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 individu ...

used by

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...

s 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 director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...

(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 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 bet ...

'', 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 ...

'' 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 Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

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 Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as '' ...

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 An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...

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 Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadw ...

) 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 Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...

, 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 ''Amer ...

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 A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or whe ...

'' (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 19 ...

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 Paul Bogart (né Bogoff; November 13, 1919 – April 15, 2012) was an American television director and producer. Bogart directed episodes of the television series Way Out'' in 1961, '' Coronet Blue'' in 1967, ''Get Smart'', '' The Dumplings' ...

* ''

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'', ''S ...

'' (1981), directed by

Mickey Rose Michael "Mickey" Rose (May 20, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American comedy writer and screenwriter. Life and career Rose was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and spent his childhood there and in Crown Heights in the same borough of New ...

, 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 Outstandi ...

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'' (1986), directed by

Stuart Rosenberg Stuart Rosenberg (August 11, 1927 – March 15, 2007) was an American film and television director whose motion pictures include ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), '' Voyage of the Damned'' (1976), ''The Amityville Horror'' (1979), and '' The Pope of Gre ...

* '' Morgan Stewart's Coming Home'' (1987), directed by Paul Aaron and Terry Windsor * '' Ghost Fever'' (1987), directed by Lee Madden * '' I Love N.Y.'' (1987) written and directed by Gianni Bozzacchi * '' Catchfire'' (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 gr ...

'' (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 * ''Le Zombi de Cap-Rouge'' (1997), directed by Simon Robideaux * ''Sub Down'' (1997), directed by Gregg Champion * '' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'' (1997), directed by

* ''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 * '' Woman Wanted'' (1999), directed by

Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a British-Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox drama series '' 24'' (2001–2010, 2014), for which he won an Emmy Award, a Golden Glo ...

* ''The Disciples'' (2000), directed by Kirk Wong * ''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 A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

'' (1984), only for the version as extended and edited for broadcast television; directed by

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

. 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 the ...

) * '' 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 western ...

* ''

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 t ...

, credited to "Alan Von Smithee" * '' Rudy'' (1993) as edited for television, directed by David Anspaugh * ''

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 al ...

'' (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, an ...

'' (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 ...

* '' 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 bro ...

'' (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. Grov ...

(as Peter Perkinson),

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low- ...

(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 Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the '' Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1990 superhero film ''Darkman' ...

(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 T ...

. * ''

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 Ne ...

'', " 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'' 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 African- ...

'', "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 (a ...

'' (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 daugh ...

'', 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 John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

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'' lea ...

'', "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 servi ...

'', 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 "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career ...

" —

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 in ...

(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 * "Heaven n' Hell" —

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...

(1994) * " Digging the Grave" —

Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, k ...

(1995), directed by

Marcus Raboy Marcus Raboy (born November 30, 1965) is an American 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, Luther Vandross, ...

* "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 Saadi ...

featuring

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, ...

, directed by

Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn may refer to: *Joseph Kahn (director) (born 1972), a film and music video director * Joseph Kahn (journalist) (born 1964), American journalist * Joseph Kahn (shipping executive) (1916–1979), American businessman See also *Joseph Hahn ...

(often credited as "J. Whiskey") * " Building a Mystery" —

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan OC OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is '' Surfacing'', for which she won two Grammy Awards (ou ...

(1997), directed by

Matt Mahurin Matthew S. Mahurin (born January 31, 1959) is an American illustrator, photographer and film director. Mahurin's illustrations appear in ''Time'', ''Newsweek'', ''Mother Jones'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''Esquire'', ''Forbes'', and ''The New York Time ...

* " I Don't Want to Wait" — Paula Cole (1997), directed by

Mark Seliger Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

and Fred Woodward * "So Help Me Girl" —

Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, ha ...

(1997) * "Victory" — Puff Daddy (

Sean Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

) featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

(1998), directed by

Marcus Nispel Marcus Nispel is a German film director and producer, Fulbright Scholar, best known for several high-profile American remakes such as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'', as well as an extensive career in television commercials and music videos. H ...

* " Kiss the Rain" —

Billie Myers Billie Myers (born 14 June 1971) is a British rock singer and songwriter from Coventry, England. She is known principally for her 1997 transatlantic hit " Kiss the Rain". Biography Myers was born in Coventry to a Jamaican father and English ...

(1998) * " The First Night" —

Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress * Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...

(1998), directed by Joseph Kahn * " Sweet Surrender" —

(1998), directed by Floria Sigismondi * "Reunited" —

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

(1998) * "

Waiting for Tonight "Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, ''Alive'' (1997). Two years after the group disbanded ...

" —

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

(1999), directed by

Francis Lawrence Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...

* "The Future Is X-Rated" — Matthew Good Band (1999) * "

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, d ...

" — Blondie (1999) directed by Roman Coppola * " Late Goodbye" —

Poets of the Fall Poets of the Fall (POTF) is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki. The group consists of Marko Saaresto (lead vocals), Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar), Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen (keyboards, production), Jani Snellman (bass), Jaska Mäkinen (rhyth ...

(2004) * "Some Kind of Monster" —

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

(2004) * "

Lose My Breath "Lose My Breath" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fourth and last studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). It was written by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred ...

" —

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited s ...

(2005), directed by

Marc Klasfeld Marc Klasfeld is an American music video director. He has directed over two hundred music videos for artists such as Slipknot, Sum 41, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Michael Bublé, Nelly, Foo Fighters, Kelly ...

* "Death In Midsummer" —

Deerhunter Deerhunter is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Bradford Cox (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Moses Archuleta (drums, electronics, sound treatments), Lockett Pundt (guitar, vocals, key ...

(2018)

Other media

* '' Daredevil'' #338–342, a comics series published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

: Writer

D. G. Chichester Daniel G. Chichester (born August 22, 1964) is an American comic book writer. His credits include '' Daredevil'' and '' Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' for Marvel Comics. Career D. G. Chichester was born in Connecticut, and studied filmmaking ...

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 ''Strontium Dog'' was a long-running British comics series starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter who lives in Earth's future. The series was created in 1978 by writer John Wagner (under the pseudonym T. B. Grover) and artist Carlos Ezquer ...

'', a 2000AD comic strip: In 1996, writer

Peter Hogan Peter Hogan is an English writer and comics writer, best known for ''Resident Alien'', which he co-created with artist Steve Parkhouse. Hogan began his comics career as editor of cult British comic ''Revolver'' in 1990–1991, before workin ...

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 First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...

game, had Alan Smithee listed as the Art Director. * Alan Smithee was credited as the director and included in the title of three adult movies in the early 2000s. * A teaser for the video game '' Metal Gear Solid 4'' shown at E3 2005 credits "Alan Smithee" as the director of the title before being replaced by

Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hir ...

's name. * In the loose-leaf 1990's run of ''

Who's Who in the DC Universe ''Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe'' (1985–87), usually referred to simply as ''Who's Who'', is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional cha ...

'', the art for

Elasti-Girl Elasti-Girl (also known as Elasti-Woman) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Doom Patrol. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bruno Premiani, the character first appeared i ...

is partially credited to Alan Smithee. * ''

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...

'', a video game released by Sony Imagesoft for the

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South ...

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 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...

and

GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wi ...

, 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 ''12 Monkeys'' is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film ''La Jetée'', starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt, with Christopher Plummer and David Morse in sup ...

, director

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including ''Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

draws a

doodle A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, generally without ever lift ...

illustrating his frustration at unexpectedly poor

test screening A test screening is a preview screening of a movie or television show before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or ...

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 is a free-to-play tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for Android and iOS. The game is a mobile spin-off of the ''Fire Emblem'' series featuring its characters, and was released on February 2, ...

'', the artist for the Mythical Hero Elimine is credited as "Alan Smithee".

Other pseudonyms

* In several

BBC television drama BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom. As with any major broadcast network, drama forms an importan ...

programmes in the 1970s, writers used the pseudonym "

David Agnew "David Agnew" is a pen name that was employed on BBC television drama programmes of the 1970s as a scriptwriting credit. Conditions of use The pseudonym "David Agnew" was most often used when the original freelance scriptwriter was unable to ac ...

", for reasons similar to the Smithee name. * The 1976 ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' serial "

The Brain of Morbius ''The Brain of Morbius'' is the fifth serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 3 to 24 January 1976. The screenwriter credit is given ...

" was credited to writer "Robin Bland". After

Terrance Dicks Terrance William Dicks (14 April 1935 – 29 August 2019) was an English author and television screenwriter, script editor and producer. In television, he had a long association with the BBC science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', working as ...

' 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 David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...

was credited as "Noah Ward", sounding like "no award". * ''

City Heat ''City Heat'' is a 1984 American buddy-crime-comedy film starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, written by Blake Edwards, and directed by Richard Benjamin. The film was released in North America in December 1984. The pairing of Eastwood and R ...

'' (1984) as originally released in theaters, fired director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

had his screenwriting credit changed to "Sam O. Brown" (a nod to another of his films, '' S.O.B.'') * ''

Showgirls ''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama pulp noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera. Pr ...

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

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dra ...

(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. * ''

'' (2000), dissatisfied director

was credited as "Thomas Lee". * ''

Accidental Love ''Accidental Love'' is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed by David O. Russell (under a pseudonym) and written by Russell, Kristin Gore, Dave Jeser, and Matt Silverstein, based on Gore's 2004 novel ''Sammy's Hill''. The film stars J ...

'' (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 Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian- American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered i ...

changed the story's focus.

Gee Malik Linton Gee Malik Linton (born December 9, 1973) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Career Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jamaican family, Gee Malik Linton majored in physics in college and was pursuing a master's degree until he ...

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 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