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

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, 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 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 da ...

(his second wife was actress Marian Nixon). 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 in '' Sons of the Desert'' (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'', '' 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 co ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' One Touch of Venus''. Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were Shirley Temple,

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 ra ...

, Margaret Sullavan, Barbara Stanwyck,

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, Fred MacMurray,

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 Golde ...

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. 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) * ''

'' (1953) * '' Dear Brat'' (1951) * '' Borderline'' (1950) * '' Gems of Song'' (1949, short) * '' One Touch of Venus'' (1948) * ''

'' (1948) * '' I'll Be Yours'' (1947) * '' Lover Come Back'' (1946) * ''

'' (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 ...

'' (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 ...

'' (1944) * '' A Lady Takes a Chance'' (1943) * '' Destroyer'' (1943) * ''

'' (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'' (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'' (1940) * '' Hired Wife'' (1940) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * '' The Little Princess'' (1939) * '' Thanks for Everything'' (1938) * ''

'' (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'' (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 McKinl ...

'' (1937) * '' Stowaway'' (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'' (1936) * '' If You Could Only Cook'' (1935) * '' In Person'' (1935) * '' Orchids to You'' (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) * ''

'' (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) * ''

'' (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) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Hello, Everybody!'' (1933) * '' If I Had a Million'' (1932) * '' Hot Saturday'' (1932) * '' Is My Face Red?''(1932) * '' Young Bride'' (1932) * ''

'' (1932) * '' Peach O'Reno'' (1931) * '' Way Back Home'' (1931) * '' Caught Plastered'' (1931) * '' Too Many Cooks'' (1931) * '' Big Business Girl'' (1931) * '' Kiss Me Again'' (1931) * '' L'aviateur'' (1931) * ''

'' (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'' (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'' (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 ''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) * '' Out All Night'' (1927) * ''

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) * '' Take It from Me'' (1926) * '' Rolling Home'' (1926) * '' Skinner's Dress Suit'' (1926) * '' What Happened to Jones'' (1926) * '' Where Was I?'' (1925) * ''

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) * '' 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'' (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'' (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'' (1923) * ''

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) * ''

'' (1922) * '' Up and at 'Em'' (1922) * '' The Understudy'' (1922) * '' Gay and Devilish'' (1922) * '' Boy Crazy'' (1922) * ''

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'' (1921) * '' Passing Through'' (1921) * '' Hearts and Masks'' (1921) * ''

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) * '' 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)

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)