MovieChat Forums > Death of a Gunfighter (1969) Discussion > So, about the Alan Smithee thing

So, about the Alan Smithee thing

posted 12 years ago by rpniew
3 replies | jump to latest

Usually the "Alan Smithee" is the result of a director disowning the film because of lack of "creative control," or, to be blunt, because someone screwed with his film and as a result he thinks it sucks. In this case, it seems to be more based upon a technicality. Siegel never "dissed" the film, and I don't believe the original director did (although one can imagine him being unhappy about being fired). It seems that in this case neither person spent enough time on the film to actually take ownership of it. (It was apparently Widmark's film all the way.) So one can see this as the A;an Smithee film that doesn't suck.
Does anyone else know more details?

[–] mark6785 11 years ago

i see your point, but it i think it sucks coincidentally.

[–] phillipsdan83 9 years ago

I know it's an old post, but the whole Alan Smithee thing was started by this movie in the first place. Robert Totten was driven off DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER by Widmark, and didn't want credit. Don Seigel felt that he himself did so little he didn't deserve credit. So, the "Smithee" pseudonym was created.

[–] mcgreeves-1 8 years ago

phillipdan83 has it right. I was in the film and witnessed the conflict between Totten and Widmark. Neither Totten nor Siegel wanted credit. Widmark had nothing to do with the Smithee credit being created.