
Directing
Born June 10, 1890 · New York City, New York, USA
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.
Want Ad Wedding
1955

The Wild Bunch
1955

Make Haste to Live
1954

Champ for a Day
1953

The Lady Wants Mink
1953

Dear Brat
1951

Borderline
1950

One Touch of Venus
1948

Up in Central Park
1948

I'll Be Yours
1947

Lover Come Back
1946

Little Giant
1946

That Night with You
1945

The Affairs of Susan
1945

It's a Pleasure
1945

Belle of the Yukon
1944

Four Jills in a Jeep
1944

A Lady Takes a Chance
1943

Destroyer
1943

You Were Never Lovelier
1942

Broadway
1942

Appointment for Love
1941

Nice Girl?
1941

Hired Wife
1940

It's a Date
1940

Allegheny Uprising
1939

Susannah of the Mounties
1939

Thanks for Everything
1938

Room Service
1938

Three Blind Mice
1938

Sally, Irene and Mary
1938

Life Begins in College
1937

The Life of the Party
1937

This Is My Affair
1937

Stowaway
1936

Dimples
1936

The Case Against Mrs. Ames
1936

The Moon's Our Home
1936

If You Could Only Cook
1935

In Person
1935

Orchids to You
1935

The Daring Young Man
1935

Roberta
1935

The Richest Girl in the World
1934

We're Rich Again
1934

Love Birds
1934

Sing and Like It
1934

Sons of the Desert
1933

Chance at Heaven
1933

Rafter Romance
1933

Professional Sweetheart
1933

Diplomaniacs
1933

Hello, Everybody!
1933

If I Had a Million
1932

Hot Saturday
1932

Is My Face Red?
1932

Young Bride
1932

Girl Crazy
1932

Peach-o-Reno
1931

Way Back Home
1931

Caught Plastered
1931

Too Many Cooks
1931

Big Business Girl
1931

The Aviator
1931

Kiss Me Again
1931

Going Wild
1930

Sunny
1930

The Truth About Youth
1930

Back Pay
1930

The Flirting Widow
1930

Strictly Modern
1930

Footlights and Fools
1929

Smiling Irish Eyes
1929

Prisoners
1929

Why Be Good?
1929

Synthetic Sin
1929

Outcast
1928

Waterfront
1928

Happiness Ahead
1928

Good Morning, Judge
1928

Thanks for the Buggy Ride
1928

The Small Bachelor
1927

Out All Night
1927

The Cheerful Fraud
1926

Take It from Me
1926

Rolling Home
1926

Skinner's Dress Suit
1926

What Happened to Jones?
1926

The Teaser
1925

Where Was I?
1925

Dangerous Innocence
1925

The Mad Whirl
1925

The Fast Worker
1924

Helen's Babies
1924

The Family Secret
1924

Listen Lester
1924

His Forgotten Wife
1924

The White Sin
1924

Daddies
1924

Little Church Around the Corner
1923

Bell Boy 13
1923

When Love Comes
1922

Up and at 'Em
1922

The Understudy
1922

Gay and Devilish
1922

Boy Crazy
1922

Eden and Return
1921

The Foolish Age
1921

Passing Through
1921

The Kentucky Colonel
1920

Camouflage
1918

Oh! What a Day
1918