
William A. Seiter
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1890-06-10
Day of Death
1964-07-26 (74 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
William A. Seiter
Biography
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.
Acting
(1913)
Pierre of the North
as The Mail Carrier
Crew
(1955)
The Wild Bunch
Director
(1955)
Want Ad Wedding
Director
(1954)
Make Haste to Live
Director
(1953)
The Lady Wants Mink
Director, Associate Producer
(1953)
Champ for a Day
Producer, Director
(1951)
Dear Brat
Director
(1950)
Borderline
Director
(1948)
One Touch of Venus
Director
(1948)
Up in Central Park
Director
(1947)
I'll Be Yours
Director
(1946)
Lover Come Back
Director
(1946)
Little Giant
Director
(1945)
That Night with You
Director
(1945)
The Affairs of Susan
Director
(1945)
It's a Pleasure
Director
(1944)
Belle of the Yukon
Director, Producer
(1944)
Four Jills in a Jeep
Director
(1943)
A Lady Takes a Chance
Director
(1943)
Destroyer
Director
(1942)
You Were Never Lovelier
Director
(1942)
Broadway
Director
(1941)
Nice Girl?
Director
(1941)
Appointment for Love
Director
(1940)
Hired Wife
Director, Producer
(1940)
It's a Date
Director
(1939)
Allegheny Uprising
Director
(1939)
Susannah of the Mounties
Director
(1938)
Room Service
Director
(1938)
Three Blind Mice
Director
(1938)
Sally, Irene and Mary
Director
(1938)
Thanks for Everything
Director
(1937)
This Is My Affair
Director
(1937)
The Life of the Party
Director
(1937)
Life Begins in College
Director
(1936)
Dimples
Director
(1936)
Stowaway
Director
(1936)
The Moon's Our Home
Director
(1936)
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
Director
(1935)
Roberta
Director
(1935)
If You Could Only Cook
Director
(1935)
Orchids to You
Director
(1935)
In Person
Director
(1935)
The Daring Young Man
Director
(1934)
The Richest Girl in the World
Director
(1934)
Sing and Like It
Director
(1934)
We're Rich Again
Director
(1934)
Love Birds
Director
(1933)
Sons of the Desert
Director, Writer
(1933)
Chance at Heaven
Director
(1933)
Rafter Romance
Director
(1933)
Hello, Everybody!
Director
(1933)
Professional Sweetheart
Director
(1933)
Diplomaniacs
Director
(1932)
Hot Saturday
Director
(1932)
Girl Crazy
Director
(1932)
If I Had a Million
Director
(1932)
Is My Face Red?
Director
(1932)
Young Bride
Director
(1931)
Caught Plastered
Director
(1931)
Peach-o-Reno
Director
(1931)
Big Business Girl
Director, Producer
(1931)
Kiss Me Again
Director
(1931)
Way Back Home
Director
(1931)
Too Many Cooks
Director
(1931)
The Aviator
Director
(1930)
Going Wild
Director
(1930)
Sunny
Director
(1930)
Back Pay
Director
(1930)
The Truth About Youth
Director
(1930)
The Flirting Widow
Director, Producer
(1930)
Strictly Modern
Director
(1929)
Why Be Good?
Director
(1929)
Synthetic Sin
Director
(1929)
The Love Racket
Producer
(1929)
Footlights and Fools
Director
(1929)
Smiling Irish Eyes
Director
(1929)
Prisoners
Director
(1928)
Good Morning, Judge
Director
(1928)
Outcast
Director
(1928)
Happiness Ahead
Director
(1927)
The Small Bachelor
Director
(1927)
Out All Night
Director
(1926)
What Happened to Jones
Director
(1926)
Take It from Me
Director
(1926)
Skinner's Dress Suit
Director, Producer
(1926)
The Cheerful Fraud
Director
(1926)
Rolling Home
Director
(1925)
Where Was I?
Director
(1925)
The Mad Whirl
Director
(1925)
Dangerous Innocence
Director
(1925)
The Teaser
Director
(1924)
Helen's Babies
Director
(1924)
The Family Secret
Director
(1924)
Daddies
Director
(1924)
His Forgotten Wife
Director
(1924)
The Fast Worker
Director
(1924)
The White Sin
Director
(1923)
Little Church Around the Corner
Director
(1923)
Bell Boy 13
Director
(1922)
When Love Comes
Director
(1922)
Gay and Devilish
Director
(1922)
Up and at 'Em
Director, Story
(1922)
The Understudy
Director
(1922)
Boy Crazy
Director
(1921)
Passing Through
Director
(1921)
The Foolish Age
Director, Writer
(1921)
Eden and Return
Director
(1918)
Camouflage
Director
(1918)
Oh! What a Day
Director, Writer