars, including [[Mario Lanza]], [[John Forsythe]], [[Karl Malden]], and [[Lee J. Cobb]]. A year later, he appeared in [[Darryl F. Zanuck]]'s [[Winged Victory (film)|movie version of the play]], directed by [[George Cukor]]. Buttons also entertained troops in the [[European Theatre of World War II|European Theater]] in the same [[Jeep Show]] unit as [[Mickey Rooney]].

After the war, Buttons continued to perform in Broadway shows. He also performed at Broadway movie houses with [[big band]]s. He appeared as himself, delivering a comic monologue, in the [[RKO Radio Pictures]] movie revue ''[[Footlight Varieties]]'' (1951).

==''The Red Buttons Show''==
In 1952, Buttons received his own television series, ''[[The Red Buttons Show]]'', first seen on [[CBS]] and later on [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]]. It was the number-11 show in prime time in 1952,<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1952.htm|title=ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1950s|website= classictvhits.com| publisher= | access-date=May 4, 2018|url-status= live| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171008121134/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1952.htm|archive-date=October 8, 2017}}</ref> and the comedian was extremely insistent on using fresh material. During the show's three-year-run, Buttons was notorious for his treatment of the writing staff, and comedy writers came and went regularly. As columnist [[Dorothy Kilgallen]] reported, "Three of Red Buttons' writers are ready to pack up and head for the booby hatch. The funnyman's temperament is just too exhausting to take. The trio of script writers have already announced they will not be part of the comedian's pending Hollywood movie assignment."<ref>Dorothy Kilgallen in ''Screenland'', June 1953, p. 58.</ref> ''[[TV Guide]]'', noting the format changes of the show from variety to situation comedy, said his "status as a TV comedian has been going up-and-down like a yo-yo for the past two years... He reacted to the heady wine of success like a small boy locked inside a candy store. He went out and bought a powder-blue Cadillac. He picked up a mink coat for his wife. He moved his family into a terraced apartment on Manhattan's swank Sutton Place. Then he began to fool around with his scripts. 'That,' he says now in what may go down as one of the most remarkable understatements of our time, 'may well have been a mistake.' As a result of these misadventures, Buttons' sponsor General Foods disowned him at the end of his run and CBS let it be known that Red was welcome to look for work someplace else." The magazine article carried a melancholy postscript: "P. S. It was in Hollywood that Red found the writers he got along with so well. They were Harry Clork, Larry Markes, Sumner Long, and Lester Lee. We regret having to use the past tense, but it seems that between the time the foregoing story was written a few weeks ago and the time we went to press, all but Lester Lee went thataway."<ref>''[[TV Guide]]'', "Buttons at Bat Again" (no byline), Oct. 16, 1954, pp. 13-15.</ref> Buttons admitted to the revolving door of writers: "The critics have kidded a lot about all the writers I've had, and I have had quite a few. I quit counting at 87. Most of them were good writers but they just weren't right for me."<ref>Red Buttons, NBC press release, Jan. 26, 1955.</ref> ''TV Guide'' critic Dan Jenkins offered a jaundiced opinion about the comedian's variable TV fortunes: "Buttons has no comic traits of his own.  He is not funny per se. A [[Jack Benny]] can be hilarious just standing with his arms folded, staring at an old lady in the front row, Buttons can't. He needs material. Buttons, to this reviewer, has always been a club-date man. He was fleetingly sensational when he first appeared on television, but of all the media, TV is the one that most demands staying power -- a basic talent which can rise above material and carry its own weight on off-weeks. Buttons, thus far this season, has displayed very little of it."<ref>Dan Jenkins in ''TV Guide'', Nov. 13, 1954, p. 23.</ref>

In 1953, during his TV popularity, he recorded and had a two-sided hit with "Strange Things Are Happening"/"The Ho Ho Song", with both sides/songs essentially being the same.

==New departure==
His role in the film ''[[Sayonara (film)|Sayonara]]'' (1957) was a dramatic departure from his previous work. In this film, co-starring with [[Marlon Brando]], he played Joe Kelly, an [[United States Air Force|American airman]] stationed in [[Kobe]], [[Japan]], during the [[Korean War]], who marries Katsumi, a Japanese woman (played by [[Miyoshi Umeki]]), but he is barred from taking her back to the US. His moving portrayal of Kelly's calm resolve not to abandon the relationship, and the touching reassurance of Katsumi, impressed audiences and critics alike. Buttons won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and Umeki won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for the film.

After his Oscar-winning role, Buttons performed in numerous feature films, including the African adventure ''[[Hatari!]]'' with [[John Wayne]] and the adventure ''[[Five Weeks in a Balloon (film)|Five Weeks in a Balloon]]'' (1962) (where he received top billing). Buttons played the lead role of [[John Steele (paratrooper)|Private John Steele]], the paratrooper hung up on the town steeple clock, in the 1962 international ensemble cast film ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]''. He was also prominent in the biopic ''[[Harlow (Paramount film)|Harlow]]'', the disaster film ''[[The Poseidon Adventure (1972 film)|The Poseidon Adventure]]'', the dance-marathon drama ''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]'', the family comedy ''[[Pete's Dragon (1977 film)|Pete's Dragon]]'', the disaster film ''[[When Time Ran Out]]'' with [[Paul Newman]], and the age-reversal comedy ''[[18 Again!]]'' with [[George Burns]].

[[File:Red Buttons Double Life of Henry Phyfe 1965.JPG|left|thumb|upright=.8|Buttons as Henry Phyfe]]

In 1966, Buttons again starred in his own TV series, a spy spoof called ''[[The Double Life of Henry Phyfe]]'', which ran for one season. Buttons also made guest appearances on several TV programs, including ''[[The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', ''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]'', ''[[It's Garry Shandling's Show]]'', ''[[Knots Landing]]'', ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', and ''[[Roseanne (TV series)|Roseanne]]''. His last TV role was in ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''.

[[File:RedButtonsAL1978.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1|Buttons in 1978]]

=="Never Got a Dinner"==
Beginning in the 1970s Red Buttons enjoyed a new popularity with his "Never Got a Dinner" routine, a standard of the [[Friars Club of Beverly Hills|Friars Club]] and ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' for many years. "Never got a dinner!" became a [[catchphrase]], and formed the basis for elaborately eccentric lists of famous people (and their wives and mothers) who had not been honored with celebrity dinner roasts: "Why are we here honoring this man? Why is he getting a dinner? I can think of many famous people who never got a dinner. Mrs. [[Ponce De Leon]], who said to her husband Ponce, 'You're going to Miami without me again this year?'... ''never got a dinner!''"

Another of his catchphrases was "I did not come here to be made sport of," which was later taken up by radio talk-show host [[Howie Carr]].

He made numerous appearances at [[Chabad]] telethons, where he was often brought on and off stage to the tune of "[[Hava Nagila]]". (He once told an interviewer, "I'm a Jew who is doing comedy, not a 'Jewish comic'."<ref>{{cite news|date=December 11, 1998|title=Stage-screen giant Red Buttons pressing all the rights ones at 80|url=https://www.jweekly.com/1998/12/11/stage-screen-giant-red-buttons-pressing-all-the-rights-ones-at-80/|access-date=July 12, 2021|website=[[J. The Jewish News of Northern California]]}}</ref>) Buttons received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for television, located at 1651 Vine Street. He was number 71 on [[Comedy Central]]'s list of the ''100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time''.

==Personal life==
Buttons married actress Roxanne Arlen in 1947, but the marriage soon ended in divorce. He married Helayne McNorton on December 8, 1949. They divorced in 1963. His last marriage was to Alicia Prats, which lasted from January 27, 1964, until her death in March 2001. With Prats he had two children. He was the advertising spokesman for [[Century Village, Florida]], a [[retirement community]].

Buttons was an early member of the Synagogue for the Performing Arts, and at the time Rabbi [[Jerome Cutler]] was the rabbi.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forward.com/articles/8150/ |title=The Rabbi Plays One on TV |date=September 19, 2003 |access-date=June 1, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717234252/http://www.forward.com/articles/8150/ |archive-date=July 17, 2009 }} ''The Forward''</ref>

===Death===
Buttons died of complications from [[cardiovascular disease]] on July 13, 2006, at age 87 at his home in [[Century City (Los Angeles)|Century City]], Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 13, 2006|title=Actor Red Buttons dead at 87|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/actor-red-buttons-dead-at-87-1.607584|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312133001/https://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/07/13/red-buttons-obit.html|archive-date=March 12, 2007|website=[[CBC Arts]]}}</ref> He had been ill for a while and was with family members when he died. His ashes were given to his family after cremation.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5178496.stm ''Comedian Red Buttons dies at 87''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720134851/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5178496.stm |date=July 20, 2006 }}. BBC News. July 14, 2006.</ref>

==Filmography==

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1944
|''[[Winged Victory (film)|Winged Victory]]''
|Whitey/Andrews Sister
|credited as Cpl. Red Buttons
|-
|1946
|''[[13 Rue Madeleine]]''
|Second Jump Master
|uncredited
|-
|1951
|''[[Footlight Varieties]]''
|Red Buttons
|
|-
|1957
|''[[Sayonara]]''
|Joe Kelly
|
|-
|1958
|''[[Imitation General]]''
|Corporal Chan Derby
|
|-
|1959
|''[[The Big Circus]]''
|Randy Sherman
|
|-
|1961
|''[[One, Two, Three]]''
|Military Police Sergeant
|uncredited
|-
|1962
|''[[Hatari!]]''
|Pockets
|
|-
|1962
|''[[Five Weeks in a Balloon (film)|Five Weeks in a Balloon]]''
|Donald O'Shay
|
|-
|1962
|''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]''
|Private John Steele
|
|-
|1962
|''[[Gay Purr-ee]]''
|Robespieree
|Voice Role
|-
|1963
|''[[A Ticklish Affair]]''
|Flight Officer Simon "Uncle Cy" Shelley
|
|-
|1964
|''[[Your Cheatin' Heart (film)|Your Cheatin' Heart]]''
|Shorty Younger
|
|-
|1965
|''[[Up from the Beach]]''
|Private first class Harry Devine
|
|-
|1965
|''[[Harlow (Paramount film)|Harlow]]''
|Arthur Landau
|
|-
|1966
|''[[Stagecoach (1966 film)|Stagecoach]]''
|Peacock
|
|-
|1969
|''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]''
|Sailor
|
|-
|1971
|''[[Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name?]]''
|Mickey Isador
|
|-
|1972
|''[[The Poseidon Adventure (1972 film)|The Poseidon Adventure]]''
|James Martin
|
|-
|1976
|''[[Gable and Lombard]]''
|Ivan Cooper
|
|-
|1977
|''[[Viva Knievel!]]''
|Ben Andrews
|
|-
|1977
|''[[Pete's Dragon (1977 film)|Pete's Dragon]]''
|Hoagy
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Movie Movie]]''
|Peanuts/Jinks Murphy
|Both segments of film
|-
|1979
|''[[C.H.O.M.P.S.]]''
|Bracken
|
|-
|1980
|''[[When Time Ran Out]]...''
|Francis Fendly
|
|-
|1988
|''[[18 Again!]]''
|Charlie
|
|-
|1990
|''[[The Ambulance]]''
|Elias Zacharai
|
|-
|1994
|''[[It Could Happen to You (1994 film)|It Could Happen to You]]''
|Walter Zakuto
|
|-
|1999
|''[[The Story of Us (1999 film)|The Story of Us]]''
|Arnie Jordan
|
|-
|2001
|''Odessa or Bust''
|The Old Man
|Short Film
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1948
|''[[Texaco Star Theater|The Milton Berle Show]]''
|Himself – Comedian
|"Red Buttons/Judy Canova/The Crackerjacks/Ella Logan/Russell Swan"
|-
|1951
|''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]''
|unknown role
|"Merryman's Murder"
|-
|1952–55
|''[[The Red Buttons Show]]''
|Himself (Host)
|4 episodes
|-
|1952–66
|''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''
|Himself (Comedian/Singer)
|recurring role (10 episodes)
|-
|1956
|''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Studio One]]''
|St. Emergency
|"The Tale of St. Emergency"
|-
|1958
|''Hansel and Gretel''
|Hansel
|TV movie
|-
|1958
|''[[The Eddie Fisher Show]]''
|Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1959
|''[[Playhouse 90]]''
|Jerry
|"A Marriage of Strangers"
|-
|1959
|''[[Startime (American TV series)|Startime]]''
|Joe Henders
|"Something Special"
|-
|1959–61
|''[[General Electric Theater]]''
|Tippy-Top/Lieutenant George Poole
|2 episodes
|-
|1960
|''[[Death Valley Days]]''
|Levi Strauss
|"The Million Dollar Pants"
|-
|1960
|''[[The United States Steel Hour]]''
|Inspector Plover
|"The Case of the Missing Wife"
|-
|1962
|''[[Frontier Circus]]''
|Earl Youngblood
|"Never Won Fair Lady"
|-
|1962
|''[[Saints and Sinners (1962 TV series)|Saints and Sinners]]''
|Joe Roganyan
|"All the Hard Young Men"
|-
|1962
|''[[Password (American game show)|Password]]''
|Himself (Celebrity Contestant)
|"Jane Powell vs. Red Buttons"
|-
|1982–85
|''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''
|Himself
|recurring role (17 episodes)
|-
|1963
|''[[20th Golden Globe Awards|20th Annual Golden Globes]]''
|Himself (Host)
|TV special
|-
|1964
|''[[The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]''
|Cody Evans
|"Sunday Father"
|-
|1964
|''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]''
|Walter Wallace
|"The Last of the Strongmen"
|-
|1965
|''[[Ben Casey]]''
|Bill Jacoby
|"Journeys End in Lovers Meeting"
|-
|1965–66
|''[[The Andy Williams Show]]''
|Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1966
|''[[The Double Life of Henry Phyfe]]''
|Henry Wadsworth Phyfe
|series regular (17 episodes)
|-
|1966–73
|''[[The Pepsodent Show|The Bob Hope Show]]''
|Himself
|3 episodes
|-
|1967
|''[[The Danny Thomas Hour]]''
|Al Risko
|"The Zero Man"
|-
|1967–68
|''[[The Dean Martin Show]]''
|Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1967–74
|''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]''
|Himself
|recurring role (16 episodes)
|-
|1968–69
|''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]''
|Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1969–70
|''[[Love, American Style]]''
|Norman (segment "Love and the Geisha")
|2 episodes
|-
|1970
|''[[George M!]]''
|Sam H. Harris
|TV movie
|-
|1970–73
|''[[Hollywood Squares|The Hollywood Squares]]''
|Himself (Panelist)
|3 episodes
|-
|1970
|''Breakout''
|Pipes
|TV movie
|-
|1973
|''[[ABC Afterschool Special]]''
|Alexander
|"Alexander"
|-
|1975
|''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]''
|William "Willie" O'Hara
|"Circus Man"
|-
|1975
|''[[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]''
|Ashley Norman
|"The New Original Wonder Woman"
|-
|1975
|''[[Let's Make a Deal]]''
|Himself (Special Guest)
|"#5.1"
|-
|1975–84
|''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast|Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]''
|Himself
|14 episodes<br/>— "Valerie Harper" (1975)<br/>— "Muhammad Ali" (1976)<br/>— "Dennis Weaver" (1976)<br/>— "Joe Gargaiola" (1976)<br/>— "Danny Thomas" (1976)<br/>— "Angie Dickinson" (1977)<br/>— "Gabe Kaplan" (1977)<br/>— "Ted Knight" (1977)<br/>— "Peter Marshall" (1977)<br/>— "Dan Haggerty" (1977)<br/>— "Frank Sinatra" (1978)<br/>— "Jack Klugman" (1978)<br/>— "Jimmy Stewart" (1978)<br/>— "George Burns" (1978)<br/>— "Betty White" (1978)<br/>— "Suzanne Somers" (1978)<br/>— "Joe Namath" (1979)<br/>— Joan Collins" (1984)<br/>— "Mr. T." (1984)
|-
|1976
|''Louis Armstrong — Chicago Style''
|Red Cleveland
|TV movie
|-
|1976
|''Flannery and Quilt''
|Luke Flannery
|TV movie
|-
|1977
|''The Sunshine Boys''
|Willie Clark
|TV movie
|-
|1977
|''Telethon''
|Marty Rand
|TV movie
|-
|1978
|''The Users''
|Warren Ambrose
|TV movie
|-
|1978
|''[[Vegas (1978 TV series)|Vega$]]''
|Tommy Cirko
|2 episodes
|-
|1979
|''[[Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July]]''
|Milton (Voice Role)
|TV movie
|-
|1980
|''Power''
|Solly Weiss
|TV movie
|-
|1980
|''[[Pink Lady (TV series)|Pink Lady]]''
|Police Sergeant / Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1980
|''[[The Dream Merchants (miniseries)|The Dream Merchant]]''
|Bruce Benson
|Miniseries (2 episodes)
|-
|1981
|''[[Aloha Paradise]]''
|Nick
|"Letter from Broadway/Letter from Cyrano/Letter from a Secret Admirer"
|-
|1981
|''[[Leave 'Em Laughing|Leave 'em Laughing]]''
|Roland
|TV movie
|-
|1981
|''Side Show''
|Harry
|TV movie
|-
|1982
|''Off Your Rocker''
|Seymour Slatz
|TV movie
|-
|1978–83
|''[[The Love Boat]]''
|Jimmy Morrow/Buddy Redmond/Uncle Cyrus Foster
|3 episodes
|-
|1978–83
|''[[Fantasy Island]]''
|Marty Howard/Cornelius Kelly/Tony Emerson
|3 episodes
|-
|1985
|''[[Reunion at Fairborough]]''
|Jiggs Quealy
|TV movie
|-
|1985
|''[[Alice in Wonderland (1985 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''
|The White Rabbit
|Miniseries
|-
|1987
|''[[227 (TV series)|227]]''
|Toots
|"The Audit"
|-
|1987
|''[[Knots Landing]]''
|Al Baker
|recurring role (6 episodes)
|-
|1987–89
|''[[It's Garry Shandling's Show]].''
|Himself
|2 episodes
|-
|1991
|''[[The Cosby Show]]''
|Jake Bennett
|"Cliff and Jake"
|-
|1993–94
|''[[Roseanne]]''
|Jake
|2 episodes
|-
|1997
|''[[Cosby (TV series)|Cosby]]''
|Mr. Tibbles
|"My Dinner with Methuseleh"
|-
|1998
|''Ghosts of Fear Street''
|Grandpa
|TV movie
|-
|1995–98
|''[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]''
|Himself (Interviewee)
|5 episodes<br/>— "Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker" (1995)<br/>— "Gypsy Rose Lee: Naked Ambition" (1996)<br/>— "Alan Alda: More That Mr. Nice Guy" (1997)<br/>— "Phil Silvers: Top Banana" (1997)<br/>— "John Wayne: American Legend" (1998)
|-
|1995–2005
|''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''
|Jules "Ruby" Rubadoux
|recurring role (5 episodes)
|-
|1999
|''[[Early Edition]]''
|Walter Stites
|"Pinch Hitters"
|-
|2000
|''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]''
|Carl Porter
|"Second Chance"
|-
|2002
|''[[Philly (TV series)|Philly]]''
|Murray Klopman
|"The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds"
|-
|2002
|''[[Street Time]]''
|Sam Kahan
|recurring role (4 episodes)
|-
|2002
|''[[Presidio Med]]''
|Chick
|"Milagros"
|}

== Accolades and honors ==
Throughout his career, Buttons received several awards and nominations for his work in both film and television.
{| class="wikitable"
!Accolade
!Year
!Category
!Nominated Work
!Result
!Ref
|-
|[[Academy Awards]]
|1958
|[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| rowspan="2" |''[[Sayonara]]''
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]]
|1959
|[[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Films]]
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1959/film/most-promising-newcomer-to-film |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=awards.bafta.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Golden Boot Awards]]
|1984
|Honoree
|{{N/A}}
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globes]]
|1958
| rowspan="3" |[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
|''Sayonara''
|{{Won}}
| rowspan="3" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Buttons |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/red-buttons |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=www.goldenglobes.com}}</ref>
|-
|1966
|''[[Harlot (1971 film)|Harlow]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1970
|''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Laurel Awards]]
|1958
|Top New Male Personality
|{{N/A}}
|{{Nominated}}
| rowspan="3" |
|-
|1958
| rowspan="2" |Top Male Supporting Performance
|''Sayonara''
|{{Won}}
|-
|1959
|''[[Imitation General]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
|2005
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]] <small>(for playing "Mr. Rubadoux. for episode "[[List of ER episodes|Ruby Redux]]")</small>
|''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Buttons |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/red-buttons |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Saturn Awards]]
|1977
|[[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|''[[Pete's Dragon (1977 film)|Pete's Dragon]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|[[Hollywood Walk of Fame|Walk of Fame]]
|1960
|[[List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|Star on the Walk of Fame — Television]] <small>(February 8, 1960. At 1651 Vine Street.)</small>
|{{N/A}}
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2019 |title=Red Buttons |url=https://walkoffame.com/red-buttons/ |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-interview-with-ben-starr-part-two.html Interview with Red Buttons' Television Writer, August 2012]
* {{IMDb name|999}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{YouTube|NyO0VWdUfRo|"Red Buttons on Dean Martin Roast"}}, video, 4 minutes

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Red Buttons
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestSupportingActor 1941-1960}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestSuppActorMotionPicture 1943–1960}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buttons, Red}}
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