Francis E. (Frank) Butler (1847–1926) was a wild west variety show performer. When his shooting partner fell ill before a show one day, he asked his wife, Annie, to assist him. Prompted by the crowd to pick up a gun, Annie immediately became a shooting sensation and went on to worldwide fame as sharpshooter Annie Oakley in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
Early Life
Frank was one of five children born to Michael Butler and Catherine Whelan in County Longford, Ireland. He immigrated to America when he was 13 years old and worked a number of odd jobs to make ends meet, including glassblowing and managing an on-stage dog show.
In 1870, Frank married Henrietta Saunders (1852-1936) and had two children, Edward and Katie. The marriage ended in divorce.
Marriage to Annie Moses
After his divorce, Frank created a shooting act to capitalize on the popularity of marksmanship demonstrations and toured with several variety shows.
Frank and his shooting partner, John Graham, would make trick shots for about 20 minutes per show and then challenge a local sharpshooter to a contest.
On Thanksgiving Day 1875, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Frank found himself in a shooting contest against a 15-year-old girl named Phoebe Ann (“Annie”) Moses. Annie helped support her family by shooting game and selling it to local shopkeepers.
Both Frank and Annie made 24 consecutive shots, but Frank missed his 25th shot and lost the contest. He was quoted as saying, “I was a battered man the instant she appeared because I was caught off guard.”
Despite a 10-year age gap, Frank and Annie began courting. The fact that he never drank, smoked or gambled endeared him to Annie’s Quaker mother, and they married in 1876. The marriage would last more than 50 years.
A Star is Born
After they were married, Frank continued to perform with John Graham. One day in 1882, Graham fell ill and was unable to perform. Frank asked Annie to go on stage with him and hold the targets. He had several uncharacteristic misses during his performance that day, prompting someone in the audience to yell “let the girl shoot!” And shoot, she did. Annie was a sensation.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
After a stint with the Sells Brothers Circus, Frank and Annie, now known professionally as Annie Oakley (her hometown was Oakley, Ohio), joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1885.
Annie was the first big female star in the male-dominated world of wild west shows. She dazzled crowds by shooting corks off bottles, snuffing candles, and splitting cards on their edges. At the American Exposition in London in 1887, Annie met Queen Victoria, who called her a “very clever little girl.”
As Annie’s fame began to grow, Frank stepped out of the spotlight and became her manager. He wrote press releases and articles promoting her appearances, was responsible for their logistics and finances, and even threw glass balls into the air for Annie to shoot during her act. He seemed to realize that her success benefited both of them.
Later Years
In 1901, Frank and Annie took a hiatus from performing after a serious train accident. Frank took a job as a representative for a gun cartridge company to support them while Annie appeared in a theatrical production that was written for her.
In 1903, Frank and Annie were horrified to find that the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, had published a false story about Annie. The story said she was in jail for stealing to support a cocaine habit. The couple sued the newspapers that libeled Annie and won or settled 54 suits.
Frank and Annie returned to performing in 1911 with a two-year run in Vernon Seaver’s The Young Buffalo Show before officially retiring in 1913.
In retirement, Frank and Annie raised funds for the Red Cross during World War I by giving shooting demonstrations at army camps and taking part in numerous other charitable activities. Frank, an amateur poet, summarized his and Annie’s charitable philosophy: “Don’t you realize it’s the job of a brother of man to find what the grief is and help what you can?”
Annie died in Greenville, Ohio, on November 3, 1926. According to one biographer, Frank stopped eating when his wife died, which resulted in his death 18 days later. According to another biographical source, his official cause of death was senility.
Annie Oakley and Frank Butler Legacy
The legend of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler continues to be told through movies, television, and theatrical productions.
The 1950 film Annie Get Your Gun is based on the romantic and professional life of Annie and Frank. It won the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and received three additional nominations. Annie was portrayed by Betty Hutton, who won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. Frank was portrayed by actor Howard Keel.
After seeing her perform in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1884, the legendary Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull symbolically adopted Annie and named her “Watanya Cicilla,” or “Little Sure Shot.”
Primary Sources:
- Biography: Frank Butler | American Experience | PBS. (n.d.).
- Annie Oakley biography – Buffalo Bill Center of the West. (2021, April 13).
- Annie Get Your Gun (1950) – IMDb. (1999, May 31). IMDb; www.imdb.com.
