Motherhunt/Alan Smithee

Kudos for the great detective work on the “Shallow Hal” and Farrelly Brothers connections, but: Right church, wrong pew. Our man Smithee is Charles B. Wessler, the producer of “Shallow Hal”...and friend of Timothy Hutton/Carrie Fisher/Griffin Dunne, which must be how he got the “Motherhunt” job despite his lack of both experience as a Director and, apparently, familiarity with Nero Wolfe.

According to the March 2002 issue of the Directors Guild of America Magazine (link below), Wessler joined the DGA the same time as Michael Jaffe, the Executive Producer of “Nero Wolfe,” who also had no prior Director experience but was a longtime Nero Wolfe fan with a fine command of his subject. Jaffe directed “The Silent Speaker” in Season Two (wrote the adaptations for “Speaker” and “The Doorbell Rang,” as well), and is so credited on Imdb; Wessler remained without a Director credit because the “Motherhunt” that was initially his went awry and became an Alan Smithee.

http://www.dga.org/news/v26_6/dept_dga_forum_additions.php3

A couple of fellow “Nero Wolfe” fans and I hit on the “Shallow Hal” connection while scratching our heads over the gorgeous but woefully miscast Manon Von Gerkan in “Motherhunt.” Thought the other two of Charlie’s Angels, as we refer to them :-) -- Erinn Bartlett and Brooke Burns — were terrific and spot-on, though.

Thanks so much for the further evidence, Farrelly sign = Farrelly Brothers, which we had totally missed! BTW, another in-joke in “Motherhunt” -- the names of a few female “Nero Wolfe” production team members, e.g., Sharon Doyle (Head Writer/Consulting Producer) and Lindsey Hermer-Bell (Production Designer), are included among the suspected mothers on the working blackboard shown on the screen.