▁the ▁very ▁core ▁concept ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁his , ▁which ▁he ▁pitch ed ▁to ▁Spiel berg ▁after ▁turning ▁down ▁the ▁offer ▁to ▁direct ▁Night ▁Sk ies . ▁Time ▁and ▁News week ▁tag ged ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁" The ▁Spiel berg ▁Summer " ▁because ▁E . T . ▁and ▁Pol ter ge ist ▁were ▁released ▁a ▁week ▁apart ▁in ▁June . ▁As ▁such ▁a ▁market able ▁name , ▁some ▁began ▁to ▁question ▁Spiel berg ' s ▁role ▁during ▁production . ▁S ugg estions ▁that ▁Spiel berg ▁had ▁greater ▁director ial ▁influence ▁than ▁the ▁cred its ▁suggest ▁were ▁a ided ▁by ▁his ▁comments : ▁" T obe ▁isn ' t ▁... ▁a ▁take - charge ▁sort ▁of ▁gu y . ▁If ▁a ▁question ▁was ▁asked ▁and ▁an ▁answer ▁wasn ' t ▁immediately ▁forth coming , ▁I ' d ▁jump ▁in ▁and ▁say ▁what ▁we ▁could ▁do . ▁T obe ▁would ▁nod ▁agreement , ▁and ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁collaboration ." ▁ ▁The ▁Direct ors ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁America ▁" open ed ▁an ▁investigation ▁into ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁Ho oper ' s ▁official ▁credit ▁was ▁being ▁den igr ated ▁by ▁statements ▁Spiel berg ▁has ▁made , ▁apparently ▁claim ing ▁author ship ." ▁This ▁was ▁first ▁reported ▁in ▁a ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁article ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁the ▁same ▁article ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁above ▁quote ▁from ▁Spiel berg ▁was ▁first ▁obtained . ▁The ▁investigation ▁ended ▁in ▁an ▁arbitr ator