Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) is an official

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

used by film directors who wish to disown a project. Coined in 1968 and used until it was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

(DGA) 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 Artistic control or creative control is a term commonly used in media production, such as movies, television, and music production. A person with artistic control has the authority to decide how the final product will appear. In movies, this ...

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.

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. The guild also required that the director be credited, in support of the

auteur theory An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...

, which posits that the director is the primary creative force behind a film. The Smithee pseudonym was created for use on the film ''

Death of a Gunfighter ''Death of a Gunfighter'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by Allen Smithee and starring Richard Widmark and Lena Horne. and features an original score by Oliver Nelson. The theme of the film is the "passing" of the West, the clash betw ...

'', released in 1969. During its filming, lead actor

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, ''Kiss of Death'' (1947) ...

was unhappy with director

Robert Totten Robert Charles Totten (February 5, 1937 – January 27, 1995) was an American television director, writer, and actor, best known for directing many '' Gunsmoke'' episodes between 1966 and 1971. Career In addition to directing, Totten also co ...

and arranged to have him replaced by

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film and television director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut ...

. 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. 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. 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", which was thought to be distinctive enough to avoid confusion with similar names but without drawing attention to itself. Critics praised the film and its "new" director, with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' commenting that the film was "sharply directed by Allen Smithee who has an adroit facility for scanning faces and extracting sharp background detail," and Roger Ebert commenting, "Director Allen Smithee, a name I'm not familiar with, allows his story to unfold naturally." 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 Judson Taylor (February 25, 1932August 6, 2008) was an American actor, television director, and television producer. Early years Born in New York City, Taylor graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Career Taylor is perhaps best ...

, which was first released before the release of ''Death of a Gunfighter''. Taylor also requested the pseudonym for '' City in Fear'' (1980) with

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

. Taylor commented on its use when he received the DGA's Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award in 2003: The spelling "Alan Smithee" became standard, and the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

lists about two dozen feature films and many more television features and series episodes credited to this name.. 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 ( 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 József A. Eszterhás ( born November 23, 1944) is a Hungarian-American writer. He attended Ohio University. He wrote the screenplays for the films ''Flashdance'', '' Jagged Edge'', ''Basic Instinct'' and ''Showgirls''. His books include ''Americ ...

had interfered with his creative control, and 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, and Rotten Tomatoes reports an aggregate critical rating of only 8% positive. The film also was nominated for eight

Golden Raspberry Awards The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

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 Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

was instead credited as "Thomas Lee", and Accidental Love director, David O. Russell, left the product credited to Stephen Greene. 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. Variations of the name have also occasionally been used, such as "Alan 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. In a few cases, the alias is used for a creative contributor other than the director, shown in boldface. * '' Fade In'' a.k.a. ''Iron Cowboy'' (1968), directed by

. Shown in previews with Taylor credited, then shelved; issued in 1975 with Smithee credited as director. * ''

'' (1969), directed separately by Robert Totten and Don Siegel * ''The Barking Dog'' (1978), director unknown * ''Gypsy Angels'' (1980), director unknown * '' City in Fear'' (1980), directed by Jud Taylor * ''Fun and Games'' (1980), directed by Paul Bogart * ''

Student Bodies ''Student Bodies'' is a 1981 American parody slasher film written and directed by Mickey Rose, with an uncredited Michael Ritchie co-directing. A spoof of slasher horror films such as ''Halloween'', ''Friday the 13th'' and '' Prom Night'', '' ...

'' (1981), directed by Mickey Rose, produced by Michael Ritchie under the pseudonym * '' Twilight Zone: The Movie'' (1983), Second Assistant Director Anderson House used the pseudonym for the first segment, in which actor

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstand ...

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. * '' Appointment with Fear'' (1985), directed by Ramzi Thomas * '' Stitches'' (1985), directed by

Rod Holcomb Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer, best known for directing the pilot and finale of '' ER''. He has directed episodes of numerous television series, including '' Quincy, M.E.'', ''The Six Million Dollar Man'', ''Battles ...

* ''

Let's Get Harry ''Let's Get Harry'' is a 1986 American adventure film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. It stars Michael Schoeffling, Thomas F. Wilson, Glenn Frey, Rick Rossovich, Ben Johnson, Mark Harmon, Gary Busey, and Robert Duvall. The film direction is credite ...

'' (1986), directed by Stuart Rosenberg * '' Morgan Stewart's Coming Home'' (1987), directed by Paul Aaron and Terry Windsor * ''

Ghost Fever ''Ghost Fever'' is a 1987 horror-comedy film directed by Lee Madden and written by Oscar Brodney. The film stars Sherman Hemsley, Luis Ávalos, Jennifer Rhodes, Deborah Benson, Diana Brookes and Myron Healey. The film was released on March 27, 19 ...

'' (1987), directed by Lee Madden * '' I Love N.Y.'' (1987) written and directed by Gianni Bozzacchi * ''

Catchfire ''Catchfire'' is a 1990 American romantic action thriller film directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Jodie Foster, Hopper, Fred Ward and Vincent Price, with cameo appearances by several notable actors, including Charlie Sheen, Joe Pesci, Cath ...

'' (1990) as originally released in theaters, directed by Dennis Hopper. A subsequent video release under the title ''Backtrack'' was Hopper's intended "director's cut", for which he received credit. * '' The Shrimp on the Barbie'' (1990), directed by Michael Gottlieb * '' Solar Crisis'' (1990), directed by Richard C. Sarafian * ''Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh'' (1991), directed by Dean Tschetter * '' Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence'' (1993), directed by

William Lustig William "Bill" Lustig (born February 1, 1955, in The Bronx, New York) is an American film director and producer who has worked primarily in the horror film genre. He is the nephew of former middleweight champion Jake LaMotta. Film career As ...

* '' The Birds II: Land's End'' (1994), directed by

Rick Rosenthal Richard L. Rosenthal, Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American film instructor and director, known for directing '' Halloween II'' and '' Halloween: Resurrection''. Early life, family and education Rosenthal was born in New York City, the son o ...

* ''The Journey Inside'' (1994), directed by Barnaby Jackson * ''

National Lampoon's Senior Trip ''National Lampoon's Senior Trip'' is a 1995 American comedy film for the National Lampoon magazine franchise, directed by Kelly Makin. It marked Jeremy Renner's film debut. Plot At Fairmount High School, Ohio in the suburbs of Dayton, a gro ...

'' (1995), directed by

Kelly Makin Kelly Makin is a Canadian television and film director. He directed episodes of ''The Kids in the Hall'' comedy television series and also directed several episodes of ''Queer as Folk'' including the series finale. More recently, Makin has dire ...

with a segment credited to Smithee * ''Raging Angels'' (1995), director unknown * ''Smoke n Lightnin'' (1995), director unknown * '' Hellraiser: Bloodline'' (1996), directed by Kevin Yagher * ''Exit'' (1996), directed by

Ric Roman Waugh Ric Roman Waugh (born February 20, 1968) is an American film director, writer, producer, actor, and former stuntman. He is known for his work in '' Felon'' (2008), ''Snitch'' (2013), and '' Shot Caller'' (2017). He wrote and directed ''Angel Has ...

* '' Mighty Ducks, The Animated Series: The First Face-Off'' (1997), co-directed by Steve Langley * ''Dilemma'' (1997), directed by Eric Larsen and

Eric Louzil Eric Louzil (born September 1, 1952) is an American Low-budget film, low-budget film director and producer. Career Louzil began his career as a UCLA film student, when he served as associate producer of the short film ''Sonic Boom'' starring R ...

* ''Le Zombi de Cap-Rouge'' (1997), directed by Simon Robideaux * ''Sub Down'' (1997), directed by

Gregg Champion Gregg Champion (born November 20, 1956, in Los Angeles, California) is an American film director, known for his work on wide release and TV Hollywood movies. His parents are Marge Champion and Gower Champion. Work in Film & Television After at ...

* '' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'' (1997), directed by Arthur Hiller * ''Picture of Priority'' (1998), director unknown * '' Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes'' (1998), directed by Cass Paley * ''The Coroner'' (1999), directed by Brian Katkin and Juan A. Mas * '' River Made to Drown In'' (1999), directed by

James Merendino James Anthony Merendino (born January 11, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter who is best known for directing the 1998 film ''SLC Punk!''. Life Merendino was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah whe ...

* ''

Woman Wanted ''Woman Wanted'' is a 1999 film directed by Kiefer Sutherland (later credited as Alan Smithee). It is based on a novel by Joanna Glass, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Sutherland, Holly Hunter, Michael Moriarty, and Sutherland's mother ...

'' (1999), directed by Kiefer Sutherland * ''The Disciples'' (2000), directed by

Kirk Wong Kirk Wong (黃志強; born March 28, 1949) is a Hong Kong film director and actor. Wong is best known for action films '' Crime Story'' and ''The Big Hit''. Wong's other films like '' Health Warning'', '' Organized Crime & Triad Bureau'', and '' ...

* ''In the Wrong Hands'' (2002), directed by Chris Johnston and James A. Seale * ''Fugitives Run'' (2003), directed by Philip Spink * ''Eep!'' (Dutch: ''Iep!'') (2010), directed by Rita Horst 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), directed by Christian Winters The following films were credited to their actual directors during their original theatrical presentations. When re-edited for TV, or for other reasons, the Smithee credit was used: * '' Dune'' (1984), only for the version as extended and edited for broadcast television; directed by David Lynch. 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 Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

and

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...

) * '' Gunhed'' (1989) as released in the United States, directed by

Masato Harada is a Japanese film director, film critic, and sometimes an actor; he is best known to foreign audiences as Omura in ''The Last Samurai'' and as Mr Mita in ''Fearless''. In both his acting roles he portrayed the villain who wants Japan to westerni ...

* ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' (1990) only for the version as edited for cable television, directed by

William Friedkin William "Billy" Friedkin (born August 29, 1935)Biskind, p. 200. is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter closely identified with the " New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in ...

, credited to "Alan Von Smithee" * ''

Rudy Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

'' (1993) as edited for television, directed by

David Anspaugh David Anspaugh (born September 24, 1946) is an American television and film director. Professional career After earning a bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington, Anspaugh moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he worked as a substitute t ...

* ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

'' (1995) as edited for television, directed by

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive style of crime drama. His most acclaimed works include the films ''Thief'' (1981), ...

* ''

Meet Joe Black ''Meet Joe Black'' is a 1998 American romantic fantasy film directed and produced by Martin Brest, and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani. The screenplay was written by Bo Goldman, Kevin Wade, Ron Osborn, and Jeff Reno, and ...

'' (1998), as edited for in-flight viewing and cable television, by

Martin Brest Martin Brest (born August 8, 1951) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Education Brest was born in the Bronx, New York, and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1969, from New York University's School of the Arts in 1 ...

* '' The Insider'' (1999) as edited for television, directed by

* ''

The Nutt House ''The Nutt House'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for five episodes on NBC from September 20 to October 25, 1989. Overview ''The Nutt House'' was the creation of executive producers Mel Brooks and Alan Spencer and was a broad ...

'' (1992), written by

Scott Spiegel Scott Spiegel (born December 10, 1957) is an American screenwriter, film director, producer and actor. He co-wrote the screenplay for the movie '' Evil Dead II'' with longtime friend, film director Sam Raimi, with whom he attended Wylie E. Gro ...

(as Peter Perkinson), Bruce Campbell (as R.O.C. Sandstorm),

Ivan Raimi Ivan Mitchell Raimi, D.O. (born June 21, 1956) is an American emergency medicine physician and screenwriter, and a brother of filmmaker Sam Raimi and actor Ted Raimi. Ivan works as an emergency physician in Chicago, traveling to Los Angeles occas ...

(as Alan Smithee Sr.), and Sam Raimi (as Alan Smithee Jr.) * '' Scent of a Woman'' (airline version) (1992) directed by

(as Alan Smithee)

Television direction

* '' The Challenge'' (1970) initiated by

Joseph Sargent Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie '' White Ligh ...

, 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 Gilbert Cates (né Katz; June 6, 1934 – October 31, 2011) was an American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, a member of Cates/Doty Productions, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

. * ''

Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation ...

'' had episode segments that were credited to "Alan Smithee"; 1990 segments "Pit Bullied" and "Duck in the Muck" were actually directed by Art Leonardi. * ''

A Nero Wolfe Mystery ''Nero Wolfe'' is a television series adapted from Rex Stout's series of detective stories that aired for two seasons (2001–2002) on A&E. Set in New York City sometime in the 1940s–1950s, the stylized period drama stars Maury Chaykin as N ...

'', " Motherhunt" (May 12 and 19, 2002), the fifth episode of the second season, with Charles B. Wessler believed to be debuting as director. * ''Call of the Wild m'', 1993 CBS-TV movie directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno, starring

Rick Schroder Richard Bartlett Schroder (born April 13, 1970) is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film '' The Champ'' (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went o ...

. * ''Dalton: Code of Vengeance II'', the second television movie (May 11, 1986) in the ''

Code of Vengeance ''Code of Vengeance'' is the umbrella title for a series of American television programs, produced by Universal Television, that aired on National Broadcasting Company, NBC in 1985 and 1986. Charles Taylor (actor), Charles Taylor stars as David ...

'' series, actually a mashup of two episodes of a failed series * ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'', "You Can't Stop the Music", episode 22 of season 8 (1992), director unknown * ''

It's Academic ''It's Academic'' is the name for a number of televised academic student quiz shows for high school students through the United States and internationally. ''It's Academic'' programs have notably aired on NBC-owned WMAQ-TV Chicago, WRC-TV ( ...

'' (June 19, 2006); this episode had numerous credits attributed to Smithee. * ''

Karen's Song ''Karen's Song'' is an American sitcom starring Patty Duke that aired on Fox from July 18 to September 12, 1987. Plot Forty-year-old divorcee Karen Matthews (Patty Duke) cautiously begins dating 28-year-old Steven Foreman ( Lewis Smith). Her daug ...

'', first episode. * ''

Red Shoe Diaries ''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Za ...

'', "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 John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ( ...

. * ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'', "Pilot", directed by Jerrold Freedman, and "The Heist", director unknown (1985). * ''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

. * '' The Owl'', 1991 television film credited to director

Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...

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". * ''

Last Exile is a Japanese anime television series created by Gonzo. It featured a production team led by director Koichi Chigira, character designer Range Murata, and production designer Mahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together in '' ...

'', episode 21, animation director unknown. * '' Eiken'', second episode, director unknown * '' Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation'', first episode, assistant animation director unknown. * ''

Joker Game is a Japanese novel series written by Koji Yanagi. It has inspired a live-action film and an anime television series. This adaptation was produced by Production I.G aired from April to June 2016. Characters ; : :Played by: Yusuke Is ...

'', second episode, director unknown. * ''

KonoSuba is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsume Akatsuki. The series follows Kazuma Sato, a boy who is sent to a fantasy world with MMORPG elements following his death, where he forms a dysfunctional adventuring party w ...

'', episodes 4 and 9 (season 1), storyboard artist unknown. * ''

McClain's Law ''McClain's Law'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC during the 1981–1982 season. New episodes ended on March 20, and rebroadcasts continued until August 24, 1982. Summary The series starred former ''Gunsmoke'' le ...

'', "Requiem for a Narc", director unknown. * ''

Frankie Drake Mysteries ''Frankie Drake Mysteries'' is a Canadian drama that ran on CBC from November 6, 2017 to March 8, 2021. The series starred Lauren Lee Smith and Chantel Riley as Frankie Drake and her partner Trudy who ran an all female private detective servic ...

'', episode 8 "The Pilot", director

Leslie Hope Leslie Ann Hope is a Canadian actress and director, best known for her role as Teri Bauer on the Fox television series '' 24'' and prosecutor Anita Gibbs on ''Suits''. Personal life Hope was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Ann and Frank Ho ...

as Alanis Smithee. * '' Tamayomi'', episodes 6 and 11, director unknown.

Music video direction

* " I Will Always Love You" —

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

(1992) from the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

for '' The Bodyguard'', directed by

Nick Brandt Nick Brandt (born 1964) is an English photographer. Brandt's work generally focuses on the rapidly disappearing natural world, as a result of environmental destruction, climate change and humans' actions. Background and early career Born in 19 ...

* "Heaven n' Hell" — Salt-N-Pepa (1994) * " Digging the Grave" — Faith No More (1995), directed by

Marcus Raboy Marcus Raboy (born November 30, 1965) is an American film director, film and music video director. Since the early 1990s, Raboy has amassed a large number music video credits directing music videos for Mary J. Blige, Dixie Chicks, Rihanna, Lut ...

* "Let's Get Down" —

Tony! Toni! Toné! Tony! Toni! Toné! was an American soul/ R&B band from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq ...

featuring DJ Quik, directed by Joseph Kahn (director), 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" — Gary Barlow (1997) * "Victory" — Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes (1998), directed by Marcus Nispel * "Kiss the Rain" — Billie Myers (1998) * "The First Night" — Monica (singer), Monica (1998), directed by Joseph Kahn * "Sweet Surrender (Sarah McLachlan song), 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) * "Maria (Blondie song), Maria" — Blondie (band), Blondie (1999) directed by Roman Coppola * "Late Goodbye" — Poets of the Fall (2004) * "Some Kind of Monster" — Metallica (2004) * "Lose My Breath" — Destiny's Child (2005), directed by Marc Klasfeld * "Death In Midsummer" — Deerhunter (2018)

Other media

* ''Daredevil (Marvel Comics series), 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 2000 AD (comics), 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. * Alan Smithee was credited as the director and included in the title of three Pornographic film, adult movies in the early 2000s. * A teaser for the video game ''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid 4'' shown at E3 2005 credits "Alan Smithee" as the director of the title before being replaced by Hideo Kojima's name. * 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 (1993 video game), 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 (TV series), Anatole'', "Anatole's Parisian Adventure", credits Alan Smithee as the writer. * ''NHL Hitz 2003'', a 2002 video game released by Midway Games, 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. * In the game ''Fire Emblem Heroes'', the artist for the Mythical Hero Elimine is credited as "Alan Smithee".

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 (scriptwriter), Robert Holmes, Dicks demanded that his name be removed and credit be given to a "bland pseudonym". * The 1977 TV series Logan's Run (TV series), ''Logan's Run'' was so heavily rewritten, screenwriter David Gerrold was credited as "Noah Ward", sounding like "no award". * ''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. (film), S.O.B.'') * ''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 LLC, Blockbuster was supervised and authorized by Verhoeven, and this version carries the director's name. * '' Supernova'' (2000), dissatisfied director

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 film), 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".

References

External links

*
Music videos credited to Alan Smithee
* ''Directed by Allen Smithee'', () a 2001 in literature, 2001 book about the director and

in general. See contributions by Craig J Saper.
* The Top 10 Films of Alan Smithee - Meditoria.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smithee, Alan Film characters introduced in 1968 Anonymity pseudonyms Collective pseudonyms Fictional directors In-jokes Placeholder names

History

Uses

Film direction

Television direction

Music video direction

Other media

Other pseudonyms

See also

References

External links