Biography
Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director recognized for his low-budget genre films featuring provocative themes.
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Fuller was the son of Benjamin Rabinovitch, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, and Rebecca Baum, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. After the family immigrated to the United States, their surname was changed from Rabinovitch to "Fuller," possibly inspired by a doctor who arrived on the Mayflower. At 12, Fuller began working in journalism as a newspaper copyboy. By 17, he was a crime reporter for the New York Evening Graphic, where he broke the story of Jeanne Eagels' death. From the mid-1930s onward, he wrote pulp novels and screenplays. Fuller also worked as a ghostwriter for screenplays but never disclosed the titles, stating, "that's what a ghost writer is for."
During World War II, Fuller enlisted in the United States Army infantry, serving with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, and engaged in intense combat. He participated in landings in Africa, Sicily, and Normandy, and fought in Belgium and Czechoslovakia. In 1945, he witnessed the liberation of the German concentration camp at Falkenau and filmed 16 mm footage later featured in the documentary Falkenau: The Impossible. His military service earned him the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. Fuller drew upon his wartime experiences in his films, notably in The Big Red One (1980), named after the 1st Infantry Division's nickname.
Following the shelving of his controversial film White Dog by Paramount Pictures, Fuller relocated to France and did not direct another American film. He eventually returned to the United States and passed away from natural causes at his home in California. In November 1997, the Directors Guild hosted a three-hour memorial in his honor, led by Curtis Hanson, his longtime friend and co-writer on White Dog. Fuller was survived by his wife Christa and daughter Samantha.
