A man of enormous appetites who preferred his leisure activities to filmmaking, William A. Seiter was every bit as easygoing as his directorial style. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films as a bit player at Mack Sennett's Keystone studios. He graduated to director in 1918, and a director he remained until his retirement in 1954. At Universal in the mid-'20s, 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 Marion Nixon). In the early talkie era, Seiter helped nurture the talents of RKO's comedy duo Wheeler and Woolsey in such rollicking features as Caught Plastered (1931) and Diplomaniacs (1933). He also proved to be the perfect director for Laurel and Hardy, guiding the Derbied Ones through their best feature, Sons of the Desert (1933). Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Henry Fonda, Margaret Sullavan, Jack Haley, Deanna Durbin, Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Fred MacMurray, Lucille Ball, and the Marx Brothers. While many of his films were minor gems, Seiter was capable of turning out a clinker once in a while; if, for example, 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, William A. Seiter functioned as both producer and director: the best of this quartet was The Lady Wants Mink (1953), a gentle satire of the then topical "raise your own coat" craze.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Wild Bunch
Director |
1955 | |||
|
Make Haste to Live
Director, Producer |
1954 | |||
|
Champ for a Day
Director, Producer |
1953 | |||
|
The Lady Wants Mink
Director, Producer |
1953 | |||
|
Dear Brat
Director |
1951 | |||
|
Borderline
Director, Producer |
1950 | |||
|
One Touch of Venus
Director |
1948 | |||
|
Up in Central Park
Director |
1948 | |||
|
I'll Be Yours
Director |
1947 | |||
|
Little Giant
Director |
1946 | |||
|
Lover Come Back
Director |
1946 | |||
|
It's a Pleasure
Director |
1945 | |||
|
That Night With You
Director |
1945 | |||
|
The Affairs of Susan
Director |
1945 | |||
|
Belle of the Yukon
Director, Producer |
1944 | |||
|
Four Jills in a Jeep
Director |
1944 | |||
|
A Lady Takes a Chance
Director |
1943 | |||
|
Destroyer
Director |
1943 | |||
|
Broadway
Director |
1942 | |||
|
You Were Never Lovelier
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Appointment for Love
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Nice Girl?
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Hired Wife
Director, Producer |
1940 | |||
|
It's a Date
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Allegheny Uprising
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Susannah of the Mounties
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Room Service
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Sally, Irene and Mary
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Thanks for Everything
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Three Blind Mice
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Life Begins in College
Director |
1937 | |||
|
The Life of the Party
Director |
1937 | |||
|
This is My Affair
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Dimples
Director |
1936 | |||
|
If You Could Only Cook
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Stowaway
Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Moon's Our Home
Director |
1936 | |||
|
In Person
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Orchids to You
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Roberta
Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Daring Young Man
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Love Birds
Director |
1934 | |||
|
Sing and Like It
Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Richest Girl in the World
Director |
1934 | |||
|
We're Rich Again
Director |
1934 | |||
|
Chance at Heaven
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Diplomaniacs
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Hello, Everybody!
Director, Producer |
1933 | |||
|
Professional Sweetheart
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Rafter Romance
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Sons of the Desert
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Girl Crazy
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Hot Saturday
Director |
1932 | |||
|
If I Had a Million
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Is My Face Red?
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Way Back Home
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Young Bride
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Big Business Girl
Director |
1931 | |||
|
Caught Plastered
Director |
1931 | |||
|
Going Wild
Director, Producer |
1931 | |||
|
Kiss Me Again
Director, Producer |
1931 | |||
|
L'Aviateur
Director |
1931 | |||
|
Peach O' Reno
Director |
1931 | |||
|
Too Many Cooks
Director |
1931 | |||
|
Back Pay
Director |
1930 | |||
|
Strictly Modern
Director |
1930 | |||
|
Sunny
Director |
1930 | |||
|
The Flirting Widow
Director |
1930 | |||
|
The Truth About Youth
Director |
1930 | |||
|
Footlights and Fools
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Good Morning Judge
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Prisoners
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Smiling Irish Eyes
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Synthetic Sin
Director |
1929 | |||
|
The Love Racket
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Why Be Good?
Director |
1929 | |||
|
Happiness Ahead
Director |
1928 | |||
|
Outcast
Director |
1928 | |||
|
Thanks for the Buggy Ride
Director |
1928 | |||
|
Waterfront
Director, Producer |
1928 | |||
|
Cheerful Fraud
Director, Producer, Screenwriter |
1927 | |||
|
Out All Night
Director |
1927 | |||
|
Small Bachelor
Director |
1927 | |||
|
Rolling Home
Director |
1926 | |||
|
Skinner's Dress Suit
Director |
1926 | |||
|
Take It from Me
Director |
1926 | |||
|
What Happened to Jones
Director |
1926 | |||
|
Dangerous Innocence
Director |
1925 | |||
|
Mad Whirl
Director |
1925 | |||
|
Teaser
Director |
1925 | |||
|
Where Was I?
Director |
1925 | |||
|
Daddies
Director |
1924 | |||
|
Fast Worker
Director |
1924 | |||
|
Helen's Babies
Director |
1924 | |||
|
His Forgotten Wife
Director |
1924 | |||
|
Listen Lester
Director |
1924 | |||
|
The Family Secret
Director |
1924 | |||
|
The White Sin
Director |
1924 | |||
|
Bell Boy 13
Director |
1923 | |||
|
Little Church Around the Corner
Director |
1923 | |||
|
Gay and Devilish
Director |
1922 | |||
|
The Beautiful and Damned
Director |
1922 | |||
|
Understudy
Director |
1922 | |||
|
Up and at 'em
Director, Screenwriter |
1922 | |||
|
When Love Comes
Director |
1922 | |||
|
Foolish Age
Director, Screenwriter |
1921 | |||
|
Hearts and Masks
Director |
1921 | |||
|
Passing Thru
Director |
1921 | |||
|
Mabel at the Wheel
Actor |
1914 |


