Background
Born George Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish descent, baptized as Roman Catholic, and grew up in a Detroit Jewish neighborhood and described himself as a "Shabas goy".
writer director motion picture producer
Born George Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish descent, baptized as Roman Catholic, and grew up in a Detroit Jewish neighborhood and described himself as a "Shabas goy".
So he went on to learn Hebrew in an Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva and was even bar mitzvahed. Seaton moved to Detroit after graduating from college to work as an actor on radio station WXYZ. John L. Barrett played The Lone Ranger on test broadcasts of the series in early January 1933, but when the program became part of the regular schedule Seaton was cast in the title role. In later years he claimed to have devised the cry "Hi-yo, Silver" because he couldn"t whistle for his horse as the script required.
Seaton joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a contract writer in 1933.
His first major screen cr was the Marx Brothers comedy A Day at the Races in 1937. From this point on he was credited as both screenwriter and director for most of his films, including The Shocking Mission Pilgrim, Miracle on 34th Street, Apartment for Peggy, Chicken Every Sunday, The Big Lift, Foreign Heaven"s Sake, Little Boy Lost, The Country Girl, and The Proud and Profane.
But Not Goodbye, Seaton"s 1944 Broadway debut as a playwright, closed after only 23 performances, although it later was adapted for the 1946 film The Cockeyed Miracle by Karen DeWolf. In 1967 he returned to Broadway to direct the Norman Krasna play Love in East Flat, which was a critical and commercial flop.
The musical Here"s Love, adapted from his screenplay for Miracle on 34th Street by Meredith Willson, proved to be more successful.
He directed 1970"s blockbuster hit Airport, which earned 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Seaton"s screenplay. Seaton died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California.
Member Motion Picture Academy Arts and Sciences
Children: Mary Seaton Henderson, Marc (deceased).