Seton Miller

Fresh out of Yale University, Seton I. Miller headed to Hollywood to serve as technical advisor for Brown of Harvard (1926), in which he also essayed a minor role. Known to his friends as "Hap," Miller eschewed acting (which he'd never wanted to do in the first place) in favor of screenwriting. He went on to share an Oscar nomination for his scriptwork on 1931's The Criminal Code, and an Oscar win for Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). Many of the best films of directors Howard Hawks and Fritz Lang were written or co-written by Miller, despite the claims of auteurists who insist upon crediting Hawks and Lang as the sole "authors" of their films. In 1944, Miller became a producer at Paramount, turning out such major productions as Ministry of Fear (1944) and Two Years Before the Mast (1949). His last credit was the Disney fantasy Pete's Dragon (1977) filmed three years after Miller's death. Seton I. Miller served for many years on the executive board of the Screen Writers Guild.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide