Samuel Fuller

Born

August 12, 1912

Died

October 30, 1997 (85 years old)

Known For

Directing

Place of Birth

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

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.

A Fuller Life

A Fuller Life

Self

6.6

2013

Scene Missing

Scene Missing

Self

6.3

2012

Nuits transparentes

Nuits transparentes

0.0

2011

Sodankylä Forever

Sodankylä Forever

Self

0.0

2010

Carmel

Carmel

7.0

2009

Filmmakers in Action

Filmmakers in Action

Self (archive footage)

6.8

2006

Edge of Outside

Edge of Outside

Self (archive footage)

5.8

2006

The Big Red One: The Reconstruction

The Big Red One: The Reconstruction

War Correspondent (uncredited)

8.5

2005

The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One'

The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One'

Himself (archive footage)

6.0

2005

Necro not(to b)e

Necro not(to b)e

Sé stesso

0.0

2003

The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller

The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller

Self

5.8

2002

The End of Violence

The End of Violence

Louis

5.3

1997

The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera

The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera

Self

6.4

1996

Somebody to Love

Somebody to Love

Sam Silverman

5.2

1994

Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made

Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made

Self

6.9

1994

Un Américain en Normandie

Himself

0.0

1994

Anything for John

Anything for John

Self

6.0

1993

Golem: The Petrified Garden

Golem: The Petrified Garden

Sam

4.2

1993

Golem, the Spirit of Exile

Golem, the Spirit of Exile

Elimelek

4.7

1992

La Vie de Bohème

La Vie de Bohème

Gassot

7.5

1992

Where Is Musette?

Where Is Musette?

self

0.0

1992

Shock Corridor

Shock Corridor

himself

0.0

1992

The Madonna and the Dragon

The Madonna and the Dragon

Chef de bureau Newsweek

6.0

1990

Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders

Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders

Self

0.0

1990

Sons

Sons

Father

5.0

1990

Street of No Return

Street of No Return

Police Commissioner

5.1

1989

David Lansky

David Lansky

(1 episode)

8.0

1989

Tell me Sam - Encounters with Sam Fuller

Himself

0.0

1989

Falkenau, the Impossible

Falkenau, the Impossible

Samuel Fuller

7.0

1988

Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoire

Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoire

Le capitaine américain

0.0

1988

Helsinki Napoli All Night Long

Helsinki Napoli All Night Long

Boss

5.7

1987

A Return to Salem's Lot

A Return to Salem's Lot

Van Meer

5.9

1987

Midnight Sun Film Festival

0.0

1987

The Bleeding Star

The Bleeding Star

0.0

1987

Hooray For Holyrood

Self

0.0

1986

A Travelling is a Moral Affair

Himself

0.0

1986

Report from Hollywood

0.0

1985

Thieves After Dark

Thieves After Dark

Zoltan

4.7

1984

Sam Fuller & the Big Red One

Sam Fuller & the Big Red One

Self

0.0

1984

Slapstick of Another Kind

Slapstick of Another Kind

Colonel Sharp

2.7

1982

White Dog

White Dog

Charlie Felton

6.6

1982

Hammett

Hammett

Old Man in Pool Hall

6.2

1982

The State of Things

The State of Things

Joe

6.5

1982

The Big Red One

The Big Red One

War Correspondent (uncredited)

6.7

1980

1941

1941

Interceptor Commander

5.8

1979

Cinématon

Cinématon

N°602

4.3

1978

The American Friend

The American Friend

The American

7.1

1977

Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin

Impresario

6.1

1977

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

Self · (1 episode)

6.0

1975

The Young Nurses

The Young Nurses

Doc Haskell

3.9

1973

The Last Movie

The Last Movie

Sam

5.7

1971

Cinéastes de notre temps : Samuel Fuller

Interviewee

0.0

1967

Brigitte et Brigitte

Brigitte et Brigitte

Self

6.1

1966

Pierrot le Fou

Pierrot le Fou

Samuel Fuller (uncredited)

7.4

1965

House of Bamboo

House of Bamboo

Japanese policeman (uncredited)

6.1

1955