Alan Smithee is a name that no person wants to see listed as the director of a movie they’re seeing. He was known for making horrible movies that were poorly-received, ranging from Death of a Gunfighter in 1969 to an extended cut of Dune in 1984. Why is he still making movies then? It’s simple… Alan Smithee is not one single person.
Alan Smithee, sometimes also referred to as “Allen Smithee” is a pseudonym that has been adapted by directors who no longer want to be connected to a film they directed. The pseudonym came into play for Death of a Gunfighter, when the director of the film switched halfway through and was replaced with another director. Neither director wanted their name to be listed, so this fictional director was born.
There have been articles and books about the mystery surrounding Smithee’s legacy, mostly focusing on how directors’ reputations are so important to them that it is worth it to them to give up credit for a piece of their work. The Directors Guild must make a decision regarding each request for use of Alan Smithee as the director’s name on a film. The use of the pseudonym was discontinued in 2000, after being used for dozens of films, television movies, and music videos.