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.

Known for

You Were Never Lovelier

Acting roles

Year	Movie / TV show / Other	Role
1913	Pierre of the North	The Mail Carrier

Credits

Year	Movie / TV show / Other	Role
1956	The Gale Storm Show	Director
1955	The 20th Century Fox Hour	Director
1955	The Millionaire	Director
1955	Screen Director's Playhouse	Director
1954	Make Haste to Live	Director
1953	The Lady Wants Mink	Director
1953	The Lady Wants Mink	Associate Producer
1953	Champ for a Day	Director
1953	Champ for a Day	Producer
1952	Four Star Playhouse	Director
1952	Cavalcade of America	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	Little Giant	Director
1946	Lover Come Back	Director
1945	The Affairs of Susan	Director
1945	It's a Pleasure	Director
1945	That Night with You	Director
1944	Belle of the Yukon	Producer
1944	Belle of the Yukon	Director
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	Appointment for Love	Director
1941	Nice Girl?	Director
1940	It's a Date	Director
1940	Hired Wife	Director
1940	Hired Wife	Producer
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	Stowaway	Director
1936	Dimples	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	In Person	Director
1935	Orchids to You	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
1933	Sons of the Desert	Writer
1933	Rafter Romance	Director
1933	Chance at Heaven	Director
1933	Professional Sweetheart	Director
1933	Diplomaniacs	Director
1933	Hello, Everybody!	Director
1932	If I Had a Million	Director
1932	Hot Saturday	Director
1932	Is My Face Red?	Director
1932	Girl Crazy	Director
1932	Young Bride	Director
1931	Way Back Home	Director
1931	Caught Plastered	Director
1931	Peach-o-Reno	Director
1931	Big Business Girl	Director
1931	Big Business Girl	Producer
1931	The Aviator	Director
1931	Kiss Me Again	Director
1931	Too Many Cooks	Director
1930	Back Pay	Director
1930	The Truth About Youth	Director
1930	Going Wild	Director
1930	The Flirting Widow	Director
1930	The Flirting Widow	Producer
1930	Sunny	Director
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	Skinner's Dress Suit	Director
1926	Skinner's Dress Suit	Producer
1926	The Cheerful Fraud	Director
1926	Take It from Me	Director
1926	Rolling Home	Director
1925	The Mad Whirl	Director
1925	Where Was I?	Director
1924	Helen's Babies	Director
1924	The Family Secret	Director
1924	The White Sin	Director
1924	Daddies	Director
1924	His Forgotten Wife	Director
1924	The Fast Worker	Director
1923	Little Church Around the Corner	Director
1923	Bell Boy 13	Director
1922	When Love Comes	Director
1922	Gay and Devilish	Director
1921	Passing Through	Director
1921	The Foolish Age	Director
1921	The Foolish Age	Writer
1918	Camouflage	Director
1918	Oh! What a Day	Director
1918	Oh! What a Day	Writer