About

Known credits:
116
Birthday:
1890-06-10
Place of birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

William A. Seiter

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William A. Seiter (June 10, 1890 - July 26, 1964) was an American film director. He was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, doubling a cowboy. He graduated to director in 1918.

At Universal Studios in the mid-1920s, Seiter was principal director of the popular Reginald Denny vehicles, most of which co-starred Seiter's then wife Laura La Plante (his second wife was actress Marian Nixon). This period also included The Beautiful and Damned and The Family Secret.

In the early talkie era, Seiter helped nurture the talents of RKO's comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey in such rollicking features as Caught Plastered (1931) and Diplomaniacs (1933). He also directed the Laurel and Hardy feature Sons of the Desert (1933), their only film together. Other films include Sunny, Going Wild, Kiss Me Again, Hot Saturday, Way Back Home, Girl Crazy, Rafter Romance, Roberta, Room Service, Susannah of the Mounties, Allegheny Uprising, You Were Never Lovelier, Up in Central Park, and One Touch of Venus.

Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Margaret Sullavan, Jack Haley, Deanna Durbin, Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Fred MacMurray, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth and the Marx Brothers.

While many of his films were minor gems, Seiter was capable of turning out bad movies once in a while. For example, if he ran into friction from his star—as was the case with Lou Costello in 1946's Little Giant -- Seiter would get even by adhering religiously to the script, refusing to add any nuance or creativity to the project (this pettiness may have been the reason that one prominent actress of the 1930s referred to Seiter as the most unimaginative director she'd ever worked with). On his final four films, before he retired in 1954, Seiter functioned as both producer and director. These films included The Lady Wants Mink (1953), a gentle satire of the then topical "raise your own coat" craze.

He died in Beverly Hills, California, of a heart attack, aged 74.

Known for

Acting
1913 Pierre of the North Actor The Mail Carrier N/A
N/A

Directing
1955 Want Ad Wedding Directing Director N/A
N/A
1955 The Wild Bunch Directing Director N/A
N/A
1954 Make Haste to Live Directing Director 58
Average
1953 Champ for a Day Directing Director 59
Average
1953 The Lady Wants Mink Directing Director 59
Average
1951 Dear Brat Directing Director 58
Average
1950 Borderline Directing Director 58
Average
1948 One Touch of Venus Directing Director 59
Average
1948 Up in Central Park Directing Director 59
Average
1947 I'll Be Yours Directing Director 59
Average
1946 Lover Come Back Directing Director 59
Average
1946 Little Giant Directing Director 58
Average
1945 That Night with You Directing Director N/A
N/A
1945 The Affairs of Susan Directing Director 59
Average
1945 It's a Pleasure Directing Director 59
Average
1944 Belle of the Yukon Directing Director 58
Average
1944 Four Jills in a Jeep Directing Director 59
Average
1943 A Lady Takes a Chance Directing Director 58
Average
1943 Destroyer Directing Director 59
Average
1942 You Were Never Lovelier Directing Director 60
Fair
1942 Broadway Directing Director 59
Average
1941 Appointment for Love Directing Director 58
Average
1941 Nice Girl? Directing Director 58
Average
1940 Hired Wife Directing Director 59
Average
1940 It's a Date Directing Director 59
Average
1939 Allegheny Uprising Directing Director 58
Average
1939 Susannah of the Mounties Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Thanks for Everything Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Room Service Directing Director 60
Fair
1938 Three Blind Mice Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Sally, Irene and Mary Directing Director 58
Average
1937 Life Begins in College Directing Director N/A
N/A
1937 The Life of the Party Directing Director 58
Average
1937 This Is My Affair Directing Director 59
Average
1936 Stowaway Directing Director 59
Average
1936 Dimples Directing Director 59
Average
1936 The Case Against Mrs. Ames Directing Director 58
Average
1936 The Moon's Our Home Directing Director 58
Average
1935 If You Could Only Cook Directing Director 59
Average
1935 In Person Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Orchids to You Directing Director N/A
N/A
1935 The Daring Young Man Directing Director N/A
N/A
1935 Roberta Directing Director 59
Average
1934 The Richest Girl in the World Directing Director 58
Average
1934 We're Rich Again Directing Director 58
Average
1934 Love Birds Directing Director 59
Average
1934 Sing and Like it Directing Director 58
Average
1933 Sons of the Desert Directing Director 62
Fair
1933 Chance at Heaven Directing Director 58
Average
1933 Rafter Romance Directing Director 59
Average
1933 Professional Sweetheart Directing Director 58
Average
1933 Diplomaniacs Directing Director 58
Average
1933 Hello, Everybody! Directing Director 59
Average
1932 If I Had a Million Directing Director 59
Average
1932 Hot Saturday Directing Director 59
Average
1932 Is My Face Red? Directing Director 58
Average
1932 Young Bride Directing Director 58
Average
1932 Girl Crazy Directing Director 58
Average
1931 Peach-o-Reno Directing Director 59
Average
1931 Way Back Home Directing Director 58
Average
1931 Caught Plastered Directing Director 59
Average
1931 Too Many Cooks Directing Director 58
Average
1931 Big Business Girl Directing Director 59
Average
1931 The Aviator Directing Director N/A
N/A
1931 Kiss Me Again Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Going Wild Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Sunny Directing Director 59
Average
1930 The Truth About Youth Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Back Pay Directing Director 58
Average
1930 The Flirting Widow Directing Director 58
Average
1930 Strictly Modern Directing Director N/A
N/A
1929 Footlights and Fools Directing Director N/A
N/A
1929 Smiling Irish Eyes Directing Director N/A
N/A
1929 Prisoners Directing Director N/A
N/A
1929 Why Be Good? Directing Director 59
Average
1929 Synthetic Sin Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 Outcast Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 Happiness Ahead Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 Good Morning, Judge Directing Director N/A
N/A
1927 The Small Bachelor Directing Director N/A
N/A
1927 Out All Night Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The Cheerful Fraud Directing Director 58
Average
1926 Take It from Me Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 Rolling Home Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 Skinner's Dress Suit Directing Director 59
Average
1926 What Happened to Jones Directing Director 58
Average
1925 The Teaser Directing Director 58
Average
1925 Where Was I? Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 Dangerous Innocence Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 The Mad Whirl Directing Director 59
Average
1924 The Fast Worker Directing Director N/A
N/A
1924 Helen's Babies Directing Director 59
Average
1924 The Family Secret Directing Director 59
Average
1924 His Forgotten Wife Directing Director 59
Average
1924 The White Sin Directing Director 59
Average
1924 Daddies Directing Director 58
Average
1923 Little Church Around the Corner Directing Director 59
Average
1923 Bell Boy 13 Directing Director 59
Average
1922 When Love Comes Directing Director N/A
N/A
1922 Gay and Devilish Directing Director N/A
N/A
1921 The Foolish Age Directing Director N/A
N/A
1921 Passing Through Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Camouflage Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Oh! What a Day Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1933 Sons of the Desert Writing Writer 62
Fair
1921 The Foolish Age Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1918 Oh! What a Day Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
1953 Champ for a Day Production Producer 59
Average
1953 The Lady Wants Mink Production Associate Producer 59
Average
1944 Belle of the Yukon Production Producer 58
Average
1940 Hired Wife Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Big Business Girl Production Producer 59
Average
1930 The Flirting Widow Production Producer 58
Average
1929 The Love Racket Production Producer N/A
N/A
1926 Skinner's Dress Suit Production Producer 59
Average