AllMovie

The truth behind reviled Hollywood schlockmeister Alan Smithee is revealed in this documentary presented by the American Movie Classics Channel. Identified as having directed around 50 films between the late '60s and the late '90s, Smithee -- in actuality -- is not a real person at all but is instead a Director's Guild of America-designated pseudonym for directors who, for a number of reasons, wanted their names removed from the credits of certain films. This film examines a number of the films in question and filmmakers who chose to use moniker, as well as instances when the Director's Guild refused to allow the name to be used.