Seton Ingersoll Miller (May 3, 1902 – March 29, 1974) was an American screenwriter and producer. During his career, he worked with

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

s such as

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

and

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz (; born Manó Kaminer; from 1905 Mihály Kertész; ; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed classic films from the silen ...

. Miller received two

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nominations and won once for Best Screenplay for the 1941 fantasy romantic comedy film, ''

Here Comes Mr. Jordan ''Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' is a 1941 American Fantasy film, fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Hall, in which a boxer, mistakenly taken to Heaven before his time, is given a second chance back on Earth. It stars Robert Montgomery ...

'', along with

Sidney Buchman Sidney Robert Buchman (March 27, 1902 – August 23, 1975) was an American screenwriter and film producer who worked on about 40 films from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. He received four Oscar nominations and won once for Best Screenpla ...

Early life

Seton Miller was born and raised in Chehalis, Washington. His father, Harry John, was a successful lumberman and a state legislator, and his mother was a prominent member of the local community. He attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and was part of the college orchestra and

crew A crew is a body or a group of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy, hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the ta ...

. A few of his movies were screened locally in his hometown, including 1932's ''Scarface'' at the Peacock Theater and his 1933 movie, '' The Eagle and the Hawk'', was honored with a first-run showing at the St. Helens Theater in downtown Chehalis.

Career

Early writing and Fox Films

A Yale graduate, Miller began writing stories for silent films in the late 1920s. He worked on Brown of Harvard in technical direction and as a member of the cast. He signed a three-year contract at

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...

in 1927 where his credits included the films, '' Paid to Love'', '' Two Girls Wanted'', '' High School Hero'', and '' Wolf Fangs''. He also started early work with Howard Hawks on the productions, Fazil and Cradle Snatchers.

''A Girl in Every Port'' and Howard Hawks

Miller's first big hit was the 1928 film, '' A Girl in Every Port'', directed by

, a crucial film in Hawks' career. He was reunited with Hawks later that year for '' Fazil'' then did two

Rex Bell Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Bell primarily appeared in Western Film, Western films during his career. He also appeared in the 1930 movie ''True to the Navy'', star ...

1928 Westerns, '' The Cowboy Kid'' and '' Girl-Shy Cowboy''. In 1929, Miller wrote Hawks' first sound film, '' The Air Circus'' then did '' The Far Call'' for

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

that same year, following it up in 1930 with '' The Lone Star Ranger'' and a comedy, '' Harmony at Home'', then left Fox. Miller joined Hawks at First National and in 1930 did '' The Dawn Patrol'', working with another team on ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...

'' that same year. In 1931 he started work on three movies with Hawks, ''

The Criminal Code ''The Criminal Code'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Romance film, romantic Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. The screenplay, base ...

'' at Columbia, and in 1932, both '' Scarface'', and '' The Crowd Roars''. His final works at Fox Films include '' The Last Mile'' then adapted the comedy play '' Once in a Lifetime'', both completed in 1932.

Paramount

At Paramount, Miller wrote '' Hot Saturday'' (1932) and in 1933, the horror film, ''

Murders in the Zoo ''Murders in the Zoo'' is a 1933 pre-Code horror film directed by A. Edward Sutherland, written by Philip Wylie and Seton I. Miller. Particularly dark, even for its time, film critic Leonard Maltin called the film "astonishingly grisly." Plot B ...

'', the Hawks movie ''The Eagle and the Hawk'', and ''

Gambling Ship A gambling ship is the term for a ship stationed offshore in or transiting to international waters to evade local anti-gambling laws that is dedicated to games of chance. This applies both to ships which are permanently moored somewhere outside ...

'' (1933). During the year he went to Columbia for '' Master of Men''. In 1934, he worked on '' Come On Marines!'' for

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...

, then went back to Fox for '' Murder in Trinidad'', ''

Marie Galante Marie-Galante (, or ) is one of the dependencies of Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France. Marie-Galante has a land area of . It had 11,528 inhabitants at the start of 2013, but by the start of 2018 the total was officially estimated to ...

'' and '' Charlie Chan's Courage''. He worked on ''The Farrell Case'' for

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

and Jack Holt but it was not made.

Warner Bros

For Warner Bros., Miller wrote '' The St. Louis Kid'' (1934) for James Cagney. In 1935, after working on '' Murder on a Honeymoon'' for RKO, Warner Bros. asked him to return to work on further Cagney films: '' G Men'', and '' Frisco Kid''. He wrote a sequel to ''G Men'', ''G Women'' that was not made. Miller continued to write for other studios and in 1936, wrote '' It Happened in New York'' for Universal and in 1937, ''

Two in the Dark 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

'' for RKO and for Republic, '' The Leathernecks Have Landed''. Miller went back to Warner Bros. in 1937 to do ''

Bullets or Ballots ''Bullets or Ballots'' is a 1936 American crime film, crime thriller film starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, and Humphrey Bogart. Robinson plays a police detective who infiltrates a crime gang. This is the first of sev ...

'' for Edward G. Robinson and

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

. He stayed at the studio to work on ''

Marked Woman ''Marked Woman'' is a 1937 American dramatic crime film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, with featured performances by Lola Lane, Isabel Jewell, Rosalind Marquis, Mayo Methot, Jane Bryan, Eduardo Ciann ...

'', ''

San Quentin San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in ...

'', '' Back in Circulation'', and '' Kid Galahad''. He wrote ''Kit Carson'' for Wayne Morris but it as not made. In 1938, Miller worked on the

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

vehicle, ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', which was a big success. He was put on another Flynn film, a remake of '' The Dawn Patrol''. Miller wrote '' Valley of the Giants'' that year and following in 1939, two productions with John Garfield, '' Dust Be My Destiny'' and ''

Castle on the Hudson ''Castle on the Hudson'' (UK title: ''Years Without Days'') is a 1940 American prison film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring John Garfield, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. The film was based on the book ''Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing ...

''. He officially left Warners in July 1939 after four years. but did another Flynn swashbuckler, '' The Sea Hawk'' in 1940. He also wrote a Western for Flynn, ''Tombstone'' but it was not made.

Post-Warners

At Universal he adapted ''I James Lewis'' but it does not appear to have been made. At Columbia he cowrote ''

'' (1941), which won him an Oscar, following it up with a Universal production, '' This Woman is Mine'' (1942). Warners' ''

Secret Enemies ''Secret Enemies'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens, Faye Emerson, John Ridgely, Charles Lang (actor), Charles Lang, Robert Warwick, ...

'' (1942) was based on his story.

20th Century Fox

Miller went to Fox, where in 1942 he worked on '' My Gal Sal'' and '' The Black Swan''. Working briefly for Columbia, he adapted the play ''Heart of City'' for Merle Oberon but it was not made.

Paramount: Turning Producer

Miller signed a contract with Paramount to write and produce. He started with '' Ministry of Fear'' (1944), directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

. He was assigned ''The Griswold Story'' but it was not made. Miller also produced '' The Bride Wore Boots'' (1946). He had written a script of ''

Two Years Before the Mast ''Two Years Before the Mast'' is a memoir by the American author Richard Henry Dana Jr., published in 1840, having been written after a two-year sea voyage from Boston to California on a merchant ship starting in 1834. A Two Years Before the Mast ...

'' for Edward Small in 1939. The project was bought by Paramount, and Miller also produced. It was directed by

John Farrow John Villiers Farrow, Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic), KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, he was nomina ...

and he and Miller made two more films together, ''

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

'' (1947), and ''

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

'' (1947).

Warners & Universal

Miller sold his script for ''

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

'' to Universal in 1947. It was later remade as ''

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

'' (1957). In August 1947, he signed with Warner Bros to write and produce. He was to start with ''Colt 45'' starring Wayne Morris. It was not made. Instead he wrote and produced ''

Fighter Squadron A squadron in an air force, or naval or army aviation service, is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, ...

'' (1948).

1950s independent writer and studio works

In the 1950s, Miller wrote either independently or for various studios. In 1950, Miller wrote '' The Man Who Cheated Himself'', originally known as ''The Gun'', and associate produced '' The Sound of Fury''. Early in that year he formed a company with Irvin Rubin. He wrote and produced ''

Queen for a Day ''Queen for a Day'' is an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. ''Queen for a Day'' originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945, ...

'' (1951) at United Artists and wrote an adaptation of '' Island in the Sky'' but is not credited on the final film. Miller wrote '' The Mississippi Gambler'' (1953) and in 1954, the '' Bengal Brigade'' for Universal and '' The Shanghai Story'' for Republic. In 1955, he sold a Western script, ''The Staked Plains'' to

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

. He wrote scripts for a Dennis O'Keefe TV series ''Hart of Honolulu''. He wrote ''The Willie Gordon Story'' for

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

in 1957, meant to be shot in England but it was not made. That same year, he sold a story ''Pete's Dragon'' for the Disney company to make as a vehicle for

Kevin Corcoran Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 – October 6, 2015) was an American child actor. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. Early life Born in 194 ...

. The eventual film was not made for another two decades. Miller was credited on the remake of '' The Last Mile'' (1959). He closed out the decade by writing ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'' and creating a series, '' Rogue for Hire''.

Later career

His later credits span into the 1970s, including '' Knife for the Ladies'' (1974) and an unpublished story of his was filmed as '' Pete's Dragon'' (1977).

Awards and nominations

Miller was nominated with Fred Niblo, Jr. for their 1931 screen adaptation of Martin Flavin's play ''

''. He and

won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay in 1941 for ''

''.

Personal life

Miller married Bonita and had two children, Keith and Bonita, but he and his wife divorced in 1940. She demanded $2,000 a month in alimony claiming Miller abused her verbally and physically. He remarried in 1946, to actress Ann Evers and had another child, a daughter, Catherine, who became an actor.

Partial filmography

:As writer, unless otherwise specified. * '' Paid to Love'' (1927) * '' Two Girls Wanted'' (1927) * '' The High School Hero'' (1927) * '' Wolf Fangs'' (1927) * '' A Girl in Every Port'' (1928) * '' Fazil'' (1928) * '' The Cowboy Kid'' (1928) * '' Girl-Shy Cowboy'' (1928) * '' The Air Circus'' (1928) * '' The Far Call'' (1929) * '' The Lone Star Ranger'' (1930) *'' Harmony at Home'' (1930) * '' The Dawn Patrol'' (1930) * ''

'' (1930) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Scarface'' (1932) * '' The Crowd Roars'' (1932) * '' The Last Mile'' (1932) * '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1932) * '' Hot Saturday'' (1932) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Criminel'' (1933) * '' The Eagle and the Hawk'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Master of Men'' (1933) * '' Come On, Marines!'' (1934) * '' Murder in Trinidad'' (1934) * ''

'' (1934) (uncredited) * '' A Perfect Weekend'' (1934) * '' Charlie Chan's Courage'' (1934) * '' The St. Louis Kid'' (1934) * '' Murder on a Honeymoon'' (1935) * '' G Men'' (1935) * '' Frisco Kid'' (1935) * '' It Happened in New York'' (1935) * ''

'' (1936) * '' The Marines Have Landed'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1937) (uncredited) * '' Back in Circulation'' (1937) (uncredited) * '' The Great O'Malley'' (1937) (uncredited) * '' Kid Galahad'' (1937) * ''

Penitentiary A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state, usually ...

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1938) * '' The Dawn Patrol'' (1938) * '' Valley of the Giants'' (1938) * '' Dust Be My Destiny'' (1939) (uncredited) * '' Years Without Days'' a.k.a. ''

'' (1940) * '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) * ''

'' (1941) * '' This Woman Is Mine'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) (based on his story "Mr Farrell") * '' My Gal Sal'' (1942) * '' The Black Swan'' (1942) * '' Trial by Trigger'' (1944) (short, uncredited) * '' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) – also associate producer * ''

'' (1946) – also associate producer * '' The Bride Wore Boots'' (1946) (producer only) * ''

'' (1947) (uncredited, also produced) * ''

'' (1947) (also produced) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) (also produced) * ''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is guilty of a crime. A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a trial by jud ...

'' (1950) * '' The Man Who Cheated Himself'' (1950) * '' Try and Get Me!'' (1950) – associate producer only * ''

'' (1951) – also associate producer * '' The Mississippi Gambler'' (1953) * '' Bengal Brigade'' (1954) * '' The Shanghai Story'' (1954) * ''

'' (1957) * '' The Last Mile'' (1959), a remake of the 1932 film * '' Rogue for Hire'' (1960) (TV series) – creator, writer of pilot, producer *''

'' (1963) – episode "Diamond Jim Brady" * '' Knife for the Ladies'' (1974) * '' Pete's Dragon'' (1977) (story)

References

External links

http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Me-Ni/Miller-Seton-I.html
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Seton I. 1902 births 1974 deaths American male screenwriters Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters People from Chehalis, Washington