Alan Smithee, The World's Lousiest Director

Billed as The World's Lousiest Director and The Scapegoat, Alan Smithee (sometimes Allan Smithee) is rumored to be taken from an anagram of "The Alias Men." Alan Smithee is a pseudonym used by directors who wish to disassociate themselves from films taken from them and / or severely edited against their wishes. Apparently the Directors Guild is very careful that directors should get the credit or take the blame for the films they make so Alan Smithee is the only permissible pseudonym and only for films the director lost creative control over.

Various Alan Smithee film credits (ala imdb):

Director:

1. "Living Better with Steve Spitz" (2005) TV Series
2. Street Walkers 3 (2005) (V)
3. Alan Smithee Presents 'The Andy Griffith Show' (2004) (V)
4. Team Spirit (2004) (TV)
5. "Schulmädchen" (1 episode, 2004)
   - Größer ist besser (2004) TV Episode
6. Here Comes Santa Claus (2003)
7. Fugitives Run (2003) (really Philip Spink)
   ... aka Ne m'appelez pas Tonto (Canada: French title)
8. Schulmädchen (2002) (TV)
9. "A Nero Wolfe Mystery" (2 episodes, 2002)
   ... aka Nero Wolfe (USA: promotional title)
   - Motherhunt: Part 2 (2002) TV Episode
   - Motherhunt: Part 1 (2002) TV Episode
10. In the Wrong Hands (2002) (really Chris Johnston & James A. Seale)
11. The Disciples (2000) (TV) (really Kirk Wong)
12. Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits (2000) (V) (video "I Will Always Love You")
13. Woman Wanted (2000) (really Kiefer Sutherland)
    
14. To Light the Darkness (1999) (really Vance Kotrla)
    ... aka A Little More Than Kin (USA)
15. The Coroner (1999)
16. Soul's Ark (1999) (V)
17. An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998) (really Arthur Hiller)
    ... aka Burn Hollywood Burn (UK: video title)
18. Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes (1998) (really Wesley Emerson)
19. Firehouse (1997) (TV)
20. Sub Down (1997) (really Gregg Champion)
    ... aka Sub Down: Take the Dive (video box title)
21. Zombi de Cap-Rouge, Le (1997) (really Simon Robideaux)
22. Dilemma (1997)
23. A River Made to Drown In (1997) (really James Merendino)
24. Exit (1996) (really Ric Roman Waugh)
25. Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) (really Kevin Yagher)
    ... aka Hellraiser IV
    ... aka Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Story
26. Raging Angels (1995)
27. Senior Trip (1995) (segment "Forrest Humps")
    ... aka Folle excursion de National Lampoon, La (Canada: French title)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Senior Trip (USA: complete title)
    ... aka Senior School (UK)
28. The O.J. Simpson Story (1995) (TV) (really Jerrold Freedman)
29. Shim Sham Shimmy (1995) (V)
30. Smoke n Lightnin (1995) (really Mike Kirton)
31. While Justice Sleeps (1994) (TV) (really Ivan Passer)
32. The Birds II: Land's End (1994) (TV) (really Rick Rosenthal)
33. Call of the Wild (1993) (TV) (really Michael Uno)
34. "The Cosby Show" (1 episode, 1992)
    - You Can't Stop the Music (1992) TV Episode
35. Bay City Story (1992) (TV)
    ... aka Deadline (USA: video title)
36. "Red Shoe Diaries" (1 episode, 1992)
    - Accidents Happen (1992) TV Episode
37. Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991) (really Dean Tschetter)
    ... aka Picking Up the Pieces
38. The Owl (1991) (TV)
39. Fatal Charm (1990) (TV) (really Fritz Kiersch)
40. The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990) (really Michael Gottlieb)
    ... aka The Boyfriend from Hell (UK: video title)
41. Solar Crisis (1990) (really Richard C. Sarafian)
    ... aka Kuraishisu niju-goju nen (Japan)
42. Catchfire (1990) (really Dennis Hopper)
    ... aka Backtrack (USA: TV title (director's cut))
    ... aka Catchfire (Australia)
    ... aka Do It the Hard Way
    
43. Ganheddo (1989) (really Masato Harada) (US version)
    ... aka Gunhed
44. "Karen's Song" (1987) TV Series (episode "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") (as Allen Smithee)
45. Riviera (1987) (TV) (really John Frankenheimer)
46. I Love N.Y. (1987) (really Gianni Bozzacchi)
47. Ghost Fever (1987) (really Lee Madden)
48. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987) (really Paul Aaron and Terry Windsor)
    ... aka Home Front
49. Let's Get Harry (1986) (really Stuart Rosenberg)
    ... aka The Rescue
50. Dalton: Code of Vengeance II (1986) (TV)
51. Stitches (1985) (really Rod Holcomb)
52. "The Twilight Zone" (1 episode, 1985)
    - Teacher's Aide/Paladin of the Lost Hour (1985) TV Episode (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour") (really Gilbert Cates)
53. "MacGyver" (2 episodes, 1985)
    - The Heist (1985) TV Episode
    - Pilot (1985) TV Episode
54. Appointment with Fear (1985) (really Ramzi Thomas)
    ... aka Deadly Presence (USA)
55. Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz (1985) (TV)
56. "Paper Dolls" (1984) TV Series (unknown episodes)
57. Moonlight (1982) (TV) (really Jackie Cooper and Rod Holcomb)
58. "McClain's Law" (1 episode, 1981)
    - Requiem for a Narc (1981) TV Episode
59. Fun and Games (1980) (TV) (really Paul Bogart)
60. City in Fear (1980) (TV) (really Jud Taylor)
61. "Mrs. Columbo" (1 episode, 1980)
    ... aka Kate Columbo (USA)
    ... aka Kate Loves a Mystery
    ... aka Kate the Detective
    - Love, on Instant Replay (1980) TV Episode (really E. Arthur Kean)
62. Gypsy Angels (1980)
    
63. The Barking Dog (1978)
64. The Challenge (1970) (TV) (really George McCowan)
    
65. Death of a Gunfighter (1969) (really Don Siegel & Robert Totten)
66. Fade-In (1968) (TV) (really Jud Taylor)
    ... aka Iron Cowboy
67. The 1965 Parade of Homes (1965) (TV)
    
68. The Indiscreet Mrs. Jarvis (1955) (TV) (unconfirmed)
    
    

Writer:

1. Apetito desesperado (2005)
2. Snowed (2005)
3. Grønne slagtere - en virkelig god marinade, De (2003) (TV)
   ... aka Store lærred: De grønne slagtere, Det (Denmark: promotional title)
4. An Enraged New World (2002)
5. "Frontline" (1 episode, 2001)
   - The Monster That Ate Hollywood (2001) TV Episode
6. The Frozen Inferno (2000) (V)
7. The Tony Blair Witch Project (2000)
   
8. The Nutt House (1992) (really Ivan Raimi and Sam Raimi)
9. Q & A (1990) (screenplay) (on television prints)
   
10. Ganheddo (1989) (really Masato Harada) (US version)
    ... aka Gunhed
11. The Horror Show (1989) (written by) (really Allyn Warner)
    ... aka Horror House
    ... aka House 3 (Australia: video title)
    ... aka House III: The Horror Show (UK: video title)
12. I Love N.Y. (1987) (really Gianni Bozzacchi)
    
    

Actor:

1. 2 G's & a Key (2000) (V) .... Warren
2. Supêsutoraberâzu (2000) (voice: English version) (as Allan Smithee) .... Carl
   ... aka Space Travelers (International: English title)
   
3. Flynn (1996) .... Man in Black
4. Destination Vegas (1995) .... Cop #3
   
5. Blades (1989) .... Engineer
   
   

Producer:

1. Alan Smithee Presents 'The Andy Griffith Show' (2004) (V) (executive producer)
   
2. Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes (1998) (co-producer) (as Alan Smithee Jr.: video version) (really Christopher Rowland) (producer) (really Cass Paley: video version)
   
   

Cinematographer:

1. Wash Dry and Spin Out (2003)
2. Grønne slagtere - en virkelig god marinade, De (2003) (TV)
   ... aka Store lærred: De grønne slagtere, Det (Denmark: promotional title)
   
   

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:

1. Banco (2000) (first assistant director)
   
2. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (second assistant director) (segment 1) (really Anderson G. House)
   
   

Composer:

1. Violent Times (1997) (really Eric Hester)
   
2. Cirano di Bergerac (1925) (1996 score) (really Carlo Moser)
   ... aka Cyrano de Bergerac (France) (USA)
   
   

Editor:

1. Killing Mom (1994)
2. Elenya (1992)
   ... aka Elenya - In Kriegszeiten (Germany)
   
   

Miscellaneous Crew:

1. Sunset in the Valley (2006) (completed) (script supervisor)
   
   

Art Director:

1. Shanti (2003)
   
   

Production Designer:

Notes from the Attic (1993)

As a rule of thumb, if you see Alan Smithee directed a film, leave your expectations at the door. It doesn't necessarily mean the film is bad, just that it isn't what the director intended. I'm pretty sure I watched all of the Nero Wolfe shows; some were better than others but I don't recall any outright stinking. More than likely I saw the Hellraiser movie, but the actual plot I don't recall, so can't say if it's good or bad. The only movie in the list I distinctly remember seeing is Let's Get Harry, which I remember as being pretty good.