Seton I. Miller was a renowned writer of action and adventure films in the 1930s and 1940s. A Yale University graduate, he initially worked in the film industry as an actor and technical advisor on Brown of Harvard in 1926.
Miller's career as a screenwriter began in 1927, when he started working with director Howard Hawks. He wrote scripts for several films, including The Dawn Patrol and Scarface, and gained a reputation for his witty and realistic dialogue.
In the 1930s, Miller continued to specialize in hard-hitting, action-packed subjects like G' Men and Bullets or Ballots. He contributed well-developed characters and gritty, staccato-delivered dialogue to these films, which further enhanced his reputation.
Miller's next notable project was The Adventures of Robin Hood, an ambitious epic film starring Errol Flynn. He collaborated on the original screenplay with Norman Reilly Raine, and the resulting script set the benchmark for future screen incarnations of the character.
However, Miller's next venture, The SeaHawk, proved to be a less happy experience. He was unhappy with the final product and left Warner Bros. to continue as a freelance writer.
Miller enjoyed further success with films like Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Black Swan, and Two Years Before the Mast. He also briefly worked as a producer for Paramount, but with less distinguished results.
One of Miller's last efforts was Istanbul, a studio-bound cloak-and-dagger tale about diamond smugglers that reunited him with Errol Flynn. Miller retired two years later and passed away in 1974, although a co-written unpublished short story of his was used for the live-action/animated Disney production Pete's Dragon in 1977.
