Samuel Fuller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samuel Fuller
Fuller in Normandy, France in 1987
Born	Samuel Michael Fuller (1912-08-12)August 12, 1912 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	October 30, 1997(1997-10-30) (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Director screenwriter novelist journalist actor
Years active	1936–94
Spouse(s)	Martha Downes Fuller (div. 1959) Christa Lang ​ (m. 1967⁠–⁠1997)​

Samuel Michael Fuller (born August 12, 1912 – died October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, and novelist. He was also a journalist and actor. Fuller was a veteran of World War II and was known for making exciting, low-budget movies. He often worked outside the big Hollywood studio system.

Fuller wrote his first movie script, Hats Off, in 1936. He started directing films with the Western movie I Shot Jesse James in 1949. Throughout the 1950s, he directed many Westerns and war thrillers. In the 1960s, he changed his style with the thriller Shock Corridor (1963). After a break, he returned to filmmaking with The Big Red One (1980), a war movie based on his own experiences, and the drama White Dog (1982). Many of his films inspired French filmmakers, especially Jean-Luc Godard.

Early Life and Journalism

Samuel Michael Fuller was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. His parents, Rebecca and Benjamin Fuller, were Jewish. His father passed away in 1923 when Samuel was 11 years old. His family's last name was changed from Rabinovitch to Fuller after they moved to the United States.

After his father's death, his family moved to New York City. At age 12, Samuel started working as a newspaper copyboy, which meant he ran messages and helped out in the newsroom. By 17, he became a crime reporter for the New York Evening Graphic. He also wrote exciting adventure novels, called "pulp novels," like The Dark Page (1944). This book was later made into the 1952 movie Scandal Sheet.

Military Service in World War II

During World War II, Samuel Fuller joined the United States Army. He was an infantryman in the 1st Infantry Division, also known as "The Big Red One." He fought in many important battles, including landings in Africa, Sicily, and Normandy. He also saw action in Belgium and Czechoslovakia.

In 1945, he was present when a German concentration camp in Falkenau was freed. He filmed this event with a 16-mm camera. This footage, called V-E +1, was later used in a French documentary. For his bravery, Fuller received several awards, including the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He reached the rank of corporal. Fuller used his experiences from the war in his films, especially in The Big Red One (1980).

Filmmaking Career

Becoming a Director

Samuel Fuller's first job as a screenwriter was for the film Hats Off in 1936. He wrote many scripts, but he wasn't happy with how some of his screenplays were directed. So, he decided he wanted to direct his own films. An independent producer, Robert Lippert, asked him to write three films. Fuller agreed, but only if he could direct them too, without extra pay.

Lippert agreed, and Fuller directed his first film, I Shot Jesse James (1949). This was followed by The Baron of Arizona, starring Vincent Price.

War Films and Big Studios

Fuller's third film, The Steel Helmet, made him a well-known director. This was the first movie about the Korean War made while the war was still happening. Fuller based the story on tales from soldiers returning from Korea and his own World War II experiences. The film faced some criticism, but Fuller stood by his work. He insisted on casting actor Gene Evans because he felt Evans truly captured what a soldier was like.

After The Steel Helmet was a success, bigger Hollywood studios wanted to work with Fuller. He signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox to make seven films. The first was another Korean War film, Fixed Bayonets!. A Medal of Honor winner, Raymond Harvey, helped Fuller make sure the military details in the film were accurate.

Fuller's favorite film was Park Row, which was about American journalism. He loved this project so much that he started his own company to make it. Critics compared his low-budget film to Citizen Kane because of its unique style.

Later Films and Challenges

Fuller continued to direct many well-known films in the 1950s, such as Pickup on South Street (1953), a crime thriller, and Westerns like Forty Guns. He also made The Crimson Kimono (1959), which explored themes of race.

In 1980, Fuller returned to filmmaking with The Big Red One. This epic movie told the semi-autobiographical story of a group of soldiers during World War II. The film received good reviews, but it didn't make much money at the box office.

In 1981, Fuller directed White Dog. This film was based on a novel and told the story of a stray dog trained to attack Black people. A Black dog trainer tries to help the dog change. Fuller wanted the film to show that racism is a serious problem. However, the studio, Paramount Pictures, worried the film might be misunderstood or cause offense. Even though Fuller aimed to deliver an anti-racist message, the studio decided not to release the film in the United States.

After White Dog was not released, Fuller moved to France in 1982. He directed two French films, Les Voleurs de la nuit (1984) and Street of No Return (1989). His last film as a director was The Madonna and the Dragon in 1990. He also wrote an autobiography called A Third Face, which was published after he passed away.

Acting Roles

Besides directing and writing, Samuel Fuller also appeared in movies as an actor. He had a small role in Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le Fou (1965). He also played a film director in The Last Movie (1971) and an Army colonel in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979). He even appeared in his own films, like The Big Red One and White Dog.

Fuller's Style and Themes

Fuller's films are known for their unique style. He often used intense close-up shots, unusual camera angles, and quick, surprising edits. His movies often showed men facing danger and death, especially in combat. These scenes could be very powerful and emotional.

Fuller often featured characters who were on the edges of society or faced challenges. For example, Pickup on South Street is about a pickpocket. Shock Corridor takes place in a mental hospital. Many of his films, like White Dog and The Crimson Kimono, strongly spoke out against racism. The Steel Helmet, set during the Korean War, included discussions about the unfair treatment of Japanese-Americans and the separation of races in the military during World War II.

Death

In the early 1990s, Samuel Fuller and his family lived in Paris, France. After he had a stroke in 1994, they moved back to Los Angeles, California. Samuel Fuller passed away at home in Los Angeles in October 1997 from natural causes.

Legacy

Even though Fuller's films were not always seen as important movies when they first came out, they gained a lot of respect later, especially in the late 1960s. He was happy about this new appreciation and worked with younger filmmakers.

French filmmakers, especially those from the French New Wave movement, saw Fuller as a big influence. They admired his visual style and the energy of his films. Famous directors like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Jim Jarmusch have said that Fuller's work inspired them.

In the mid-1980s, Fuller was the first international director to be a guest at the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Finland. The town where the festival is held even named a street "Samuel Fullerin katu," which means Samuel Fuller's street.

The Academy Film Archive keeps many of Samuel Fuller's films and home movies, including those he shot during his time in the war.

Filmography

As Filmmaker

See also

In Spanish: Samuel Fuller para niños