Samuel Fuller: Movies & Box Office

Samuel Michael 'Sam' Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, actor, and World War II veteran. He was known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made outside the conventional studio system. Fuller wrote his first screenplay for Hats Off in 1936, and made his directorial debut with the Western 'I Shot Jesse James' (1949). He then directed various Westerns and war thrillers throughout the 1950s. In the 1960s, Fuller shifted from Westerns and war films with his low-budget thriller 'Shock Corridor' in 1963, followed by the neo-noir 'The Naked Kiss' (1964). He remained inactive in filmmaking for most of the 1970s, before writing and directing the semi-autobiographical war epic 'The Big Red One' (1980), and the drama 'White Dog' (1982). Many of his films influenced French New Wave filmmakers, notably Jean-Luc Godard, who gave Fuller a cameo appearance in 'Pierrot le Fou' (1965). Fuller served as an infantryman in the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division during World War II, and saw heavy fighting. His wartime experiences often provided material for his movies.