Menu
William A. Seiter

William A. Seiter

Known For Directing
Birthday Jun 10, 1890
Died Jul 26, 1964 (74)
Birthplace New York City, New York, USA
Popularity 0.5 (history)
Updated Sep 23, 2024 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William A. Seiter (June 10, 1890 - July 26, 1964) was an American film director. He was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, doubling a cowboy. ... He graduated to director in 1918. At Universal Studios in the mid-1920s, Seiter was principal director of the popular Reginald Denny vehicles, most of which co-starred Seiter's then wife Laura La Plante (his second wife was actress Marian Nixon). This period also included The Beautiful and Damned and The Family Secret. In the early talkie era, Seiter helped nurture the talents of RKO's comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey in such rollicking features as Caught Plastered (1931) and Diplomaniacs (1933). He also directed the Laurel and Hardy feature Sons of the Desert (1933), their only film together. Other films include Sunny, Going Wild, Kiss Me Again, Hot Saturday, Way Back Home, Girl Crazy, Rafter Romance, Roberta, Room Service, Susannah of the Mounties, Allegheny Uprising, You Were Never Lovelier, Up in Central Park, and One Touch of Venus. Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Margaret Sullavan, Jack Haley, Deanna Durbin, Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Fred MacMurray, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth and the Marx Brothers. While many of his films were minor gems, Seiter was capable of turning out bad movies once in a while. For example, if he ran into friction from his star—as was the case with Lou Costello in 1946's Little Giant -- Seiter would get even by adhering religiously to the script, refusing to add any nuance or creativity to the project (this pettiness may have been the reason that one prominent actress of the 1930s referred to Seiter as the most unimaginative director she'd ever worked with). On his final four films, before he retired in 1954, Seiter functioned as both producer and director. These films included The Lady Wants Mink (1953), a gentle satire of the then topical "raise your own coat" craze. He died in Beverly Hills, California, of a heart attack, aged 74.

Known For

Filmography

Pierre of the North

Pierre of the North

1913

as The Mail Carrier

Sons of the Desert

Sons of the Desert

1933

Writer

The Foolish Age

The Foolish Age

1921

Writer

Oh! What a Day

Oh! What a Day

1918

Writer

Make Haste to Live

Make Haste to Live

1954

Director

The Lady Wants Mink

The Lady Wants Mink

1953

Director

Champ for a Day

Champ for a Day

1953

Director

Dear Brat

Dear Brat

1951

Director

Borderline

Borderline

1950

Director

One Touch of Venus

One Touch of Venus

1948

Director

Up in Central Park

Up in Central Park

1948

Director

I'll Be Yours

I'll Be Yours

1947

Director

Little Giant

Little Giant

1946

Director

Lover Come Back

Lover Come Back

1946

Director

The Affairs of Susan

The Affairs of Susan

1945

Director

It's a Pleasure

It's a Pleasure

1945

Director

That Night with You

That Night with You

1945

Director

Four Jills in a Jeep

Four Jills in a Jeep

1944

Director

Belle of the Yukon

Belle of the Yukon

1944

Director

Destroyer

Destroyer

1943

Director

A Lady Takes a Chance

A Lady Takes a Chance

1943

Director

Broadway

Broadway

1942

Director

You Were Never Lovelier

You Were Never Lovelier

1942

Director

Nice Girl?

Nice Girl?

1941

Director

Appointment for Love

Appointment for Love

1941

Director

Hired Wife

Hired Wife

1940

Director

It's a Date

It's a Date

1940

Director

Allegheny Uprising

Allegheny Uprising

1939

Director

Susannah of the Mounties

Susannah of the Mounties

1939

Director

Three Blind Mice

Three Blind Mice

1938

Director

Sally, Irene and Mary

Sally, Irene and Mary

1938

Director

Thanks for Everything

Thanks for Everything

1938

Director

Room Service

Room Service

1938

Director

This Is My Affair

This Is My Affair

1937

Director

The Life of the Party

The Life of the Party

1937

Director

Life Begins in College

Life Begins in College

1937

Director

Stowaway

Stowaway

1936

Director

The Moon's Our Home

The Moon's Our Home

1936

Director

Dimples

Dimples

1936

Director

Roberta

Roberta

1935

Director

In Person

In Person

1935

Director

The Daring Young Man

The Daring Young Man

1935

Director

Orchids to You

Orchids to You

1935

Director

If You Could Only Cook

If You Could Only Cook

1935

Director

Love Birds

Love Birds

1934

Director

Sing and Like it

Sing and Like it

1934

Director

We're Rich Again

We're Rich Again

1934

Director

Sons of the Desert

Sons of the Desert

1933

Director

Rafter Romance

Rafter Romance

1933

Director

Professional Sweetheart

Professional Sweetheart

1933

Director

Hello, Everybody!

Hello, Everybody!

1933

Director

Chance at Heaven

Chance at Heaven

1933

Director

Diplomaniacs

Diplomaniacs

1933

Director

Hot Saturday

Hot Saturday

1932

Director

Young Bride

Young Bride

1932

Director

Girl Crazy

Girl Crazy

1932

Director

Is My Face Red?

Is My Face Red?

1932

Director

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

Director

Caught Plastered

Caught Plastered

1931

Director

Too Many Cooks

Too Many Cooks

1931

Director

Big Business Girl

Big Business Girl

1931

Director

Kiss Me Again

Kiss Me Again

1931

Director

Way Back Home

Way Back Home

1931

Director

Peach-o-Reno

Peach-o-Reno

1931

Director

Going Wild

Going Wild

1930

Director

Back Pay

Back Pay

1930

Director

Sunny

Sunny

1930

Director

The Flirting Widow

The Flirting Widow

1930

Director

The Truth About Youth

The Truth About Youth

1930

Director

Prisoners

Prisoners

1929

Director

Synthetic Sin

Synthetic Sin

1929

Director

Why Be Good?

Why Be Good?

1929

Director

Footlights and Fools

Footlights and Fools

1929

Director

Smiling Irish Eyes

Smiling Irish Eyes

1929

Director

Outcast

Outcast

1928

Director

Good Morning, Judge

Good Morning, Judge

1928

Director

Happiness Ahead

Happiness Ahead

1928

Director

Out All Night

Out All Night

1927

Director

The Small Bachelor

The Small Bachelor

1927

Director

Rolling Home

Rolling Home

1926

Director

What Happened to Jones

What Happened to Jones

1926

Director

Skinner's Dress Suit

Skinner's Dress Suit

1926

Director

The Cheerful Fraud

The Cheerful Fraud

1926

Director

Take It from Me

Take It from Me

1926

Director

The Mad Whirl

The Mad Whirl

1925

Director

Where Was I?

Where Was I?

1925

Director

Daddies

Daddies

1924

Director

The White Sin

The White Sin

1924

Director

The Family Secret

The Family Secret

1924

Director

Helen's Babies

Helen's Babies

1924

Director

The Fast Worker

The Fast Worker

1924

Director

His Forgotten Wife

His Forgotten Wife

1924

Director

Bell Boy 13

Bell Boy 13

1923

Director

When Love Comes

When Love Comes

1922

Director

Gay and Devilish

Gay and Devilish

1922

Director

Passing Through

Passing Through

1921

Director

The Foolish Age

The Foolish Age

1921

Director

Oh! What a Day

Oh! What a Day

1918

Director

The Lady Wants Mink

The Lady Wants Mink

1953

Associate Producer

Champ for a Day

Champ for a Day

1953

Producer

Belle of the Yukon

Belle of the Yukon

1944

Producer

Hired Wife

Hired Wife

1940

Producer

Big Business Girl

Big Business Girl

1931

Producer

The Flirting Widow

The Flirting Widow

1930

Producer

The Love Racket

The Love Racket

1929

Producer

Skinner's Dress Suit

Skinner's Dress Suit

1926

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

No data available

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 4 7 2
2024 7 6 13 2
2024 8 5 10 2
2024 9 3 6 1
2024 10 2 10 1
2024 11 1 3 1
2024 12 2 5 1
2025 1 3 5 1
2025 2 2 4 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 8 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

Return to Top