Samuel Fuller Director, producer, screenwriter Date of Birth: 12.08.1912 Country: USA

1. Biography of Samuel Fuller
2. A Controversial Figure in American Cinema
3. Later Career and Personal Life

Biography of Samuel Fuller

Samuel Fuller was born on August 12, 1912, in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He was a director, producer, and screenwriter. At the age of 12, he became a copyboy at the New York Journal, and at 17, he worked as a crime reporter for the San Diego Sun. During the Great Depression, he hitchhiked across the country on freight trains. During this time, he also started writing stories, and in 1935, his first pulp novel, "Burn, Baby, Burn," was published. In 1936, he began working as a screenwriter, collaborating with James Cruze on films such as "Gangs of New York" (1938) and others. During World War II, he fought in North Africa and Europe with the First Infantry Division and was awarded the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. After returning to Hollywood, he directed his first film in 1949.

A Controversial Figure in American Cinema

Fuller, who writes most of his screenplays and often produces his own films, has always been a controversial figure in American cinema. His mostly B-movie action films are known for their directness and brutal violence, which he witnessed as a crime reporter, hitchhiker, and soldier. His rough political views alienated both extreme left and extreme right critics. However, if one forgets about politics, most critics agree that Fuller was a significant force in American cinema, a director with an interesting visual style who uses film as a dynamic means of expression. Critic Andrew Sarris called him a "genuine American primitive." His work is admired, especially in France, where he now lives, and where cinephiles consider him one of the most influential post-war directors. Retrospectives of his films are often held in Europe.

Later Career and Personal Life

In the 1960s, Fuller directed episodes for various American TV series. After a long hiatus, he returned to filmmaking with "The Big Red One" (1980), a film he had wanted to make since the mid-1950s. Based on his own combat experience with the First Infantry Division, the film was hailed by many as a masterpiece and one of the greatest American war dramas in cinematic history. Fuller appeared in "The Naked Kiss" (1965) and "Brigitte and Brigitte" (1966), as well as in American films "The Last Movie" (1971) and "1941" (1979). He also acted in several European and American films. In 1967, he married actress Christa Lang. This was his second marriage.