Butley_
"His wife just left him for another man. And so did his boyfriend."
Butley is set in Queen Mary’s College, London and focuses on two English instructors, Ben Butley, a middle-aged former T. S. Eliot expert whose life is now in a shambles, and his protégé, Joey, a homosexual. With both Joey and his wife leaving, Butley faces a life alone, fighting back with wit, obscenity and booze.
Starring
Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Michael Byrne
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Butley was released 52 years ago in 1974.
Overview
Butley is set in Queen Mary’s College, London and focuses on two English instructors, Ben Butley, a middle-aged former T. S. Eliot expert whose life is now i...
Butley is a Drama film with a runtime of 2h 7m.
CAST (17)
Alan Bates
Ben Butley
Jessica Tandy
Edna Shaft
Michael Byrne
Reg Nuttall
Georgina Hale
Carol Heasman
Simon Rouse
Gardner
SE
Susan Engel
Anne Butley
Richard O'Callaghan
Joey Keyston
Oliver Maguire
DA
Darien Angadi
Colin Haigh
LI
Lindsay Ingram
Patti Love
BL
Belinda Low
Derrick O'Connor
John Savident
Susan Wooldridge
Jill Goldston
Tube Passenger (uncredited)
STUDIOS (2)
Cinévision Ltée
The American Film Theatre
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
127 min (2h 7m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.5/10 (12 votes)
Popularity
5
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Butley about?
Butley is set in Queen Mary’s College, London and focuses on two English instructors, Ben Butley, a middle-aged former T. S. Eliot expert whose life is now in a shambles, and his protégé, Joey, a homosexual. With both Joey and his wife leaving, Butley faces a life alone, fighting back with wit, obscenity and booze.
How long is Butley?
Butley has a runtime of 127 minutes (2h 7m).
Who stars in Butley?
The cast of Butley includes Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Michael Byrne, Georgina Hale, Simon Rouse.
What is the rating of Butley?
Butley has a rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on 12 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama