Tue May 15, 2007 — by Martha Thomases

Alan Smithee does Mickey Mantle

Actor uses pseudonym for paycheck

Publishers Weekly is reporting that the actor who recorded the audiobook of 7: The Mickey Mantle Novel is refusing to use his real name. Instead, he’s listed as Alan Smithee, the pseudonym used by writers and directors who want their names removed from movie credits. 

The audiobook is based on the novel by Peter Golenbock that helped lead to Judith Regan’s firing. 

The unnamed actor was the fourth to be approached for the job from Phoenix Audio, the company fronted by Michael Viner. The two first choices turned it down; John Larroquette began to record, and then decided he couldn’t do it, either.  According to Henrietta Tiefenthaler, head of production for Phoenix, “I think it was his agent’s idea to do it anonymously.

The book is being published by Lyon Press. The audiobook will run nine disks, with a 2,000 copy first printing.  The novel, released last month, had a 250,000 copy first printing, and Nielsen BookScan shows it has sold more than 3,000 copies so far.

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