Director

Samuel Fuller

1912 – 1997

Who they are

Born: 12 August 1912, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 30 October 1997
Known for: The Steel Helmet, Pickup on South Street, Shock Corridor

Samuel Fuller (1912–1997) was an American director, screenwriter and novelist who began as a crime reporter and served in the U.S. Army in WWII. He made blunt, low-budget genre films on controversial themes. Admired by the French New Wave and later filmmakers, he is a key figure of maverick American cinema.

Where to start

The Steel Helmet (1951)Log in to add it to the library
An early, unsentimental Korean War film that established his tough, personal style and his reputation.
Pickup on South Street (1953)Full guide
A taut Cold War crime thriller, often regarded as one of his finest films.
Shock Corridor (1963)In the library
A lurid, provocative drama set in a psychiatric hospital that became a cult classic.
The Naked Kiss (1964)Log in to add it to the library
A shocking, daring melodrama that confirmed his taste for taboo subjects.
The Big Red One (1980)Log in to add it to the library
His semi-autobiographical WWII film, drawn from his own infantry service.

Their films in the library

Awards

No major awards are documented here.

The full list · 76

1945V-E +1Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
1949I Shot Jesse JamesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1950The Baron of ArizonaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1951The Steel HelmetLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1951Fixed Bayonets!Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
1952Park RowLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1953Pickup on South StreetLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1954Hell and High WaterLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1955House of BambooLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Japanese policeman (uncredited) · Director
1957Forty GunsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1957Run of the ArrowLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1957China GateLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1959The Crimson KimonoLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1959Verboten!Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
1959DogfaceLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1961Underworld U.S.A.Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
1962Merrill's MaraudersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1963Shock CorridorLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964The Naked KissLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1965Pierrot le FouLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Samuel Fuller (uncredited)
1966Brigitte and BrigitteLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1967Cinéastes de notre temps : Samuel FullerLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Interviewee
1969SharkLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1971The Last MovieLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Sam
1972Dead Pigeon on Beethoven StreetLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1973The Young NursesLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Doc Haskell
1977The American FriendLog in to add it to the libraryActor as The American
1977Scott JoplinLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Impresario
1978The Meanest Men in the WestLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1978CinématonLog in to add it to the libraryActor as N°602
19791941Log in to add it to the libraryActor as Interceptor Commander
1980The Big Red OneLog in to add it to the libraryActor as War Correspondent (uncredited) · Director
1981Sam Fuller: Writings with a CameraLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
1982White DogLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Charlie Felton · Director
1982The State of ThingsLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Joe
1982HammettLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Old Man in Pool Hall
1982Slapstick of Another KindLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Colonel Sharp
1984Thieves After DarkLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Zoltan · Director
1984Sam Fuller & the Big Red OneLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1985Report from HollywoodLog in to add it to the libraryActor
1986Hooray For HolyroodLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1986A Travelling is a Moral AffairLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
1987A Return to Salem's LotLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Van Meer
1987Helsinki Napoli All Night LongLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Boss
1987The Bleeding StarLog in to add it to the libraryActor as The Man in the Bar
1987Midnight Sun Film FestivalLog in to add it to the libraryActor
1988Falkenau, the ImpossibleLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Samuel Fuller
1988Mer de Chine: Le pays pour mémoireLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Le capitaine américain
1989Street of No ReturnLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Police Commissioner · Director
1989Tell me Sam - Encounters with Sam FullerLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
1990SonsLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Father
1990The Madonna and the DragonLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Chef de bureau Newsweek · Director
1990The Day of ReckoningLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1990Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim WendersLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1992La Vie de BohèmeLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Gassot
1992Golem, the Spirit of ExileLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Elimelek
1992Where Is Musette?Log in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1992Shock CorridorLog in to add it to the libraryActor as himself
1993Golem: The Petrified GardenLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Sam
1993Anything for JohnLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1994Somebody to LoveLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Sam Silverman
1994Tigrero: A Film That Was Never MadeLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1994Un Américain en NormandieLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
1996The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie CameraLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1997The End of ViolenceLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Louis
2002The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel FullerLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2003Necro not(to b)eLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Sé stesso
2005The Big Red One: The ReconstructionLog in to add it to the libraryActor as War Correspondent (uncredited) · Director
2005The Real Glory: Reconstructing 'The Big Red One'Log in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself (archive footage)
2006Filmmakers in ActionLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
2009CarmelLog in to add it to the libraryActor
2011Nuits transparentesLog in to add it to the libraryActor
2012Scene MissingLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2013A Fuller LifeLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
2025Films to Die ForLog in to add it to the libraryActor as (archive footage) (uncredited)
2026The Road to JerichoLog in to add it to the libraryActor

Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.