
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 (1 movie)
Directing (108 movies)

Roberta
1935

Dimples
1936

Nice Girl?
1941

When Love Comes
1922

Stowaway
1936

Sons of the Desert
1933

Belle of the Yukon
1944

Room Service
1938

One Touch of Venus
1948

You Were Never Lovelier
1942

Allegheny Uprising
1939

Borderline
1950

A Lady Takes a Chance
1943

Susannah of the Mounties
1939

Hot Saturday
1932

That Night with You
1945

Make Haste to Live
1954

Caught Plastered
1931

Girl Crazy
1932

Peach-o-Reno
1931

Hired Wife
1940

If I Had a Million
1932

What Happened to Jones?
1926

Broadway
1942

Destroyer
1943

Four Jills in a Jeep
1944

The Moon's Our Home
1936

The Richest Girl in the World
1934

Going Wild
1930

Chance at Heaven
1933

It's a Date
1940

I'll Be Yours
1947

If You Could Only Cook
1935

Rafter Romance
1933

Big Business Girl
1931

This Is My Affair
1937

Kiss Me Again
1931

Take It from Me
1926

Orchids to You
1935

The Case Against Mrs. Ames
1936

Little Church Around the Corner
1923

Helen's Babies
1924

The Affairs of Susan
1945

Dear Brat
1951

Sing and Like It
1934

The Life of the Party
1937

Sunny
1930

Hello, Everybody!
1933

It's a Pleasure
1945

Back Pay
1930

The Truth About Youth
1930

Is My Face Red?
1932

In Person
1935

Way Back Home
1931

Professional Sweetheart
1933

Up in Central Park
1948

Lover Come Back
1946

Life Begins in College
1937

Young Bride
1932

We're Rich Again
1934

Too Many Cooks
1931

Three Blind Mice
1938

The Family Secret
1924

The Flirting Widow
1930

Diplomaniacs
1933

Where Was I?
1925

The Lady Wants Mink
1953

Skinner's Dress Suit
1926

The Cheerful Fraud
1926

Appointment for Love
1941

Sally, Irene and Mary
1938

Thanks for Everything
1938

The Mad Whirl
1925

Why Be Good?
1929

The Small Bachelor
1927

Gay and Devilish
1922

Synthetic Sin
1929

Bell Boy 13
1923

Daddies
1924

His Forgotten Wife
1924

Camouflage
1918

Good Morning, Judge
1928

The Daring Young Man
1935

Little Giant
1946

Love Birds
1934

Footlights and Fools
1929

Smiling Irish Eyes
1929

Prisoners
1929

The Fast Worker
1924

Strictly Modern
1930

Oh! What a Day
1918

Champ for a Day
1953

The White Sin
1924

Passing Through
1921

The Aviator
1931

Rolling Home
1926

Outcast
1928

The Foolish Age
1921

Out All Night
1927

Happiness Ahead
1928
| Title | Year | Job | 
|---|---|---|
| Oh! What a Day | 1918 | Writer | 
| The Foolish Age | 1921 | Writer | 
| Skinner's Dress Suit | 1926 | Producer | 
| The Love Racket | 1929 | Producer | 
| The Flirting Widow | 1930 | Producer | 
| Big Business Girl | 1931 | Producer | 
| Sons of the Desert | 1933 | Writer | 
| Hired Wife | 1940 | Producer | 
| Belle of the Yukon | 1944 | Producer | 
| Champ for a Day | 1953 | Producer | 
