If the writers get their way, directors would have no say on the matter of possessory credits. The writer's guild has sought for decades to limit the use of the film-by label. Now, the union insists that it be scrapped entirely. The credit was once reserved for the legendary likes of Frank Capra, John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock. Today, the guild estimates, about 75 percent of movies carry it, including those directed by film-school novices.
Directors defend the credit as a simple nod to their overall management of the production.
But writers say it suggests authorship as much as anything. It's just a perception that has been allowed to creep in. Mr. Harrigan added that he hopes a writer's guild strike will not come down to writers' bruised feelings. The studios have plenty of incentive to keep writers on the job. Film companies are still recovering from last year's walkout by actors featured in TV commercials.