Budd Schulberg, the son of the Hollywood movie mogul, Benjamin Schulberg, was born in New York on 27th March, 1914.

After attending school at Dartmouth College, he worked as a screenwriter at Paramount. Schulberg was known for his left leanings and was formerly a member of the Communist Party (1937-40). His biases and affiliations however were not apparent in the first two screenplays, Little Orphan Annie (1938) and White Carnival (1939) he wrote. g

When White Carnival did not fare well in the box office, Schulberg was booted out of Paramount. With plenty of time in his hands, he ventured into writing novels. His very first novel was What Makes Sammy Run? (1941). The book was a satire on Hollywood's power and corruption.

Aside from Hollywood themes, Schulberg also tackled pressing issues relevant to his times even now like racketeering that happened in the union, misuse of public trust and the moral implications of success enjoyed by Americans.

The screenplay "On the Waterfront" (1954) tackled the corruption of organized labor unions on New York docks. His novel The Harder They Fall (1947), heacquainted the reader on the pitfalls of professional boxing. Another screenplay "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) examined the dangers of television. His memoirs Moving Pictures: Memories of a Hollywood Prince (1981) detailed his roots.

In a 1965 article in Los Angeles magazine, Schulberg reminisced about his Hollywood childhood. "If life is a series of disenchantments through which we prepare ourselves, then I was richly endowed, for our castles were built on glamorous quicksand," he wrote, referring to the success and failure of his father who by the time of his death in 1957 was reduced to begging for employment and compulsive gambling.

'What Makes Sammy Run?'

BOOK SUMMARY

'What Makes Sammy Run?' centers on the career of Sammy. Sammy's life is described as a continual "Blitzkrieg against his fellow-men." Sammy came from bottom ranks. His ability to double-cross people, betray his friends, lie to his own family and many other selfish, unscrupulous acts helped him rose swiftly to the top. He first used his wiles in a New York paper. It was there that he first started to work. Then he invaded Hollywood, wreaked havoc as he snaked his way to the top.

Sammy came from the slums, hence his dog-eat-dog outlook in life. His humble origin had contributed to his ruthless character. The pacing in the novel was fast as it examined Hollywood in great detail. It presented Hollywood as a place where one could gain or lose all in an instant. Hollywood was also the place to witness victorious parties at the club of the season, rumors that spread magically on the fate of its dwellers.

In the story, Sammy came from Rivington Street. He was a hardhearted person who had quick wits about him. He started as a copy boy on a newspaper. By the time he was 19, he became a radio columnist. Not contented with his lot, Sammy stole a manuscript to be able to penetrate Hollywood. He had no writing abilities but was able to exploit the system of collaboration in Hollywood.

Sammy's life was for all to see. Mr. Schulberg spared no detail when it came to Sammy. Sammy's portrait is acerbic but was never dull. This made the book What Makes Sammy Run? an important piece of document.

Book Review

In the book What Makes Sammy Run? Schulberg wants to portray the truth of his life, the way he sees it. It is almost hard to distinguish when the truth begins and the imagination ends in his story because of his journalistic approach. One can read a disclaimer before all his fiction: "only the names of the characters are changed to protect the innocent." But the story about Sammy does not revolved around innocence. As a matter of fact, it is the opposite. Sammy's cunning, ruthless way to approach life is simply unimaginable. Schulberg presents a very grim depiction of Hollywood's skeletons in the closet. Stories about success and failure, a person's maltreatment to others, greed leading human misery abound in the novel. All these plots intertwine to make a very interesting read.

What makes the novel brilliant is its honest depiction of the beliefs and hopes that are apparent during the time. The story flows easily, as if it is not forced. The dialogues among characters are less reserved.

Schulberg's life revolved around the motion-picture. As he brilliantly weaves the story and leads us deeper to the search on what makes Sammy run, Schulberg unmasks his own views about the place. The product is a book which stings Hollywood in its honesty and provides an intimate portrait on the life of Hollywood.