Happy Birthday, William A. Seiter! Born today in 1890, this American film director, during his career, had made more than one hundred feature films. He was especially noted for his musicals and light comedies.
After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Canadian-American film actor, director, producer, and studio head Mack Sennett's (known as the 'King of Comedy') Keystone Studios, doubling as a cowboy.
A former Keystone Cop, Seiter graduated to assistant director and screenwriter before making his directorial debut in 1918.
A former Keystone Cop, Seiter graduated to assistant director and screenwriter before making his directorial debut in 1918.
Among the many stars directed by Seiter during his long career were Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Margaret Sullavan, Barbara Stanwyck, Jack Haley, Deanna Durbin, Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Fred MacMurray, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth and the Marx Brothers.
Among his credits, Seiter is best known for directing the 1933 American pre-Code black and white comedy/slapstick film 'Sons of the Desert'.
This was American comedy duo act Laurel and Hardy's sixth feature; a comedy that is considered by many to be the boy's best feature film. Their routine was during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema.
This was American comedy duo act Laurel and Hardy's sixth feature; a comedy that is considered by many to be the boy's best feature film. Their routine was during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema.
The film follows Stanley (Stan Laurel) and Ollie (Oliver Hardy), who want to attend the yearly convention of the Sons of the Desert, a fraternal group to which they belong.
When Ollie's wife, Mrs. Lottie Hardy (Mae Busch), objects, he feigns sickness, and Stanley gets a doctor to prescribe a fake trip to Hawaii.
After Stanley and Ollie revel with the Sons of the Desert, they return home to find out that the ship they were supposedly on has sunk in a typhoon, and they're forced to cover their tracks.
The film was released in the United States on December 29, 1933 and is regarded as one of Laurel and Hardy's best films. In the United Kingdom, 'Sons of the Desert' was originally released under the title 'Fraternally Yours'.
The film’s title inspired the long-standing international Laurel and Hardy fan society of the same name. Today, it remains one of the legendary duo's most enduring and acclaimed works.
Among his other credits, Seiter is known for directing the the underrated Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicle, the 1935 American black and white musical film 'Roberta' and the engaging 1937 American black and white crime/romantic drama film 'This Is My Affair'.
The following year, Seiter also helmed the Marx Brothers escapade. This was the 1938 American black and white comedy film 'Room Service'. However, like the anarchic trio, it was too constrained by the conventional stage original.
Seiter passed in Beverly Hills, California, of a heart attack on July 26, 1964. He was 74. Seiter was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
According to Seiter's personal life, he had been formerly married to American film actresses Laura La Plante (1926–1934) and Marian Nixon (1934–1964).
On the 2000 list of AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs, 'Sons of the Desert' ranked in at #96.
On the 2005 list of AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes, the line "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" ranked in at #60.
In 2012, 'Sons of the Desert' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Seiter's grandson, with Nixon, is American screenwriter Ted Griffin.
He is most notable for writing the 1999 British/Mexican/American/Czech Western/horror film 'Ravenous', the 2001 American comedy/heist film 'Ocean's Eleven' and co-writing the 2003 American/British dark comedy crime film 'Matchstick Men'.
He is most notable for writing the 1999 British/Mexican/American/Czech Western/horror film 'Ravenous', the 2001 American comedy/heist film 'Ocean's Eleven' and co-writing the 2003 American/British dark comedy crime film 'Matchstick Men'.
In the early 2010s, Griffin had a bit part as Agent Hughes in Martin Scorsese's 2013 American biographical black comedy/drama crime film 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.
Seiter had been active from 1915–1954.
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