Alan Smithee

For the 1997 film, see An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn.

Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) is an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project. Coined by the Directors Guild of America in 1968 and used until it was largely discontinued in 2000,^[1] it was the sole pseudonym used by DGA members when directors, dissatisfied with the final product, proved to the satisfaction of a guild panel that they had not been able to exercise creative control over a film. The director was also required by guild rules not to discuss the circumstances leading to the movie or even to acknowledge being the project's director.^[2] The Alan Smithee credit has also been adopted for direction credit disputes in television, music videos and other media.

History

Before 1968, DGA rules did not permit directors to be credited under a pseudonym. This was intended to prevent producers from forcing them upon directors, which would inhibit the development of their résumés.^[1] The guild also required that the director be credited, in support of the auteur theory, which posits that the director is the primary creative force behind a film.^[2]

The Smithee pseudonym was created for use on the film Death of a Gunfighter, released in 1969. During its filming, lead actor Richard Widmark was unhappy with director Robert Totten and arranged to have him replaced by Don Siegel. Siegel later estimated that he had spent 9 to 10 days filming, while Totten had spent 25 days. Each had roughly an equal amount of footage in Siegel's final edit, but Siegel made clear that Widmark had effectively been in charge the entire time.^[2] When the film was finished, Siegel did not want to take the credit for it and Totten refused to take credit in his place. The DGA panel hearing the dispute agreed that the film did not represent either director's creative vision.^[1]

The original proposal was to credit the fictional "Al Smith", but the name was deemed too common and was already in use within the film industry. The last name was first changed to "Smithe", then "Smithee",^[1] which was thought to be distinctive enough to avoid confusion with similar names but without drawing attention to itself.^[2] Critics praised the film and its "new" director, with The New York Times commenting that the film was "sharply directed by Allen Smithee who has an adroit facility for scanning faces and extracting sharp background detail,"^[3] and Roger Ebert commenting, "Director Allen Smithee, a name I'm not familiar with, allows his story to unfold naturally."^[4]

Following its coinage, the pseudonym "Alan Smithee" was applied retroactively to Fade In (also known as Iron Cowboy), a film starring Burt Reynolds and directed by Jud Taylor, which was first released before the release of Death of a Gunfighter.^[5] Taylor also requested the pseudonym for City in Fear (1980) with David Janssen. Taylor commented on its use when he received the DGA's Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award in 2003:

I had a couple of problems in my career having to do with editing and not having the contractually required number of days in the editing room that my agent couldn't resolve. So, I went to the Guild and said, "This is what's going on." The Guild went to bat for me. I got Alan Smithee on them both. It was a signal to the industry from a creative rights point of view that the shows had been tampered with.^[6]

The spelling "Alan Smithee" became standard, and the Internet Movie Database lists about two dozen feature films and many more television features and series episodes credited to this name.^[7] A persistent urban legend suggests that this particular spelling was chosen because it is an anagram of the phrase "the alias men", but this is apocryphal.

Over the years the name and its purpose became more widely known. Some directors violated the embargo on discussing their use of the pseudonym. In 1997, the film An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was released, in which a man named Alan Smithee (played by Eric Idle) wishes to disavow a film he directed, but is unable to do so because the only pseudonym he is permitted to use is his own name. The film was directed by Arthur Hiller, who reported to the DGA that producer Joe Eszterhas had interfered with his creative control. He successfully removed his own name from the film, so Alan Smithee was credited instead. The film was a commercial and critical failure, released in only 19 theaters, grossing only $45,779 in the United States with a budget of about $10 million.^[8] Rotten Tomatoes reports an aggregate critical rating of only 8% positive.^[9]

The film was nominated for eight Golden Raspberry Awards at the following year's ceremony, and won five, including Worst Picture. The harsh negative publicity that surrounded the film drew unwanted mainstream attention to the pseudonym. Following this, the DGA retired the name; for the film Supernova (2000), dissatisfied director Walter Hill was instead credited as "Thomas Lee",^[1] and Accidental Love director, David O. Russell, left the product credited to Stephen Greene.^[10][11]

Meanwhile, the name had been used outside of the film industry, and it continues to be used in other media and on film projects not under the purview of the DGA. Although the pseudonym was intended for use by directors, the Internet Movie Database lists several uses as writer credits as well.^[7] Variations of the name have also occasionally been used, such as "Alan Smithee and Alana Smithy" (screenwriters for the 2011 film Hidden 3D).

Uses

Historical uses of the "Alan Smithee" credit (or equivalent), in chronological order:

Film direction

The following films credit "Smithee"; the actual director is listed when known.

Film	Year	Director	Notes	Reference
Fade In	1968	Jud Taylor	Also called Iron Cowboy; shown in previews with Taylor credited, then shelved; issued in 1975 with "Allen Smithee" credited as director.	[12]
Death of a Gunfighter	1969	Robert Totten and Don Siegel (separately)	Credited to "Allen Smithee".	[12]
The Barking Dog	1978	Unknown		[12]
Gypsy Angels	1980	Unknown		[12]
City in Fear	1980	Jud Taylor
Fun and Games	1980	Paul Bogart		[13]
Student Bodies	1981	Mickey Rose	Produced by Michael Ritchie under the pseudonym
Twilight Zone: The Movie	1983	Anderson House	Second Assistant Director Anderson House used the pseudonym for the first segment, in which actor Vic Morrow and two children were killed in a helicopter accident during production. This represents a rare instance where the "Alan Smithee" credit was taken by an assistant director.	[14]
Dune	1984	David Lynch	Used only for the version as extended and edited for broadcast television. In addition to the "Smithee" directing credit, for the broadcast TV version Lynch's screenwriting credit goes to "Judas Booth" (a reference to Judas Iscariot and John Wilkes Booth).	[15][16]
Appointment with Fear	1985	Ramsey Thomas		[12]
Stitches	1985	Rod Holcomb		[12]
Let's Get Harry	1986	Stuart Rosenberg		[12]
Morgan Stewart's Coming Home	1987	Paul Aaron and Terry Windsor		[12]
Ghost Fever	1987	Lee Madden		[12]
I Love N.Y.	1987	Gianni Bozzacchi		[12]
Gunhed	1989	Masato Harada	Used for the re-edited TV release in the United States
Catchfire	1990	Dennis Hopper	Originally released in theaters as Smithee. A subsequent video release under the title Backtrack was Hopper's intended "director's cut", for which he received credit.	[12]
The Shrimp on the Barbie	1990	Michael Gottlieb		[12]
Solar Crisis	1990	Richard C. Sarafian		[12]
The Guardian	1990	William Friedkin	Credited to "Alan Von Smithee" only for the version as edited for cable television
Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh	1991	Dean Tschetter		[12]
The Nutt House	1992	Adam Rifkin	Used by writers Scott Spiegel (as Peter Perkinson), Bruce Campbell (as R.O.C. Sandstorm), Ivan Raimi (as Alan Smithee Sr.), and Sam Raimi (as Alan Smithee Jr.)	[17]
Scent of a Woman	1992	Martin Brest	Used for the version edited for in-flight viewing
Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence	1993	William Lustig		[18]
Rudy	1993	David Anspaugh	Used for the re-edited TV release
The Birds II: Land's End	1994	Rick Rosenthal
The Journey Inside	1994	Barnaby Jackson		[19][20]
National Lampoon's Senior Trip	1995	Kelly Makin	Alan Smithee is credited onscreen as the director of a pornographic video featured briefly in the film, "Forrest Humps"
Raging Angels	1995	Unknown
Smoke n Lightnin	1995	Unknown		[12]
Heat	1995	Michael Mann	Used for the re-edited TV release
Hellraiser: Bloodline	1996	Kevin Yagher		[12]
Exit	1996	Ric Roman Waugh		[12]
Dilemma	1997	Eric Larsen and Eric Louzil		[12]
Le Zombi de Cap-Rouge	1997	Simon Robideaux		[12]
Sub Down	1997	Gregg Champion		[12]
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn	1997	Arthur Hiller		[12]
Picture of Priority	1998	Unknown		[12]
Meet Joe Black	1998	Martin Brest	Used for the version edited for in-flight viewing and cable television
Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes	1998	Cass Paley
The Coroner	1999	Brian Katkin and Juan A. Mas		[12]
The Insider	1999	Michael Mann	Used for the version edited for television
River Made to Drown In	1999	James Merendino
Woman Wanted	1999	Kiefer Sutherland		[12]
The Disciples	2000	Kirk Wong		[12]
In the Wrong Hands	2002	Chris Johnston and James A. Seale		[12]
Fugitives Run	2003	Philip Spink		[12]
Eep! (Dutch: Iep!)	2010	Rita Horst	Credited as Ellen Smith, the only time a Dutch director asked for this credit. Ellen is a Dutch name that is pronounced similarly to Alan.
Old 37	2015	Christian Winters		[21][22]
Anatar	2023	Lorenzo Dante Zanoni		[23]

Television direction

• The Challenge (1970) initiated by Joseph Sargent, finished by George McCowen (credited on screen as Allen Smithee)
• Kate Loves a Mystery, "Love, on Instant Replay", directed by E. Arthur Kean.
• The Twilight Zone (1985), "Paladin of the Lost Hour" (1985), directed by Gilbert Cates.
• Tiny Toon Adventures had episode segments that were credited to "Alan Smithee"; 1990 segments "Pit Bullied" and "Duck in the Muck" were actually directed by Art Leonardi.^[24]
• A Nero Wolfe Mystery, "Motherhunt" (May 12 and 19, 2002), the fifth episode of the second season, with Charles B. Wessler believed to be debuting as director.^[25]
• Call of the Wild m, 1993 CBS TV movie directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno, starring Rick Schroder.^[26]
• Dalton: Code of Vengeance II, the second television movie (May 11, 1986) in the Code of Vengeance series, actually a mashup of two episodes of a failed series
• The Cosby Show, "You Can't Stop the Music", episode 22 of season 8 (1992), director unknown
• It's Academic (June 19, 2006); this episode had numerous credits attributed to Smithee.^[27]
• Karen's Song, first episode.
• Red Shoe Diaries, "Accidents Happen", episode 9 of season 1 (1993), directed by Mary Lambert.
• La Femme Nikita, "Catch a Falling Star", episode 16 of season 4 of American television series, believed to be directed by Joseph L. Scanlan.
• Riviera, 1987 ABC TV movie intended as pilot, directed by John Frankenheimer.^[28]
• MacGyver, "Pilot", directed by Jerrold Freedman,^[29] and "The Heist", director unknown (1985).^[30]
• Moonlight, TV movie and pilot for an unsold series (1982) (not to be confused with the later CBS vampire series), directed by Jackie Cooper and Rod Holcomb.
• The O. J. Simpson Story, 1995 television movie directed by Jerrold Freedman.
• The Owl, 1991 television film credited to director Tom Holland when originally broadcast. Holland approved of the 46-minute television cut but disliked the extended 84-minute home video cut and credited it to "Alan Smithee".^[31]
• Last Exile, episode 21, animation director unknown.
• Eiken, second episode, director unknown
• Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation, first episode, assistant animation director unknown.
• Joker Game, second episode, director unknown.
• KonoSuba, episodes 4 and 9 (season 1), storyboard artist unknown.
• McClain's Law, "Requiem for a Narc", director unknown.
• Frankie Drake Mysteries, episode 8 "The Pilot", director Leslie Hope as Alanis Smithee.
• Tamayomi, episodes 6 and 11, director unknown.

Music video direction

• "I Will Always Love You" — Whitney Houston (1992) from the soundtrack for The Bodyguard, directed by Nick Brandt
• "Heaven 'n Hell" — Salt-N-Pepa (1994)
• "Digging the Grave" — Faith No More (1995), directed by Marcus Raboy
• "Let's Get Down" — Tony! Toni! Toné! featuring DJ Quik (1996), directed by Joseph Kahn (often credited as "J. Whiskey")
• "Building a Mystery" — Sarah McLachlan (1997), directed by Matt Mahurin
• "I Don't Want to Wait" — Paula Cole (1997), directed by Mark Seliger and Fred Woodward
• "So Help Me Girl" (US version) — Gary Barlow (1997)
• "Hard Charger" — Porno for Pyros (1997), directed by Liz Friedlander and Geoff Nelson
• "Victory" — Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes (1998), directed by Marcus Nispel
• "Kiss the Rain" — Billie Myers (1998)
• "The First Night" — Monica (1998), directed by Joseph Kahn
• "Sweet Surrender" — Sarah McLachlan (1998), directed by Floria Sigismondi
• "Reunited" — Wu-Tang Clan (1998)
• "Waiting for Tonight" — Jennifer Lopez (1999), directed by Francis Lawrence
• "The Future Is X-Rated" — Matthew Good Band (1999), directed by William Morrison and Matthew Good
• "Maria" — Blondie (1999), directed by Roman Coppola
• "Late Goodbye" — Poets of the Fall (2004)
• "Some Kind of Monster" — Metallica (2004), directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• "Lose My Breath" — Destiny's Child (2005), directed by Marc Klasfeld
• "Death in Midsummer" — Deerhunter (2018), directed by Bradford Cox and Marisa Gesualdi

Other media

• Daredevil #338–342, a comics series published by Marvel Comics: Writer D. G. Chichester learned during a brief break from the series that he was to be replaced; for the five issues he was obligated to write he demanded an Alan Smithee credit.
• Team X 2000, a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics, is credited to two writers. One being Sean Ruffner, the other being credited as "A. Smithee," is also believed to be D.G. Chichester.
• Strontium Dog, a 2000AD comic strip: In 1996, writer Peter Hogan was dropped from the series and his episodes rewritten, and demanded that his name be removed from the credits.
• Marine Sharpshooter 4, a first-person shooter game, had Alan Smithee listed as the Art Director.^[32]
• Alan Smithee was credited as the director and included in the title of three adult movies in the early 2000s.^[33]
• A comical teaser for the video game Metal Gear Solid 4 shown at E3 2005 has a director's chair labeled "Alan Smithee" as the director of the name before falls off, being replaced by co-writer Shuyo Murata's name as Murata sits on the chair. The chair was ultimately changed again to display Hideo Kojima's name as Solid Snake sits on it however. This is a reference to Kojima's negative attitude towards directing the series and how he felt he had to keep directing it in spite of this. ^[34]
• In the loose-leaf 1990's run of Who's Who in the DC Universe, the art for Elasti-Girl is partially credited to Alan Smithee.
• Equinox, a video game released by Sony Imagesoft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993, credits Alan Smithee as director.
• The series premiere of Anatole, "Anatole's Parisian Adventure", credits Alan Smithee as the writer.
• NHL Hitz 2003, a 2002 video game released by Midway for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube, credits Alan Smithee as the color commentator.
• 2007 Issue of Inside Tennis magazine in place of the usual Art Director spot of the masthead.
• In the making-of documentary about the production and release of 12 Monkeys, director Terry Gilliam draws a doodle illustrating his frustration at unexpectedly poor test screening surveys, then decides the drawing is not up to his usual standards and so signs it 'Alan Smithee', explaining the history of the name as he does so.^[35]
• In the game Fire Emblem Heroes, the artist for the Mythic Hero Elimine is credited as "Alan Smithee".
• The Elusive David Agnew, a mockumentary included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the Doctor Who serial The Invasion of Time, is credited as having been directed by "Allen Smithee".^[36] This use of the pseudonym is in reference to "David Agnew" itself being a pseudonym under which Doctor Who producer Graham Williams and script editor Anthony Read were credited for their writing work on The Invasion of Time.^[37]

Other pseudonyms

• In several BBC television drama programmes in the 1970s, writers used the pseudonym "David Agnew", for reasons similar to the Smithee name.
• The 1976 Doctor Who serial The Brain of Morbius was credited to writer "Robin Bland". After Terrance Dicks' original script was heavily rewritten by script editor Robert Holmes, Dicks demanded that his name be removed and credit be given to a "bland pseudonym".
• The 1977 TV series Logan's Run was so heavily rewritten, screenwriter David Gerrold was credited as "Noah Ward", sounding like "no award".^[38]
• City Heat (1984) as originally released in theaters, fired director Blake Edwards had his screenwriting credit changed to "Sam O. Brown" (a nod to another of his films, S.O.B.).
• Solar Crisis (1990) credited Tedi Sarafian, the son of the director (himself credited as "Alan Smithee") and one of the writers, as "Crispan Bolt".^[39]
• Showgirls (1995) as edited for television, directed by Paul Verhoeven (who used the pseudonym "Jan Jensen", instead of "Smithee"). However, the edited, R-rated version of Showgirls that was prepared for release at Blockbuster was supervised and authorized by Verhoeven, and this version carries the director's name.
• Highball (1997), after a falling-out with the film's producer left it released in an unfinished state, Noah Baumbach had his directing credit changed to "Ernie Fusco" and his writing credit changed to "Jesse Carter".
• Supernova (2000), dissatisfied director Walter Hill was credited as "Thomas Lee".
• Accidental Love (2015) originally filmed in 2008, director David O. Russell left the film in 2010, later disowning it while the directing credit was changed to "Stephen Greene".
• Exposed (2016): during the editing process Lionsgate changed the story's focus. Gee Malik Linton is the director of the film, but is listed under the pseudonym of "Declan Dale".

See also

• Film portal
• United States portal

• WGA screenwriting credit system
• Category:Films credited to Alan Smithee
• Category:Music videos credited to Alan Smithee
• Cordwainer Bird, a literary equivalent employed by author Harlan Ellison
• Damnatio memoriae

References

1. Wallace, Amy (January 15, 2000). "Name of Director Smithee Isn't What It Used to Be". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
2. Braddock, Jeremy; Stephen Hock (2001). Directed by Allen Smithee. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 8–10. ISBN 0-8166-3534-X.
3. Thompson, Howard (May 10, 1969). "Screen: Tough Western: 'Death of a Gunfighter' Stars Widmark" The New York Times
4. "Roger Ebert's review of Death of a Gunfighter". rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
5. Notorc (December 6, 2006). "Postscripts: Almost Famous: The Spelvins, the Plinges and the Smithees". Notorc.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
6. "MAGAZINE | DGA Awards Aldrich: Jud Taylor | VOL 27-6: MAR 2003". Dga.org. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
7. Alan Smithee at IMDb.
8. "Burn Hollywood Burn at Box Office Mojo". Boxofficemojo.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
9. "Burn Hollywood Burn at Rotten Tomatoes". Rottentomatoes.com. August 5, 2003. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
10. Perez, Rodrigo (2015-02-11). "Review: Stephen Greene's 'Accidental Love' Starring Jake Gyllenhaal & Jessica Biel Doesn't Nail Its Mark". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
11. "Who is Alan Smithee?". Bit of trivia. 2022-11-07. Archived from the original on 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
12. Roberts, Jerry (June 5, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810863781. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2018 – via Google Books.
13. Fun and Games at IMDb
14. Braddock, Jeremy; Hock, Stephen (2001). Directed by Allen Smithee. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 102–106. ISBN 9780816635337. OCLC 237557899.
15. "Dune (Comparison: Theatrical Version - Extended TV Version)". Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
16. Fye, Eleanor (June 8, 2020). "The Story of Dune, David Lynch, and Hollywood's Most Notorious Pseudonym". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
17. "Then & Now: Amy Yasbeck". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
18. Arrigo, Anthony (16 February 2022). "'Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence' 4K Review - Worth Buying for the Commentary Track Alone". Dread Central. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
19. Nostalgia Nerd. "Intel's IMAX Sci-Fi Feature Film you don't Remember". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
20. "THE JOURNEY INSIDE | The Bedlam Files". Archived from the original on 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
21. "[Review] 'Old 37' As a Crowdfunded Slasher Done Right - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
22. Old 37 at IMDb
23. Anatar (2023) at IMDb
24. Tiny Toon Adventures, Strange Tales of Weird Science at IMDb.
25. A Nero Wolfe Mystery: Motherhunt: Part 1 at IMDb and Motherhunt: Part 2 at IMDb.
26. Call of the Wild at IMDb.
27. "It's Academic credits". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. June 19, 2006. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
28. Riviera at IMDb.
29. "Jerry Freedman: A Conversation". The MacGyver Project. 12 August 2015. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
30. Sweedo, Nicholas (January 25, 2015). "#52: The Heist". The MacGyver Project. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
31. "The Owl (1991) - Tom Holland's Director's Cut". 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
32. "Marine Sharpshooter 4 (2008) Windows credits". MobyGames. July 28, 2008. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
33. "Alan Smithee - Porn Director". Internet Adult Film Database. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
34. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
35. "The oral history of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam's time travel masterpiece". Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
36. The Elusive David Agnew at IMDb.
37. "Doctor Who - Invasion Of Time DVD review". Den of Geek. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
38. Minty Comedic Arts (2020-11-06). "10 things You Didn't Know About LogansRun". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
39. "Solar Crisis". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2017-07-13.

External links

• Alan Smithee at IMDb