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Personal Info

Birth date

1912-08-12 (113 Years)

Day of death

1997-10-30

Gender

Male

Known for

Directing

Place of birth

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Also known as

Sam Fuller
사무엘 풀러
새뮤얼 풀러

Samuel Fuller

Biography

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.

Filmography

Acting

2013A Fuller Life as Self

2012Scene Missing as Self

2011Nuits transparentes as Unknown

2010Sodankylä Forever as Self

2009Carmel as Unknown

2006Filmmakers in Action as Self (archive footage)

2005The Big Red One: The Reconstruction as War Correspondent (uncredited)

2005The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One' as Himself (archive footage)

2003Necro not(to b)e as Sé stesso

2002The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller as Self

1997The End of Violence as Louis

1996The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera as Self

1994Somebody to Love as Sam Silverman

1994Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made as Self

1994Un Américain en Normandie as Himself

1993Anything for John as Self

1993Golem: The Petrified Garden as Sam

1992Golem, the Spirit of Exile as Elimelek

1992La Vie de Bohème as Gassot

1992Where Is Musette? as self

1992Shock Corridor as himself

1990The Madonna and the Dragon as Chef de bureau Newsweek

1990Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders as Self

1990Sons as Father

1989Street of No Return as Police Commissioner

1989David Lansky (1 Episode) as Unknown

1989Tell me Sam - Encounters with Sam Fuller as Himself

1988Falkenau, the Impossible as Samuel Fuller

1988Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoire as Le capitaine américain

1987Helsinki Napoli All Night Long as Boss

1987A Return to Salem's Lot as Van Meer

1987Midnight Sun Film Festival as Unknown

1987The Bleeding Star as Unknown

1986Hooray For Holyrood as Self

1986A Travelling is a Moral Affair as Himself

1985Report from Hollywood as Unknown

1984Thieves After Dark as Zoltan

1984Sam Fuller & the Big Red One as Self

1982Slapstick of Another Kind as Colonel Sharp

1982White Dog as Charlie Felton

1982Hammett as Old Man in Pool Hall

1982The State of Things as Joe

1980The Big Red One as War Correspondent (uncredited)

19791941 as Interceptor Commander

1978Cinématon as N°602

1977The American Friend as The American

1977Scott Joplin as Impresario

1975Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1 Episode) as Self

1973The Young Nurses as Doc Haskell

1971The Last Movie as Sam

1967Cinéastes de notre temps : Samuel Fuller as Interviewee

1966Brigitte and Brigitte as Self

1965Pierrot le Fou as Samuel Fuller (uncredited)

1955House of Bamboo as Japanese policeman (uncredited)

Writing

2013A Fuller Life ... Book

2005The Big Red One: The Reconstruction ... Writer

1994Girls in Prison ... Writer

1990The Madonna and the Dragon ... Screenplay

1990The Day of Reckoning ... Screenplay

1990Chillers (1 Episode) ... Writer

1989Street of No Return ... Screenplay, Dialogue

1986Let's Get Harry ... Story

1984Thieves After Dark ... Writer

1982White Dog ... Screenplay

1980The Big Red One ... Writer

1978The Meanest Men in the West ... Screenplay

1974The Klansman ... Screenplay

1973The Deadly Trackers ... Story

1972Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street ... Writer

1970Scene of the Crime (1 Episode) ... Writer

1969Shark ... Screenplay

1968Targets ... Screenplay

1967The Cape Town Affair ... Writer

1964The Naked Kiss ... Writer

1963Shock Corridor ... Screenplay

1962The Virginian (1 Episode) ... Writer

1962Merrill's Marauders ... Screenplay

1961Underworld U.S.A. ... Writer

1959The Crimson Kimono ... Writer

1959Verboten! ... Writer

1959Dogface ... Writer

1957Forty Guns ... Screenplay

1957Run of the Arrow ... Writer

1957China Gate ... Screenplay

1954The Command ... Writer

1954Hell and High Water ... Screenplay

1953Pickup on South Street ... Screenplay

1952Park Row ... Writer

1952Scandal Sheet ... Novel

1951Fixed Bayonets! ... Screenplay

1951The Tanks Are Coming ... Story

1951The Steel Helmet ... Writer

1950The Baron of Arizona ... Writer

1949I Shot Jesse James ... Writer

1949Shockproof ... Writer

1945Gangs of the Waterfront ... Story

1943Margin for Error ... Screenplay

1943Power of the Press ... Story

1941Confirm or Deny ... Story

1940Bowery Boy ... Original Story

1940Gangs of Chicago ... Screenplay

1939She Married a Cop ... Writer

1938Federal Man-Hunt ... Story

1938Adventure in Sahara ... Story

1938Gangs of New York ... Story, Screenplay

1937It Happened in Hollywood ... Screenplay

1936Hats Off ... Screenplay, Story

Directing

2005The Big Red One: The Reconstruction ... Director

1990The Madonna and the Dragon ... Director

1990The Day of Reckoning ... Director

1990Chillers (1 Episode) ... Director

1989Street of No Return ... Director

1984Thieves After Dark ... Director

1982White Dog ... Director

1980The Big Red One ... Director

1978The Meanest Men in the West ... Director

1972Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street ... Director

1970Scene of the Crime (1 Episode) ... Director

1969Shark ... Director

1964The Naked Kiss ... Director

1963Shock Corridor ... Director

1962The Virginian (1 Episode) ... Director

1962Merrill's Marauders ... Director

1961The Dick Powell Show (1 Episode) ... Director

1961Underworld U.S.A. ... Director

1959The Crimson Kimono ... Director

1959Verboten! ... Director

1959Dogface ... Director

1957Forty Guns ... Director

1957Run of the Arrow ... Director

1957China Gate ... Director

1955House of Bamboo ... Director

1954Hell and High Water ... Director

1953Pickup on South Street ... Director

1952Park Row ... Director

1951Fixed Bayonets! ... Director

1951The Steel Helmet ... Director

1950The Baron of Arizona ... Director

1949I Shot Jesse James ... Director

1945V-E +1 ... Director

Crew

1967Made in U.S.A ... Thanks

1955House of Bamboo ... Additional Dialogue

Production

1964The Naked Kiss ... Producer

1963Shock Corridor ... Producer

1961Underworld U.S.A. ... Producer

1959The Crimson Kimono ... Producer

1959Dogface ... Producer

1957Forty Guns ... Producer

1957Run of the Arrow ... Producer

1957China Gate ... Producer

1952Park Row ... Producer

1951The Steel Helmet ... Producer