William A. Seiter
Directing
Born: June 10, 1890 · New York City, New York, USA
Died: July 26, 1964 (aged 74)
Highest Rated
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.
Known for
Sons of the Desert
1933
Room Service
1938
You Were Never Lovelier
1942
Roberta
1935
If I Had a Million
1932
One Touch of Venus
1948
Allegheny Uprising
1939
Borderline
1950
Stowaway
1936
Little Giant
1946
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943
Hot Saturday
1932
Photos (1)
Movies (1)
Directing (117)
Four Star Playhouse
Director
The Millionaire
Director
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Director
Cavalcade of America
Director
The Gale Storm Show
Director
Screen Director's Playhouse
Director
Sons of the Desert
Director
Love Birds
Director
Professional Sweetheart
Director
Room Service
Director
You Were Never Lovelier
Director
If I Had a Million
Director
Hello, Everybody!
Director
The Aviator
Director
Nice Girl?
Director
One Touch of Venus
Director
Borderline
Director
Allegheny Uprising
Director
Little Giant
Director
Big Business Girl
Director
This Is My Affair
Director
Way Back Home
Director
Appointment for Love
Director
Diplomaniacs
Director
In Person
Director
Waterfront
Director
The Lady Wants Mink
Director
The Richest Girl in the World
Director
Destroyer
Director
Caught Plastered
Director
Listen Lester
Director
If You Could Only Cook
Director
Roberta
Director
Chance at Heaven
Director
Daddies
Director
Sally, Irene and Mary
Director
The Moon's Our Home
Director
A Lady Takes a Chance
Director
Hired Wife
Director
Stowaway
Director
Champ for a Day
Director
Make Haste to Live
Director
Little Church Around the Corner
Director
The Truth About Youth
Director
The Daring Young Man
Director
Susannah of the Mounties
Director
Peach-o-Reno
Director
Camouflage
Director
Girl Crazy
Director
The Affairs of Susan
Director
The Kentucky Colonel
Director
Lover Come Back
Director
Thanks for the Buggy Ride
Director
Life Begins in College
Director
Footlights and Fools
Director
We're Rich Again
Director
The Life of the Party
Director
Hot Saturday
Director
Belle of the Yukon
Director
I'll Be Yours
Director
Rafter Romance
Director
Helen's Babies
Director
Dimples
Director
The Foolish Age
Director
Broadway
Director
Kiss Me Again
Director
Back Pay
Director
It's a Pleasure
Director
Why Be Good?
Director
Sing and Like It
Director
It's a Date
Director
Out All Night
Director
The Mad Whirl
Director
Synthetic Sin
Director
The Wild Bunch
Director
That Night with You
Director
Dangerous Innocence
Director
Too Many Cooks
Director
The Family Secret
Director
Gay and Devilish
Director
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
Director
What Happened to Jones?
Director
Thanks for Everything
Director
The Cheerful Fraud
Director
Rolling Home
Director
Outcast
Director
Is My Face Red?
Director
Three Blind Mice
Director
Dear Brat
Director
Bell Boy 13
Director
Young Bride
Director
Sunny
Director
The Teaser
Director
Happiness Ahead
Director
Four Jills in a Jeep
Director
Oh! What a Day
Director
Passing Through
Director
The White Sin
Director
The Small Bachelor
Director
The Flirting Widow
Director
Up in Central Park
Director
Where Was I?
Director
The Fast Worker
Director
Going Wild
Director
Skinner's Dress Suit
Director
Prisoners
Director
Eden and Return
Director
Strictly Modern
Director
The Understudy
Director
Up and at 'Em
Director
His Forgotten Wife
Director
Orchids to You
Director
Smiling Irish Eyes
Director
Boy Crazy
Director
When Love Comes
Director
Take It from Me
Director
Good Morning, Judge
Director
Writing (5)
Producing (8)
Big Business Girl
Producer
The Lady Wants Mink
Associate Producer
Hired Wife
Producer
Champ for a Day
Producer
Belle of the Yukon
Producer
The Love Racket
Producer
The Flirting Widow
Producer
Skinner's Dress Suit
Producer