Movie Trivia: Directed By Alan Smithee

[Ash]

I recently bought a book titled,
"Who Knew?  Things You Didn't Know About Things You Knew Well."

Inside it I found an interesting bit of movie trivia.
It reads,
"When the name Alan Smithee is credited as a film's director it means that the real director has disavowed the project and does not want his or her real name to be used."

Hmmm....I had no idea that was true!

Try checking the IMDB to see how many films there are that have been directed by people using that psuedonym.

[Dr. Kobb]

Oh yeah, Alan Smithee is one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood. Ever!

I learned my lesson when I purchased a cheap copy of the film "Appointment With Fear"(`87).  Phew, what a stinker.  Not in that so bad, it's wonderful! kinda way at all.  Just bad-bad.  Mr. Smithee at his absolute worst.

[DaveMunger]

Written by Cordwainer Bird means Harlan Ellison wrote it but dosen't want his name on it.

[Cheecky-Monkey]

Wouldn't it be funny if there was a real filmmaker named Alan Smithee?
Wow, life would suck for him...

[kriegerg69]

ASHTHECAT wrote:

> "When the name Alan Smithee is credited as a film's director it
> means that the real director has disavowed the project and does
> not want his or her real name to be used."
>
> Hmmm....I had no idea that was true!

Really? That's really OLD info.....I've know that for years, BUT......

The Director's Guild of America NO LONGER does that. The IMDB credits for "Alan Smithee" end several years ago because if a director wants his name removed from a project, the DGA doesn't use that name any more.

[kriegerg69]

Cheecky-Monkey wrote:

> Wouldn't it be funny if there was a real filmmaker named Alan
> Smithee?
> Wow, life would suck for him...

....not really, because the various actors and directors guilds do not allow someone to belong/register a name if there's someone else who already has that name.....which is why the star of BACK TO THE FUTURE, Michael J. Fox, uses the "J" as his middle initial as part of his name, because when he began acting and joined the union, there was already a "Michael Fox" registered.

In this instance, the Director's Guild of America would more than likely insist that any REAL "Alan Smithee" would have to change his name somehow or have it listed differently because of the fictitious Alan Smithee.

[Menard]

Well now, that just takes the fun out of it.

[BeyondTheGrave]

For some reason I remember someone that use to post here used that name.

_____________________________
"We Greeks created democracy! You also created homos!"-Ghost World

[Steve Byczek]

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0118577/


Click on this link. This is a funny movie starring Eric Idle of "Monty Python" fame.
 A new director whose real name happens to be Alan Smithee makes a movie but is disappointed with the results. He wants to have his name removed from the credits, and replaced with a pseudonym. The Director's Guild says they will allow him to do this. But guess what psuedonym he must use? Alan Smithee!!!


I have not seen this movie but it looks cute.




Sincerely,Steve.

[odinn7]

Yep, Alan Smithee posts here on a fairly regular basis.
So...this must mean it's somebody posting that doesn't want to use his real name. Hmmm...
(Poor attempt at levity)

[BoyScoutKevin]

No offense to Steve, but I have had the misfortune to see it, and it is about as "cute" as a hole in the head. It is that "bad." And I don't mean that in a "good" way.

The idea was good, but the concept was extremely flawed. Whether that was due to the script, which was by Joe Estzerhas,  or the direction, which was by Arthur Hiller, who actually had his name taken off the film and the pseudonymn Alan Smithee put on it. Is anybody'guess.

If there is any reason to see it, it is for the cast which includes Ryan O'Neal, Coolio, Chuck D., Eric Idle, and Harvey Weinstein, and as themselves: Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Chan, Joe Estzerhas, Larry King, Dominick Dunne, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Barty, Norman Jewison, etc.

Actually, this would be a good film for this site. If there is anybody out there willing to do a little suffering . . . ?