Sam Fuller (August 12, 1911 - October 30, 1997) was an American film director. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Benjamin Rabinovitch (a Jewish immigrant from Russia) and Rebecca Baum (a Jewish immigrant from Poland). At the time of Samuel's birth, the family had already changed their surname to "Fuller". Fuller began, from a very young age, in the field of journalism, becoming a crime reporter in New York City at age 17. He wrote pulp novels and screenplays from the mid-30s onwards. During World War Two, Fuller joined the 1st Infantry Division and saw heavy fighting in Africa, Sicily, and Normandy. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. His war-time experiences as a soldier were used as material in the 1980 film The Big Red One (a nickname of the 1st Infantry Division). He died of natural causes on October 30, 1997.
