William A. Seiter
Directing
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
Directing118
tvThe 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Director
movieThe Wild Bunch
1955
Director
tvThe Millionaire
1955
Director
movieMake Haste to Live
1954
Director
movieChamp for a Day
1953
Director
movieThe Lady Wants Mink
1953
Director
tvCavalcade of America
1952
Director
tvFour Star Playhouse
1952
Director
movieDear Brat
1951
Director
movieBorderline
1950
Director
movieOne Touch of Venus
1948
Director
movieUp in Central Park
1948
Director
movieI'll Be Yours
1947
Director
movieLover Come Back
1946
Director
movieLittle Giant
1946
Director
movieThat Night with You
1945
Director
movieThe Affairs of Susan
1945
Director
movieIt's a Pleasure
1945
Director
movieBelle of the Yukon
1944
Director
movieFour Jills in a Jeep
1944
Director
movieA Lady Takes a Chance
1943
Director
movieDestroyer
1943
Director
movieYou Were Never Lovelier
1942
Director
movieBroadway
1942
Director
movieAppointment for Love
1941
Director
movieNice Girl?
1941
Director
movieHired Wife
1940
Director
movieIt's a Date
1940
Director
movieAllegheny Uprising
1939
Director
movieThanks for Everything
1938
Director
movieRoom Service
1938
Director
movieThree Blind Mice
1938
Director
movieSally, Irene and Mary
1938
Director
movieLife Begins in College
1937
Director
movieThe Life of the Party
1937
Director
movieThis Is My Affair
1937
Director
movieStowaway
1936
Director
movieDimples
1936
Director
movieThe Moon's Our Home
1936
Director
movieIf You Could Only Cook
1935
Director
movieIn Person
1935
Director
movieOrchids to You
1935
Director
movieThe Daring Young Man
1935
Director
movieRoberta
1935
Director
movieWe're Rich Again
1934
Director
movieLove Birds
1934
Director
movieSing and Like It
1934
Director
movieSons of the Desert
1933
Director
movieChance at Heaven
1933
Director
movieRafter Romance
1933
Director
movieProfessional Sweetheart
1933
Director
movieDiplomaniacs
1933
Director
movieHello, Everybody!
1933
Director
movieIf I Had a Million
1932
Director
movieHot Saturday
1932
Director
movieIs My Face Red?
1932
Director
movieYoung Bride
1932
Director
movieGirl Crazy
1932
Director
moviePeach-o-Reno
1931
Director
movieWay Back Home
1931
Director
movieCaught Plastered
1931
Director
movieToo Many Cooks
1931
Director
movieBig Business Girl
1931
Director
movieThe Aviator
1931
Director
movieKiss Me Again
1931
Director
movieGoing Wild
1930
Director
movieSunny
1930
Director
movieThe Truth About Youth
1930
Director
movieBack Pay
1930
Director
movieThe Flirting Widow
1930
Director
movieStrictly Modern
1930
Director
movieFootlights and Fools
1929
Director
movieSmiling Irish Eyes
1929
Director
moviePrisoners
1929
Director
movieWhy Be Good?
1929
Director
movieSynthetic Sin
1929
Director
movieOutcast
1928
Director
movieWaterfront
1928
Director
movieHappiness Ahead
1928
Director
movieGood Morning, Judge
1928
Director
movieThe Small Bachelor
1927
Director
movieOut All Night
1927
Director
movieThe Cheerful Fraud
1926
Director
movieTake It from Me
1926
Director
movieRolling Home
1926
Director
movieSkinner's Dress Suit
1926
Director
movieWhat Happened to Jones?
1926
Director
movieThe Teaser
1925
Director
movieWhere Was I?
1925
Director
movieDangerous Innocence
1925
Director
movieThe Mad Whirl
1925
Director
movieThe Fast Worker
1924
Director
movieHelen's Babies
1924
Director
movieThe Family Secret
1924
Director
movieListen Lester
1924
Director
movieHis Forgotten Wife
1924
Director
movieThe White Sin
1924
Director
movieDaddies
1924
Director
movieBell Boy 13
1923
Director
movieWhen Love Comes
1922
Director
movieUp and at 'Em
1922
Director
movieThe Understudy
1922
Director
movieGay and Devilish
1922
Director
movieBoy Crazy
1922
Director
movieEden and Return
1921
Director
movieThe Foolish Age
1921
Director
moviePassing Through
1921
Director
movieThe Kentucky Colonel
1920
Director
movieCamouflage
1918
Director
movieOh! What a Day
1918
Director
Production8
movieChamp for a Day
1953
Producer
movieThe Lady Wants Mink
1953
Associate Producer
movieBelle of the Yukon
1944
Producer
movieHired Wife
1940
Producer
movieBig Business Girl
1931
Producer
movieThe Flirting Widow
1930
Producer
movieThe Love Racket
1929
Producer
movieSkinner's Dress Suit
1926
Producer
Writing5
Acting1
moviePierre of the North
1913
The Mail Carrier