William A. Seiter
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.
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Movies (114)
Want Ad Wedding
1955 · Director
The Wild Bunch
1955 · Director
Make Haste to Live
1954 · Director
Champ for a Day
1953 · Director, Producer
The Lady Wants Mink
1953 · Director, Associate Producer
Dear Brat
1951 · Director
Borderline
1950 · Director
One Touch of Venus
1948 · Director
Up in Central Park
1948 · Director
I'll Be Yours
1947 · Director
Lover Come Back
1946 · Director
Little Giant
1946 · Director
That Night with You
1945 · Director
The Affairs of Susan
1945 · Director
It's a Pleasure
1945 · Director
Belle of the Yukon
1944 · Producer, Director
Four Jills in a Jeep
1944 · Director
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943 · Director
Destroyer
1943 · Director
You Were Never Lovelier
1942 · Director
Broadway
1942 · Director
Appointment for Love
1941 · Director
Nice Girl?
1941 · Director
Hired Wife
1940 · Director, Producer
It's a Date
1940 · Director
Allegheny Uprising
1939 · Director
Susannah of the Mounties
1939 · Director
Thanks for Everything
1938 · Director
Room Service
1938 · Director
Three Blind Mice
1938 · Director
Sally, Irene and Mary
1938 · Director
Life Begins in College
1937 · Director
The Life of the Party
1937 · Director
This Is My Affair
1937 · Director
Stowaway
1936 · Director
Dimples
1936 · Director
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
1936 · Director
The Moon's Our Home
1936 · Director
If You Could Only Cook
1935 · Director
In Person
1935 · Director
Orchids to You
1935 · Director
The Daring Young Man
1935 · Director
Roberta
1935 · Director
The Richest Girl in the World
1934 · Director
We're Rich Again
1934 · Director
Love Birds
1934 · Director
Sing and Like It
1934 · Director
Sons of the Desert
1933 · Director, Writer
Chance at Heaven
1933 · Director
Rafter Romance
1933 · Director
Professional Sweetheart
1933 · Director
Diplomaniacs
1933 · Director
Hello, Everybody!
1933 · Director
If I Had a Million
1932 · Director
Hot Saturday
1932 · Director
Is My Face Red?
1932 · Director
Young Bride
1932 · Director
Girl Crazy
1932 · Director
Peach-o-Reno
1931 · Director
Way Back Home
1931 · Director
Caught Plastered
1931 · Director
Too Many Cooks
1931 · Director
Big Business Girl
1931 · Director, Producer
The Aviator
1931 · Director
Kiss Me Again
1931 · Director
Going Wild
1930 · Director
Sunny
1930 · Director
The Truth About Youth
1930 · Director
Back Pay
1930 · Director
The Flirting Widow
1930 · Director, Producer
Strictly Modern
1930 · Director
The Love Racket
1929 · Producer
Footlights and Fools
1929 · Director
Smiling Irish Eyes
1929 · Director
Prisoners
1929 · Director
Why Be Good?
1929 · Director
Synthetic Sin
1929 · Director
Outcast
1928 · Director
Waterfront
1928 · Director
Happiness Ahead
1928 · Director
Good Morning, Judge
1928 · Director
Thanks for the Buggy Ride
1928 · Director
The Small Bachelor
1927 · Director
Out All Night
1927 · Director
The Cheerful Fraud
1926 · Director
Take It from Me
1926 · Director
Rolling Home
1926 · Director
Skinner's Dress Suit
1926 · Director, Producer
What Happened to Jones?
1926 · Director
The Teaser
1925 · Director
Where Was I?
1925 · Director
Dangerous Innocence
1925 · Director
The Mad Whirl
1925 · Director
The Fast Worker
1924 · Director
Helen's Babies
1924 · Director
The Family Secret
1924 · Director
Listen Lester
1924 · Director, Adaptation
His Forgotten Wife
1924 · Director
The White Sin
1924 · Director
Daddies
1924 · Director
Little Church Around the Corner
1923 · Director
Bell Boy 13
1923 · Director
When Love Comes
1922 · Director
Up and at 'Em
1922 · Director, Story
The Understudy
1922 · Director
Gay and Devilish
1922 · Director
Boy Crazy
1922 · Director
Eden and Return
1921 · Director
The Foolish Age
1921 · Director, Writer
Passing Through
1921 · Director
The Kentucky Colonel
1920 · Director
Camouflage
1918 · Director
Oh! What a Day
1918 · Director, Writer
Pierre of the North
1913 · The Mail Carrier
