Samuel Fuller
Directing
Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, novelist and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes. He was born Samuel Michael Fuller in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Benjamin Rabinovitch, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, and Rebecca Baum, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. After immigrating to America, the family's surname was changed from Rabinovitch to "Fuller" possibly by inspiration of a Doctor who arrived in America on the Mayflower. At the age of 12, he began working in journalism as a newspaper copyboy. He became a crime reporter in New York City at age 17, working for the New York Evening Graphic. He broke the story of Jeanne Eagels' death. He wrote pulp novels and screenplays from the mid-1930s onwards. Fuller also became a screenplay ghostwriter but would never tell interviewers which screenplays that he ghost-wrote explaining "that's what a ghost writer is for". During World War II, Fuller joined the United States Army infantry. He was assigned to the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, and saw heavy fighting. He was involved in landings in Africa, Sicily, and Normandy and also saw action in Belgium and Czechoslovakia. In 1945 he was present at the liberation of the German concentration camp at Falkenau and shot 16 mm footage which was used later in the documentary Falkenau: The Impossible. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. Fuller used his wartime experiences as material in his films, especially in The Big Red One (1980), a nickname of the 1st Infantry Division. After his controversial film "White Dog" was shelved by Paramount pictures, Fuller moved to France, and never directed another American film. Fuller eventually returned to America. He died of natural causes in his California home. In November 1997, the Directors Guild held a three hour memorial in his honor, hosted by Curtis Hanson, his long time friend and co-writer on White Dog. He was survived by his wife Christa and daughter Samantha.
The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
as War Correspondent (uncredited)
Age 92 (now 85) The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
Director
Age 92 (now 85) The Big Red One: The Reconstruction
Writer
Age 92 (now 85)
The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One'
as Himself (archive footage)
Age 92 (now 85)
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
as Self
Age 89 (now 85)
The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera
as Self
Age 83 (now 85)
Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made
as Self
Age 81 (now 85)
The Madonna and the Dragon
as Chef de bureau Newsweek
Age 78 (now 85)
Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders
as Self
Age 77 (now 85)
Tell me Sam - Encounters with Sam Fuller
as Himself
Age 76 (now 85)
Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoire
as Le capitaine américain
Age 76 (now 85)
Sam Fuller: Writings with a Camera
as Himself
Age 68 (now 85)
Cinéastes de notre temps : Samuel Fuller
as Interviewee
Age 55 (now 85)
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
Sam Fuller, 사무엘 풀러, 새뮤얼 풀러, Samuel Michael Fuller
IMDB
nm0002087