Alan Smithee: the world’s worst director
In the annals of cinema history, a peculiar name stands out: Alan Smithee. While many might not recognise it, industry insiders and eagle-eyed film enthusiasts know it well. But there’s a twist. Not only is Alan Smithee not a real director, he never existed at all. So, why does this name keep popping up in film credits? The answer lies deep within the politics and pride of Hollywood.
Alan Smithee represents a pseudonym adopted by directors who wished to disown a film they worked on, typically because they believed the final product was gravely distorted from their original vision. Instead of creating a fuss publicly, directors could distance themselves from the project without launching personal or professional attacks on anyone involved. Simply put, if a film had “Directed by Alan Smithee” in its credits, it was a quiet signal to the industry that the actual director was unhappy with the end result.
The inception of this pseudonymous credit traces back to 1969. The Director’s Guild of America (DGA) permitted the use of this pseudonym in exceptional cases where a director could prove that the film was tampered with beyond their creative control. One of the earliest films associated with the Smithee pseudonym was Death of a Gunfighter. The original director, Robert Totten, had a dispute with the movie’s star, and as a result, Don Siegel was brought in to finish the project. Neither director was pleased with the final product, and thus, neither wanted to be credited. Enter Alan Smithee.
While the Smithee name might have been a solution for disgruntled directors, it didn’t take long for the industry and fans to catch on. Soon, the name became synonymous with problematic productions, and a certain stigma began surrounding films associated with Smithee. Instead of being a neutral pseudonym, Alan Smithee became a harbinger of troubled films.
Over the years, several movies were released under the Smithee banner, spanning various genres and budgets. These films ranged from television movies to big-budget Hollywood releases. Some movies became cult classics, while others faded into obscurity. One notable entry was 1996’s Hellraiser: Bloodline – the third sequel to Clive Barker’s erotic horror masterpiece. Originally directed by Kevin Yagher, the film underwent significant studio-enforced edits that diverged from Yagher’s original vision, leading him to adopt the Smithee moniker.
Another example was the 1998 TV film The Shroud Conspiracy. Disputes over the final edit led director David Greene to dissociate himself from the project, once again invoking the infamous Smithee name. The curtain was eventually pulled back on the Alan Smithee ruse in an ironic twist. In 1997, a film titled An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was produced, a satirical take on a director wanting to disown his film but facing a dilemma since his real name was Alan Smithee.
However, the production itself became a manifestation of its plot when director Arthur Hiller requested his name be removed from the credits due to studio interference. The film was critically panned and became a box office disaster. After the debacle of Burn Hollywood Burn, the DGA retired the Alan Smithee pseudonym in the late 1990s, and the moniker was never used again.
