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, p ...
.
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
Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'.
Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...
'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 Charle ...
, 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 Ameri ...
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
Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose more notable performances were in the silent era.
Early life
La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 1, 1904, the dau ...
(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, ...
). This period also included ''
The Beautiful and Damned
''The Beautiful and Damned'' is a 1922 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in New York City, the novel's plot follows a young artist Anthony Patch and his flapper wife Gloria Gilbert who become "wrecked on the shoals of dissipati ...
'' and ''
The Family Secret''.
In the early sound era, Seiter helped nurture the talents of
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
's comedy duo
Wheeler & Woolsey
Wheeler & Woolsey were an American vaudeville comedy double act who performed together in comedy films from the late 1920s. The team comprised Bert Wheeler (1895–1968) of New Jersey and Robert Woolsey (1888–1938) of Illinois.
Collaboration a ...
in features such as ''
Caught Plastered'' (1931) and ''
Diplomaniacs
''Diplomaniacs'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Wheeler and Woolsey. The film in noted for its absurdist political satire, somewhat in the manner of '' Million Dollar Legs'' or '' Duck Soup'', both of which were released within ...
'' (1933). He also directed
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...
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 c ...
'' (1933), generally regarded as one of their better feature films. Seiter's other films include ''
Sunny'', ''
Going Wild
''Going Wild'' is a 1930 Warner Brothers pre-Code comedy film based on the 1910 play ''The Aviator'' by James Montgomery and directed by William A. Seiter. The film stars many musical stars along with Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh and Johnny Arth ...
'', ''
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'' b ...
'', ''
Way Back Home'', ''
Girl Crazy
''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...
'', ''
Rafter Romance
''Rafter Romance'' is an American 1933 pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film, which was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by John Wells, stars Ginger Rogers, Norman Foste ...
'', ''
Roberta
''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...
'', ''
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
''Susannah of the Mounties'' is a children's novel by Canadian author Muriel Denison, first published in 1936. In the book 9-year-old Susannah is sent to Regina, Saskatchewan to spend the summer with her uncle who is a Mountie. There are several ...
'', ''
Allegheny Uprising
''Allegheny Uprising'' (released in the UK as ''The First Rebel'') is a 1939 American Adventure Western film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. Based on the 1937 novel ''The First Rebel'' by Neil H. Swanson, ...
'', ''
You Were Never Lovelier
''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music was com ...
'', ''
Up in Central Park
''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was Ro ...
'', ''
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 Pygma ...
''.
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
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
,
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...
,
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 rai ...
,
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
Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With t ...
,
Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s.
Arthur had feature roles in three F ...
,
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 Gol ...
,
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 Golden ...
,
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
''Little Giant'' is a 1946 American comedy drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was released in the UK with the title ''On the Carpet''.
Plot
A naïve country boy named Benny Mil ...
''—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
''The Lady Wants Mink'' is a 1953 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Dane Lussier and Richard Alan Simmons. The film stars Dennis O'Keefe, Ruth Hussey, Eve Arden, William Demarest, Gene Lockhart and Hope Emerson. ...
'' (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 ...
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 schedule ...
.
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 inte ...
.
Filmography
* ''
Make Haste to Live'' (1954)
* ''
Champ for a Day
''Champ for a Day'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Irving Shulman. The film stars Alex Nicol, Audrey Totter, Charles Winninger, Hope Emerson, Joseph Wiseman and Barry Kelley. The film was released on ...
'' (1953)
* ''
The Lady Wants Mink
''The Lady Wants Mink'' is a 1953 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Dane Lussier and Richard Alan Simmons. The film stars Dennis O'Keefe, Ruth Hussey, Eve Arden, William Demarest, Gene Lockhart and Hope Emerson. ...
'' (1953)
* ''
Dear Brat'' (1951)
* ''
Borderline'' (1950)
* ''
Gems of Song'' (1949, short)
* ''
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 Pygma ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Up in Central Park
''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was Ro ...
'' (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
''Little Giant'' is a 1946 American comedy drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was released in the UK with the title ''On the Carpet''.
Plot
A naïve country boy named Benny Mil ...
'' (1946)
* ''
That Night with You
''That Night With You'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Susanna Foster, Franchot Tone and Louise Allbritton. Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, it featured Buster Keaton in a supporting role. ...
'' (1945)
* ''
The Affairs of Susan
''The Affairs of Susan'' is a 1945 American romantic comedy drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Joan Fontaine, Walter Abel, George Brent, Dennis O'Keefe and Don DeFore. It is also known as ''Chameleon''.
Plot
Susan Darel ...
'' (1945)
* ''
It's a Pleasure'' (1945)
* ''
Belle of the Yukon
''Belle of the Yukon'' is a 1944 American comedy musical Western film produced and directed by William A. Seiter and starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore and Bob Burns. Based on a story by Houston Branch and set in the days of t ...
'' (1944)
* ''
Four Jills in a Jeep
''Four Jills in a Jeep'' is a 1944 American comedy-drama musical film starring Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, and Mitzi Mayfair as themselves, re-enacting their USO tour of Europe and North Africa during World War II.
Production
The wo ...
'' (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 who ...
'' (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 in ...
'' (1943)
* ''
You Were Never Lovelier
''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music was com ...
'' (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 ( Bern ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Nice Girl?
''Nice Girl?'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter, and starring Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Walter Brennan, Robert Stack, and Robert Benchley. Based on the play ''Nice Girl?'' by Phyllis Duganne, the film is about a y ...
'' (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 actres ...
'' (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 his ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Allegheny Uprising
''Allegheny Uprising'' (released in the UK as ''The First Rebel'') is a 1939 American Adventure Western film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. Based on the 1937 novel ''The First Rebel'' by Neil H. Swanson, ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Susannah of the Mounties
''Susannah of the Mounties'' is a children's novel by Canadian author Muriel Denison, first published in 1936. In the book 9-year-old Susannah is sent to Regina, Saskatchewan to spend the summer with her uncle who is a Mountie. There are several ...
'' (1939)
* ''
The Little Princess'' (1939)
* ''
Thanks for Everything'' (1938)
* ''
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 ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Three Blind Mice
"Three Blind Mice" is an English-language nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number o ...
'' (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
''This Is My Affair'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy. It was released by 20th Century Fox.
Plot
In 1901, US President William McKinley ...
'' (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 cas ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Dimples
A dimple, also called a gelasin (, ) is a small natural indentation in the flesh on a part of the human body, most notably in the cheek. Numerous cultures believe that cheek dimples are a good luck charm that entices people who perceive them as ...
'' (1936)
* ''
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
''The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' is a 1936 mystery-drama film written by C. Graham Baker and Gene Towne based on a serial of the same name by Arthur Somers Roche originally published in ''Collier's Weekly'' magazine in 1934, and then as a novel ...
'' (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 (actor), John Boles, Jean Muir (actress), Jean Muir and Charles Butterworth (actor), Charles Butterworth.Solomon p.379 The screenplay concerns ...
'' (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
''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...
'' (1935)
* ''
The Richest Girl in the World'' (1934)
* ''
We're Rich Again'' (1934)
* ''
Love Birds'' (1934)
* ''
Sing and Like It
''Sing and Like It'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William A. Seiter from a screenplay by Marion Dix and Laird Doyle, based on the unpublished short story ''So You Won't Sing, Eh?'' by Aben Kandel. The film stars ZaSu Pi ...
'' (1934)
* ''
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 c ...
'' (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 McCre ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Rafter Romance
''Rafter Romance'' is an American 1933 pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film, which was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by John Wells, stars Ginger Rogers, Norman Foste ...
'' (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
''Diplomaniacs'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Wheeler and Woolsey. The film in noted for its absurdist political satire, somewhat in the manner of '' Million Dollar Legs'' or '' Duck Soup'', both of which were released within ...
'' (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 Ba ...
'' (1933)
* ''
If I Had a Million
''If I Had a Million'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Paramount Studios anthology film starring Gary Cooper, George Raft, Charles Laughton, W.C. Fields, Jack Oakie, Frances Dee and Charlie Ruggles, among others. There were seven directors: Ernst L ...
'' (1932)
* ''
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'' b ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Is My Face Red?
''Is My Face Red?'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Ben Markson and Casey Robinson. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Ricardo Cortez, Jill Esmond, Robert Armstrong and Arline Judge. It was ...
''(1932)
* ''
Young Bride
''Young Bride'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Garrett Fort, Ralph Murphy and Jane Murfin. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Eric Linden, Arline Judge, Roscoe Ates and Polly Walters. The film ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Girl Crazy
''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Peach O'Reno
''Peach-O-Reno'' is a 1931 pre-Production Code comedy film starring Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Dorothy Lee, and Zelma O'Neal. It was released on Christmas Day of 1931.
A copy is preserved in the Library of Congress collection.''Catalog of H ...
'' (1931)
* ''
Way Back Home'' (1931)
* ''
Caught Plastered'' (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.
Plo ...
'' (1931)
* ''
Kiss Me Again'' (1931)
* ''
L'aviateur'' (1931)
* ''
Going Wild
''Going Wild'' is a 1930 Warner Brothers pre-Code comedy film based on the 1910 play ''The Aviator'' by James Montgomery and directed by William A. Seiter. The film stars many musical stars along with Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh and Johnny Arth ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Sunny'' (1930)
* ''
The Truth About Youth'' (1930)
* ''
Back Pay'' (1930)
* ''
The Flirting Widow'' (1930)
* ''
Strictly Modern
''Strictly Modern'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Dorothy Mackaill and Sidney Blackmer. It was produced and released by First National Pictures and was based on the play, entitled ''Cousin ...
'' (1930)
* ''
The Love Racket
''The Love Racket'' is a 1929 American early sound crime drama film produced and distributed by First National Pictures. It was directed by William A. Seiter and starred Dorothy Mackaill. It is based on a Broadway play, ''The Woman on the Jury ...
'' (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 o ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Smiling Irish Eyes
''Smiling Irish Eyes'' (1929) is a Vitaphone American pre-Code musical film with Technicolor sequences. The film is now considered a lost film. However, the Vitaphone discs still exist.
Plot
Rory O'More leaves his sweetheart Kathleen O'Connor ba ...
'' (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 ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Synthetic Sin'' (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 (actor), Richard Tucker, Kate Price (actress), Kate ...
'' (1928)
* ''
The Small Bachelor
''The Small Bachelor'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 28 April 1927 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States on 17 June 1927 by George H. Doran, New York.McIlvaine (1990), A37, pp. 51–53.
...
'' (1927)
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Out All Night'' (1927)
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The Cheerful Fraud
''The Cheerful Fraud'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Reginald Denny, Gertrude Olmstead, and Otis Harlan. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is based on a 1925 novel o ...
'' (1926)
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Take It from Me'' (1926)
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Rolling Home'' (1926)
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Skinner's Dress Suit'' (1926)
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What Happened to Jones'' (1926)
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Where Was I?'' (1925)
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The Teaser
''The Teaser'' is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy drama film written by Lewis Milestone, Edward T. Lowe Jr., and Jack Wagner based upon the play of the same name by Adelaide Matthews and Martha M. Stanley. The film was directed by Wil ...
'' (1925)
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Dangerous Innocence'' (1925)
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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)
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The Fast Worker'' (1924)
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Helen's Babies'' (1924)
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The Family Secret'' (1924)
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Listen Lester'' (1924)
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His Forgotten Wife
''His Forgotten Wife'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Warner Baxter, Madge Bellamy, and Tom Guise.Munden p. 352
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, Donald Allen is reported killed in Fr ...
'' (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 bou ...
'' (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 Pict ...
'' (1923)
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When Love Comes
''When Love Comes'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Helen Jerome Eddy, Harrison Ford and Fanny Midgley.Munden p.885
Cast
* Helen Jerome Eddy as Jane Coleridge
* Harrison Ford as Peter Jamison
* Fa ...
'' (1922)
* ''
The Beautiful and Damned
''The Beautiful and Damned'' is a 1922 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in New York City, the novel's plot follows a young artist Anthony Patch and his flapper wife Gloria Gilbert who become "wrecked on the shoals of dissipati ...
'' (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 film ...
'' (1922)
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The Understudy'' (1922)
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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 as Pet ...
'' (1922)
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Boy Crazy'' (1922)
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Eden and Return
''Eden and Return'' is a 1921 American silent film, silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Emmett King and Margaret Livingston.Munden p.212
Cast
* Doris May as Betty Baylock
* Emmett King as Robert Baylock
* Marg ...
'' (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 as ...
'' (1921)
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Passing Through'' (1921)
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Hearts and Masks'' (1921)
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The Kentucky Colonel
''The Kentucky Colonel'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Joseph J. Dowling, Frederick Vroom and Elinor Field based on the 1890 best-selling book ''A Kentucky Colonel'' by Opie Read.Singer p.390
...
'' (1920)
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A Sure Cure'' (1919)
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The Little Dears'' (1919)
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Moving Day'' (1919)
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Why Divorce?'' (1919)
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Honeymooning'' (1919)
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Close to Nature'' (1919)
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After the Bawl'' (1919)
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Their Day of Rest'' (1919)
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In a Pinch'' (1919)
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Gold-Bricking Cupid'' (1915)
* ''
The Honeymoon Roll'' (1915)
References
External links
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{{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)