‘Pumping Iron’ Director and Producer, George Butler passes away at 78.
The bodybuilding and fitness industry today lost a bodybuilding icon and visionary, George Butler, the writer, director and producer of ‘Pumping Iron’ has died at the age of 78.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net was informed by reliable sources close to George Butler that his health was declining at a fast rate in the past year.
The star of ‘Pumping Iron’, Arnold Schwarzenegger, confirmed the news of Butler’s death on his official social media pages.
In a short post, Schwarzenegger described George in the best way possible. Arnold emphasized how Butler was responsible for the growth of bodybuilding and introducing the public to this niche sport.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Message
“When I think about all of the people who were responsible for the growth of bodybuilding and the sport’s crossover to the mainstream, two of the first people to come to mind are, without any doubt, George Butler and Charles Gaines. ‘Pumping Iron’, the book and the movie, drew the general public in to our strange little niche sport and brought fitness – and the Austrian with an unpronounceable name and a funny accent – to the masses. I was saddened to hear the news of George’s passing. He was such a talent, he had a fantastic eye, and he was a force for the sport of bodybuilding and the fitness crusade. My thoughts are with his family.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
George Butler’s Contribution to Bodybuilding
When you see George Butler, you don’t see a massive bodybuilder or a fitness icon, but you see a slim man, holding a camera, capturing an image and introducing that same image to the world as a story.
George Butler and his good friend Charles Gaines, published the book ‘Pumping Iron’. The book introduced to the world a number of guys that would end up becoming icons of the sport. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, Ed Corney, Mike Katz, Ken Waller, Serge Nubret and others were hardly known before this book.
After the book was published, George Butler and Charles Gains, decided to produce a docudrama with the same name, focusing on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia contest.
The main focus of the film was about Arnold Schwarzenegger trying to win his sixth Mr. Olympia title, while the younger and bigger Lou Ferrigno was trying everything to keep Arnold from winning his title.
The second story line was about amateur bodybuilders Mike Katz and Ken Waller trying to win the IFBB Mr. Universe.
The idea for the film started in 1972, when George and Charles were given an assignment to cover niche sports. Both George and Charles, ended up going to a bodybuilding contest and Arnold Schwarzenegger was guest posing at the event. After talking to Arnold, George realized that he had a great personality and that is when the idea for ‘Pumping Iron’ originated.
The book was basically a coffee table book, featuring photos of the worlds top bodybuilders. The book was an immediate success and best seller.
It was then decided to produce the film ‘Pumping Iron’ and Charles was the narrator of the film.
The rest is history, with the film becoming a cult classic and is still contentiously watched today by the old and younger generation.
The film also launched the very successful careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. Both would become film and tv stars, while Arnold would also have a very successful career in politics.
Pumping Iron 2
Pumping Iron II was made as a follow-up to the groundbreaking 1977 film Pumping Iron. The Caesars World Cup was a contest created specifically for the film. The competitors were a mix of professional and amateur bodybuilders, which was actually a violation of IFBB rules.
Charles Gaines, one of the writers of the film, was included on the contest’s judging panel. He was interviewed for the film but not identified, and had never previously seen a female bodybuilding contest.
The 1985 production focuses primarily on Bev Francis and Rachel McLish. Francis was actually a world champion powerlifter with no bodybuilding experience (though she later became one of the top competitors in the sport in the late 1980s). She arrived in the US and was trained during filming by 1972 AAU Mr. America, Steve Michalik, who also guest posed in the film.
Francis was easily the most muscular woman in the contest, but lacked the “feminine” physique of female bodybuilders of the time, and finished eighth. McLish, a two-time Ms. Olympia winner, was the most successful woman in the sport’s history at that time. Though she had done more than any other woman to popularize the sport, the producers chose to portray her as the “villain”.
Other bodybuilders featured in the film include Kris Alexander, Lori Bowen, Lydia Cheng, Gladys Portugues, and the contest winner, Carla Dunlap. The film was based on the book Pumping Iron II: The Unprecedented Woman.
Films Produced by George Butler
Pumping Iron (1977)
Pumping Iron II: The Women (1985)
In the Blood (1989)
The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition (2000)
Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure (2001)
Going Upriver (2004)
Roving Mars (2006)
The Lord God Bird (2008)
The Good Fight (2010)
Tiger, Tiger (2015)
Tiger, Tiger: The IMAX Experience
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of George Butler during this difficult time.
Editor’s Note
George Butler is the reason I love the sport of bodybuilding. As a very young kid, I remember watching Pumping Iron on TV when I lived in Toronto.
I was immediately hooked on bodybuilding as a sport. Back then, in the late 70’s, bodybuilding was a mainstream sport and was always featured on ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’.
Till today, I still watch ‘Pumping Iron’, thanks to the great DVD collection with all its great features related to the film.
George Butler did come after Joe and Ben Weider, but he was the one that put bodybuilding on the map. He took bodybuilding from a niche sport and introduced it to the world. George introduced the characters of these bigger than life athletes to the world and the world fell in love with them.
My love for bodybuilding is all thanks to George Butler and Charles Gaines. The creation of Evolutionofbodybuilding.net is thanks to them and my love for bodybuilding photography is thanks to their work.
Many tried to replicate ‘Pumping Iron’, but they don’t even come close. Nobody could capture the characters like George and Charles did and most probably nobody will ever again.
Bodybuilding did not just lose a film director and author, but they lost the man that is one of the reason bodybuilding is so popular today.
Rest in Peace George, you will be missed.
Charles Gaines, George Butler and Arnold Schwarzenegger
‘Pumping Iron’ Director and Producer, George Butler passes away at 78
