The Alan Smithee escape nomenclature can and has also been used by screenwriters and scenarists. It's true that it began being used by directors who did not want their mangled work identified as theirs but writers quickly began to catch on. Those ...
When I refused to take directing credit for the film [Death of a Gunfighter], as did Bob Totten, the Directors' Guild made up a pseudonym for Totten and myself, 'Allen Smithee'. As the picture was well received, I told my young friends who wanted to...
Alan Smithee has no distinguishable style, nor is it usually apparent what director he is taking the credit for.
The World's Lousiest Director; The Scapegoat