About

Known credits:
148
Birthday:
1912-08-12
Place of birth:
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Website:
N/A

Samuel Fuller

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting
2013 A Fuller Life Actor Self 59
Average
2012 Scene Missing Actor Self 59
Average
2011 Nuits transparentes Actor N/A
N/A
2010 Sodankylä Forever Actor Self N/A
N/A
2009 Carmel Actor 59
Average
2006 Filmmakers in Action Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2006 Edge of Outside Actor Self (archive footage) 58
Average
2005 The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One' Actor Himself (archive footage) 59
Average
2005 The Big Red One: The Reconstruction Actor War Correspondent (uncredited) 59
Average
2002 The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller Actor Self 59
Average
1997 The End of Violence Actor Louis 58
Average
1996 The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera Actor Self 58
Average
1994 Somebody to Love Actor Sam Silverman 58
Average
1994 Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made Actor Self 59
Average
1994 Un Américain en Normandie Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1993 Anything for John Actor Self 59
Average
1993 Golem: The Petrified Garden Actor Sam 58
Average
1992 Golem, l'esprit de l'exil Actor Elimelek 58
Average
1992 La Vie de Bohème Actor Gassot 62
Fair
1992 Where Is Musette? Actor self N/A
N/A
1992 Shock Corridor Actor himself N/A
N/A
1990 The Madonna and the Dragon Actor Chef de bureau Newsweek 59
Average
1990 Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders Actor Self N/A
N/A
1990 Sons Actor Father 59
Average
1989 Street of No Return Actor Police Commissioner 58
Average
1989 Tell me Sam - Encounters with Sam Fuller Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1988 Falkenau, the Impossible Actor Samuel Fuller 59
Average
1988 Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoire Actor Le capitaine américain N/A
N/A
1987 Helsinki Napoli All Night Long Actor Boss 59
Average
1987 A Return to Salem's Lot Actor Van Meer 59
Average
1987 Midnight Sun Film Festival Actor N/A
N/A
1987 The Bleeding Star Actor N/A
N/A
1986 Hooray For Holyrood Actor Self N/A
N/A
1986 A Travelling is a Moral Affair Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1985 Report from Hollywood Actor N/A
N/A
1984 Thieves After Dark Actor Zoltan 58
Average
1984 Sam Fuller & the Big Red One Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1982 Slapstick of Another Kind Actor Colonel Sharp 58
Average
1982 White Dog Actor Charlie Felton 61
Fair
1982 Hammett Actor Old Man in Pool Hall 59
Average
1982 The State of Things Actor Joe 59
Average
1980 The Big Red One Actor War Correspondent (uncredited) 61
Fair
1979 1941 Actor Interceptor Commander 58
Average
1978 Cinématon Actor N°602 58
Average
1977 The American Friend Actor The American 64
Fair
1977 Scott Joplin Actor Impresario 59
Average
1973 The Young Nurses Actor Doc Haskell 58
Average
1971 The Last Movie Actor Sam 58
Average
1967 Cinéastes de notre temps : Samuel Fuller Actor Interviewee N/A
N/A
1966 Brigitte and Brigitte Actor Self 59
Average
1965 Pierrot le Fou Actor Samuel Fuller (uncredited) 68
Fair
1955 House of Bamboo Actor Japanese policeman (uncredited) 59
Average

Directing
2005 The Big Red One: The Reconstruction Directing Director 59
Average
1990 The Madonna and the Dragon Directing Director 59
Average
1990 The Day of Reckoning Directing Director N/A
N/A
1989 Street of No Return Directing Director 58
Average
1984 Thieves After Dark Directing Director 58
Average
1982 White Dog Directing Director 61
Fair
1980 The Big Red One Directing Director 61
Fair
1978 The Meanest Men in the West Directing Director 58
Average
1973 Dead Pigeon On Beethoven Street Directing Director 60
Fair
1972 Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street Directing Director 58
Average
1969 Shark Directing Director 58
Average
1964 The Naked Kiss Directing Director 61
Fair
1963 Shock Corridor Directing Director 62
Fair
1962 Merrill's Marauders Directing Director 59
Average
1961 Underworld U.S.A. Directing Director 60
Fair
1959 The Crimson Kimono Directing Director 59
Average
1959 Verboten! Directing Director 59
Average
1959 Dogface Directing Director 59
Average
1957 Forty Guns Directing Director 60
Fair
1957 Run of the Arrow Directing Director 59
Average
1957 China Gate Directing Director 59
Average
1955 House of Bamboo Directing Director 59
Average
1954 Hell and High Water Directing Director 59
Average
1953 Pickup on South Street Directing Director 64
Fair
1952 Park Row Directing Director 59
Average
1951 Fixed Bayonets! Directing Director 59
Average
1951 The Steel Helmet Directing Director 60
Fair
1950 The Baron of Arizona Directing Director 59
Average
1949 I Shot Jesse James Directing Director 59
Average
1945 V-E +1 Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
2013 A Fuller Life Writing Book 59
Average
2005 The Big Red One: The Reconstruction Writing Writer 59
Average
1994 Girls in Prison Writing Writer 58
Average
1990 The Madonna and the Dragon Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1990 The Day of Reckoning Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1989 Street of No Return Writing Dialogue 58
Average
1989 Street of No Return Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1986 Let's Get Harry Writing Story 59
Average
1984 Thieves After Dark Writing Writer 58
Average
1982 White Dog Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1980 The Big Red One Writing Writer 61
Fair
1978 The Meanest Men in the West Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1974 The Klansman Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1973 The Deadly Trackers Writing Story 58
Average
1973 Dead Pigeon On Beethoven Street Writing Writer 60
Fair
1972 Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street Writing Writer 58
Average
1969 Shark Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1968 Targets Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1967 The Cape Town Affair Writing Writer 58
Average
1964 The Naked Kiss Writing Writer 61
Fair
1963 Shock Corridor Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1962 Merrill's Marauders Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1961 Underworld U.S.A. Writing Writer 60
Fair
1959 The Crimson Kimono Writing Writer 59
Average
1959 Verboten! Writing Writer 59
Average
1959 Dogface Writing Writer 59
Average
1957 Forty Guns Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1957 Run of the Arrow Writing Writer 59
Average
1957 China Gate Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1954 The Command Writing Writer 59
Average
1954 Hell and High Water Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1953 Pickup on South Street Writing Screenplay 64
Fair
1952 Park Row Writing Writer 59
Average
1952 Scandal Sheet Writing Novel 60
Fair
1951 Fixed Bayonets! Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1951 The Tanks Are Coming Writing Story 59
Average
1951 The Steel Helmet Writing Writer 60
Fair
1950 The Baron of Arizona Writing Writer 59
Average
1949 I Shot Jesse James Writing Writer 59
Average
1949 Shockproof Writing Writer 59
Average
1945 Gangs of the Waterfront Writing Story N/A
N/A
1943 Margin for Error Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1943 Power of the Press Writing Story 59
Average
1941 Confirm or Deny Writing Story 58
Average
1940 Bowery Boy Writing Original Story 58
Average
1940 Gangs of Chicago Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1939 She Married a Cop Writing Writer 59
Average
1938 Federal Man-Hunt Writing Story 59
Average
1938 Adventure in Sahara Writing Story 58
Average
1938 Gangs of New York Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1938 Gangs of New York Writing Story 58
Average
1937 It Happened in Hollywood Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1936 Hats Off Writing Story 59
Average
1936 Hats Off Writing Screenplay 59
Average

Production
1964 The Naked Kiss Production Producer 61
Fair
1963 Shock Corridor Production Producer 62
Fair
1961 Underworld U.S.A. Production Producer 60
Fair
1959 The Crimson Kimono Production Producer 59
Average
1959 Dogface Production Producer 59
Average
1957 Forty Guns Production Producer 60
Fair
1957 Run of the Arrow Production Producer 59
Average
1957 China Gate Production Producer 59
Average
1952 Park Row Production Producer 59
Average
1951 The Steel Helmet Production Producer 60
Fair

Crew
1967 Made in U.S.A Crew Thanks 59
Average
1955 House of Bamboo Crew Additional Dialogue 59
Average