Originally a writer and artist, William A. Seiter entered films with
Selig. He worked from 1915 as a stunt double and bit player at Keystone
and quickly graduated to directing comedy shorts. He moved up to
features in the 1920s. He married actress
Laura La Plante, who he directed in
several films, such as
Skinner's Dress Suit (1926),
He was at his best, though, in charge of comic teams such as
Bert Wheeler and
Robert Woolsey,
Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy (he directed what many believe
to be their finest film,
Sons of the Desert (1933)),
Bud Abbott and
Lou Costello
(
Little Giant (1946)) and
The Marx Brothers.
Most of his early work was under contract to Universal (1924-28) and
Warner Brothers (1928-29). He successfully made the transition to sound
and remained much in demand for light comedy, working for RKO
(1931-34), 20th Century-Fox (1934-38), Universal (1939-41 and again
from 1945-49). He retired in 1954. He is perhaps best remembered for
"Sons of the Desert" and the musical
Roberta (1935) with
Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers.
The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna(1956)
The Alaskans(1959)
Love That Jill(1958)
Cavalcade of America(1952)
Have Camera Will Travel(1956)
Screen Directors Playhouse(1955)
The Cheerful Fraud(1926)
Listen Lester(1924)
Up and at 'Em(1922)
The Foolish Age(1921)
Synthetic Sin(1929)as Policeman
The City of Stars(1924)as Director
The Honeymoon Roll(1915)
The Great Ruby Mystery(1915)as Ingvar Brutt
Make Haste to Live(1954)
Champ for a Day(1953)
The Lady Wants Mink(1953)
Borderline(1950)
One Touch of Venus(1948)
On the Avenue(1937)
Sons of the Desert(1933)
Screen Snapshots, Series 23, No. 9(1944)as Self
Life in Hollywood No. 4(1927)as Self
The World of Abbott and Costello(1965)
