William A. Seiter

William A. Seiter (June 10, 1890 - July 26, 1964) is 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-'20s, 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 Marion 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", "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.

Filmography

* Make Haste to Live (1954)
* Champ for a Day (1953)
* The Lady Wants Mink (1953)
* Dear Brat (1951)
* Borderline (1950)
* Gems of Song (1949)
* 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)
* The Little Princess (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)
* Kiss Me Again (1931)
* Aviateur, L' (1931)
* Full of Notions (1931)
* Going Wild (1930)
* Sunny (1930)
* The Truth About Youth (1930)
* Back Pay (1930)
* The Flirting Widow (1930)
* Strictly Modern (1930)
* The Love Racket (1929)
* Footlights and Fools (1929)
* Smiling Irish Eyes (1929)
* Prisoners (1929)
* Why Be Good? (1929)
* Synthetic Sin (1929)
* Synthetic Wife (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)
* Where Was I? (1925)
* The Teaser (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)
* The Beautiful and Damned (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)
* Hearts and Masks (1921)
* The Kentucky Colonel (1920)
* A Sure Cure (1919)
* The Little Dears (1919)
* Moving Day (1919)
* Why Divorce? (1919)
* Honeymooning (1919)
* Close to Nature (1919)
* After the Bawl (1919)
* Their Day of Rest (1919)
* In a Pinch (1919)
* Gold-Bricking Cupid (1915)
* The Honeymoon Roll 1915)

External links

*imdb name|0782682
*findagrave|7969583