William Alfred Seiter (June 10, 1890 – July 26, 1964) was an American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

Life and career

Seiter 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 Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charl ...

, doubling as a cowboy. He graduated to director in 1918. At

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

in the mid-1920s, Seiter was principal director of the popular movies with Reginald Denny, most of which co-starred Seiter's then wife Laura La Plante (his second wife was actress

Marian Nixon Marian Nixon (born Marja Nissinen; October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress. Sometimes credited as Marion Nixon, she appeared in more than 70 films. Career Born in Superior, Wisconsin, to parents of Finnish descent, N ...

). This period also included '' The Beautiful and Damned'' and '' The Family Secret''. In the early sound era, Seiter helped nurture the talents of RKO's comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey in features such as ''

Caught Plastered ''Caught Plastered'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code musical comedy film, released by RKO Radio Pictures and starring the comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey. Plot Tommy Tanner (Wheeler) and Egbert G. Higginbotham (Woolsey) are two vaudevillians who were ...

'' (1931) and '' Diplomaniacs'' (1933). He also directed

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

in ''

Sons of the Desert A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

'' (1933), generally regarded as one of their better feature films. Seiter's other films include '' Sunny'', '' Going Wild'', '' Kiss Me Again'', ''

Hot Saturday ''Hot Saturday'' is a 1932 American pre-Code "programmer" drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Cary Grant, Nancy Carroll, and Randolph Scott. This was Grant's first role as a leading man. Based on the novel ''Hot Saturday'' by H ...

'', '' Way Back Home'', '' Girl Crazy'', '' Rafter Romance'', '' Roberta'', ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'', '' Susannah of the Mounties'', '' Allegheny Uprising'', '' You Were Never Lovelier'', '' Up in Central Park'', ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygmal ...

''. Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne,

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

Margaret Sullavan Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 – January 1, 1960) was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan began her career onstage in 1929 with the University Players. In 1933, she caught the attention of film director John M. Stahl and had ...

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

, Deanna Durbin, Jean Arthur,

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

and the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

. As a director, on occasion, if he ran into friction from his star—as was the case with

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First? ...

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 Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

of the then topical "raise your own coat" craze. He died in Beverly Hills, California of a heart attack, aged 74. Seiter was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His second wife, actress Marion Nixon, is buried there as well. The ashes of his first wife Laura La Plante were scattered at sea. His grandson, with Nixon, is screenwriter

Ted Griffin Ted Griffin (born December 21, 1970) is an American screenwriter whose credits include '' Ravenous'', ''Matchstick Men'', and ''Ocean's Eleven''. Born in Pasadena, California, Griffin graduated from Colgate University in 1993. He was scheduled ...

. Most of the films Seiter directed with the Wheeler/Woolsey duo have been released on two DVDs by

Warner Archive The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

Filmography

* ''

Make Haste to Live ''Make Haste to Live'' is a 1954 American film noir thriller film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Dorothy McGuire, Stephen McNally and Mary Murphy. Seiter's last feature directorial effort, the film is an adaptation of the Gordons ...

'' (1954) * '' Champ for a Day'' (1953) * '' The Lady Wants Mink'' (1953) * ''

Dear Brat ''Dear Brat'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Mona Freeman and Billy De Wolfe. It is the third in a series following '' Dear Ruth'' (1947) and '' Dear Wife'' (1949). Plot Miriam Wilkins has founded an a ...

'' (1951) * '' Borderline'' (1950) * '' Gems of Song'' (1949, short) * ''

'' (1948) * '' Up in Central Park'' (1948) * ''

I'll Be Yours ''I'll Be Yours'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin. Based on the play '' A jó tündér'' by Ferenc Molnár, the film is about a small-town girl who tells a fib to a wealthy business ...

'' (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 ''A Lady Takes a Chance'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Jean Arthur and John Wayne. Written by Robert Ardrey and based on a story by Jo Swerling, the film is about a New York working girl wh ...

'' (1943) * ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...

'' (1943) * '' You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942) * ''

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

'' (1942) * ''

Appointment for Love ''Appointment for Love'' is a 1941 romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan. It was made by Universal Pictures. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound, Recording (Berna ...

'' (1941) * '' Nice Girl?'' (1941) * ''

It's a Date ''It's a Date'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis, and Walter Pidgeon. Based on a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, and Ralph Block, the film is about an aspiring actress ...

'' (1940) * ''

Hired Wife ''Hired Wife'' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and Virginia Bruce. Plot When Stephen Dexter (Brian Aherne), boss of Dexter Cement, competes with the giants in ...

'' (1940) * '' Allegheny Uprising'' (1939) * '' Susannah of the Mounties'' (1939) * '' The Little Princess'' (1939) * '' Thanks for Everything'' (1938) * ''

'' (1938) * '' Three Blind Mice'' (1938) * '' Sally, Irene and Mary'' (1938) * ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

'' (1937) * '' The Life of the Party'' (1937) * '' This Is My Affair'' (1937) * ''

Stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other ...

'' (1936) * '' Dimples'' (1936) * '' The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' (1936) * ''

The Moon's Our Home ''The Moon's Our Home'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It was adapted from a novel of the same name written by Faith Baldwin and first published in serial form in '' Cosmopolitan'' magazine. Plot summary A comedy a ...

'' (1936) * ''

If You Could Only Cook ''If You Could Only Cook'' (1935) is a screwball comedy of mistaken identity starring Herbert Marshall as a frustrated automobile executive and Jean Arthur as a young woman who talks him into posing as her husband so they can land jobs as a butle ...

'' (1935) * '' In Person'' (1935) * ''

Orchids to You ''Orchids to You'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring John Boles, Jean Muir and Charles Butterworth.Solomon p.379 The screenplay concerns a flower shop owner and a married attorney who begin a romance af ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Daring Young Man ''The Daring Young Man'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Sam Hellman, William Hurlbut and Glenn Tryon. The film stars James Dunn, Mae Clarke, Neil Hamilton, Sidney Toler, Warren Hymer and Stanley Fi ...

'' (1935) * '' Roberta'' (1935) * '' The Richest Girl in the World'' (1934) * ''

We're Rich Again ''We're Rich Again'' is a 1934 American comedy-drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Edna May Oliver, Billie Burke, and Marian Nixon. It is based on the play ''And Who Will Be Clever'' by Alden Nash. Plot In Santa Barbara, Califo ...

'' (1934) * '' Love Birds'' (1934) * '' Sing and Like It'' (1934) * ''

'' (1933) * ''

Chance at Heaven ''Chance at Heaven'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Julien Josephson and Sarah Y. Mason based on a 1932 short story of the same name by Vina Delmar. The film stars Ginger Rogers, Joel McC ...

'' (1933) * '' Rafter Romance'' (1933) * ''

Professional Sweetheart ''Professional Sweetheart'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic comedy directed by William A. Seiter from a screenplay by Maurine Watkins. It stars Ginger Rogers in her first film for RKO Radio Pictures, with Norman Foster, ZaSu Pitts and F ...

'' (1933) * '' Diplomaniacs'' (1933) * ''

Hello, Everybody! ''Hello, Everybody!'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code musical film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Lawrence Hazard, Fannie Hurst, and Dorothy Yost. The film stars Kate Smith, Randolph Scott, Sally Blane, Charley Grapewin, George Barb ...

'' (1933) * ''

If I Had a Million ''If I Had a Million'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Paramount Pictures, Paramount Studios anthology film starring Gary Cooper, George Raft, Charles Laughton, W.C. Fields, Jack Oakie, Frances Dee and Charlie Ruggles, among oth ...

'' (1932) * ''

'' (1932) * '' Is My Face Red?''(1932) * '' Young Bride'' (1932) * '' Girl Crazy'' (1932) * '' Peach O'Reno'' (1931) * '' Way Back Home'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Too Many Cooks'' (1931) * ''

Big Business Girl ''Big Business Girl'' is a 1931 pre-Code First National sound comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Loretta Young, then eighteen years old. It was released theatrically through First National's parent company Warner Bros. Pl ...

'' (1931) * '' Kiss Me Again'' (1931) * '' L'aviateur'' (1931) * '' Going Wild'' (1930) * '' Sunny'' (1930) * ''

The Truth About Youth ''The Truth About Youth'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama with songs produced and distributed by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Directed by William A. Seiter, the film stars Loretta Young, Conway Tearle, David Manners a ...

'' (1930) * '' Back Pay'' (1930) * '' The Flirting Widow'' (1930) * '' Strictly Modern'' (1930) * '' The Love Racket'' (1929) * ''

Footlights and Fools ''Footlights and Fools'' is a 1929 American pre-Code film directed by William A. Seiter that was billed by Warner Brothers as an all-talking musical film and released in Vitaphone with Technicolor sequences. Plot Moore plays the "dual" role of ...

'' (1929) * '' Smiling Irish Eyes'' (1929) * ''

Prisoners A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

'' (1929) * ''

Why Be Good? ''Why Be Good?'' is a 1929 American silent comedy film produced by First National Pictures starring Colleen Moore and Neil Hamilton. The film has no audible dialogue but is accompanied by a Vitaphone soundtrack with music, sound effects and s ...

'' (1929) * ''

Synthetic Sin Synthetic Sin is a 1929 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, based on a play of the same name. While filmed as a silent, it was released by Warner Bros. accompanied with a Vitaphone music soundtrack and sound effects. However mo ...

'' (1929) * '' Outcast'' (1928) * '' Waterfront'' (1928) * '' Happiness Ahead'' (1928) * '' Good Morning, Judge'' (1928) * ''

Thanks for the Buggy Ride ''Thanks for the Buggy Ride'' is a 1928 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Beatrice Van and Tom Reed. The film stars Laura La Plante, Glenn Tryon, Richard Tucker, Kate Price, Jack Raymond and Trixie Friganza. The ...

'' (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 ''The Mad Whirl'' is a 1925 American jazz age black-and-white silent drama film about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr. and Lewis Milestone, and directed by William A. Seiter for U ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Fast Worker ''The Fast Worker'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Reginald Denny, Laura La Plante, and Ethel Grey Terry.Goble p. 839 Cast Preservation Prints of ''The Fast Worker'' are located in the coll ...

'' (1924) * '' Helen's Babies'' (1924) * '' The Family Secret'' (1924) * '' Listen Lester'' (1924) * '' His Forgotten Wife'' (1924) * ''

The White Sin ''The White Sin'' is a 1924 silent romantic drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Madge Bellamy and John Bowers. It was distributed by Film Booking Offices of America (FBO). Plot As described in a review of the film in a film ...

'' (1924) * ''

Daddies Daddies is a brand of ketchup and brown sauce in the United Kingdom. History The brown sauce product, known as "Daddies Sauce", was launched in 1904, and the ketchup was launched in 1930. The brand is owned by the H. J. Heinz Company; it was bo ...

'' (1924) * ''

Little Church Around the Corner The Church of the Transfiguration, also known as the Little Church Around the Corner, is an Episcopal parish church located at 1 East 29th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The con ...

'' (1923) * ''

Bell Boy 13 ''Bell Boy 13'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, and starring Douglas MacLean, John Steppling, Margaret Loomis, William Courtright, Emily Gerdes, and Eugene Burr. The film was released by First National Pictu ...

'' (1923) * '' When Love Comes'' (1922) * '' The Beautiful and Damned'' (1922) * ''

Up and at 'Em ''Up and at 'Em '' is a 1922 American comedy romance silent film directed by William A. Seiter, written by Eve Unsell with a story by Lewis Milestone and William A. Seiter, and starring Doris May, Hallam Cooley, and J. Herbert Frank. The fi ...

'' (1922) * '' The Understudy'' (1922) * ''

Gay and Devilish ''Gay and Devilish'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Cullen Landis and Otis Harlan.Munden p.283 Cast * Doris May as Fanchon Browne * Cullen Landis as Peter Armitage * Otis Harlan a ...

'' (1922) * '' Boy Crazy'' (1922) * '' Eden and Return'' (1921) * ''

The Foolish Age ''The Foolish Age'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Hallam Cooley and Otis Harlan.Munden p.259 Cast * Doris May as Margie Carr * Hallam Cooley as Homer Dean Chadwick * Otis Harlan ...

'' (1921) * '' Passing Through'' (1921) * ''

Hearts and Masks ''Hearts and Masks'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Elinor Field, Francis McDonald and Lloyd Bacon.Munden p.334 Cast * Elinor Field as Alice Gaynor * Francis McDonald as Galloping Dick * Lloyd ...

'' (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 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1915)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Seiter, William A. 1890 births 1964 deaths Film directors from New York City People from Greater Los Angeles Film directors from California Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)