Randy Douthit is a television and film director best known for his work on the 1966 TV series Judy Justice, as well as the films Mrs. Winterbourne and The Adventures of Robin Hood. He currently runs two popular blogs, Filming and Acting: The Life of an Actor and Filming and Working: The Life of a Director.
After growing tired of commercials and industrial films, television producer Brian G. Hutton asked Randy Douthit if he would be interested in directing an episode of the television series Judy Justice in 1965; this was a show about a female police detective who investigates crimes around New York City. Douthit’s episode, The Eye of the Storm, was filmed at an abandoned subway station in Greenwich Village and featured an appearance by Paul Lynde, who served as a consultant for the show. Douthit also became one of Brian Hutton’s favorite directors; he explained that Randy Douthit had many great ideas and made him feel like a kid again.
Douthit went on to direct the pilot episode of Judy Justice, “The Pressure Point, in 1966 and made four more episodes for the initial season. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs in 1967 and also directed two episodes of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir in 1969. He also co-wrote an episode of Hooper’s Millions, which aired on ABC on December 5, 1968; the episode centers around a young boy named Josh who dreams that a magic hat is giving him three wishes.
Douthit had a memorable cameo role in the Academy Award-winning film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He played the part of a man who’s shot down by the outlaws and later crawled to safety; this small role was cut from the final film. Douthit also received a Special Film Advisory Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 1970.
Douthit made his directorial debut with an episode of “Arnie: The Legend Is Alive” for NBC in 1978. In 1979, he directed two episodes of The Love Boat and then joined the cast of its spinoff Fantasy Island. He played the part of Mr. Balthus, a magician who appeared every so often to give advice to the character Tattoo (played by Hervé Villechaize). Douthit wasn’t too impressed with the series itself; he said it was a bit childish for his taste.