What Makes Sammy Run?

by Budd Schulberg
What Makes Sammy Run? cover
Good Books rating 4.21
Technical
  • ID: 92
  • Added: 2025-09-02
  • Updated: 2025-09-02
  • ISBN: 9780679734222
  • Publisher: Vintage
  • Published: 1993-12-06
  • Reviews: 4

The classic book that shaped two generations’ view of the movie business and introduced the archetypal Hollywood player Sammy Glick. He’s got a machete mouth and a genius for double-cross. As Budd Shulberg—author of the screenplay On the Waterfront—follows Sammy’s relentless upward progress, he creates a virtuoso study in character that manages to be hilariously appalling yet deeply compassionate. “Sammy Glick remains at the top of the Hollywood sleaze heap, a hustler nonpareil…. What Makes Sammy Run? Is still the quintessential novel about “the all-American heel.’” – Moredcai Richler, GQ

Reviews
SuperSummary · 2025-09-02
critical 4.10

The novel offers a sharp critique of ruthless ambition and the moral compromises made for success, focusing on Sammy’s relentless climb in the newspaper and Hollywood worlds. It explores themes of betrayal, exploitation, and the human cost behind the facade of achievement.

The narrator, Al Manheim, provides a view into Sammy Glick’s character as someone who treats life as a race to be won at any cost, including the reputations and lives of others. Sammy’s cunning and lack of scruples lead him to betray associates and friends alike, including appropriating the work of others to propel his career. The story is not just about Sammy’s rise but also about the ethical and emotional wreckage left in his wake. This exploration of ambition is both a personal and societal critique, making the novel resonate beyond its historical setting.

Quick quotes

    "Sammy is always ‘running,’ and that he treats life like a race."

    "He takes advantage of a mistake Al makes to get himself ahead in the paper, damaging Al’s professional reputation."

    "Sammy continues to act without regard for the lives of others."

Goodreads · 2000-01-01
incisive 4.50

The narrative captures the relentless and ruthless ambition of Sammy Glick, portraying him as a symbol of the cutthroat nature of success. The story is marked by a sharp, uncompromising tone that vividly dissects Sammy's lack of morals and his destructive impact on those around him.

This novel is a fierce indictment of ambition devoid of ethics, told through the eyes of a reporter who watches Sammy Glick's rise from a copy boy to a Hollywood success. The reviewer appreciates how Schulberg's youthful indignation and idealism fuel a raw and precise portrayal of Sammy's character, making the book intensely relevant even today. The story doesn't soften Sammy's flaws but instead presents them in stark vitriol, illustrating the human cost of his relentless drive. Its cutting exploration of ambition and betrayal resonates beyond its era, offering a timeless reflection on the nature of success and the price it demands.

Quick quotes

    Everyone of us knows someone who runs.

    Schulberg has etched it in pure vitriol, and dissected his victim with a precision that is almost frightening.

    Definitely a worthy read, not just for the era in which it was written, but just as much for today.

eNotes · 2000-01-01
thoughtful 4.00

The review highlights Sammy Glick's transformation and his merciless climb through New York and Hollywood, showing his strategic and calculated nature. It emphasizes the story's focus on what drives Sammy, illustrating the novel's exploration of ambition and identity.

The narrative is centered on Sammy Glick's ascent, which is depicted as both relentless and strategic, transforming from an eager copy boy into a successful screenwriter by any means necessary. The reviewer notes the story's setting across the 1930s and its focus on the theme of ambition, particularly how Sammy's drive reflects a deeper human question about what motivates people to strive for success. The portrayal is nuanced, revealing not just Sammy's outward achievements but also the personal costs and moral compromises underlying his trajectory. This perspective invites readers to consider the complexities of ambition and the sacrifices it entails.

Quick quotes

    Sammy is the embodiment of confidence and ambition, always strategic in his moves.

    Sammy's ambitions stretch beyond the confines of the newspaper office.

    At the heart of the story lies the question: What truly drives Sammy to strive so voraciously for fame and fortune?

Wikipedia · 2000-01-01
symbolic 4.25

The novel is recognized as a symbolic and sharp portrayal of Sammy's 'running'—his relentless and unscrupulous pursuit of success. The story is both a personal tragedy and a broader metaphor for the pace and ethics of ambition in society.

This review presents Sammy Glick's character as a powerful symbol of relentless ambition, emphasizing the motif of 'running' as both literal and metaphorical. Sammy's journey is depicted as an 'undeclared war against the world,' highlighting his lack of principles and his rapid, often destructive, rise to the top. The narrative also explores themes of betrayal and the social dynamics of ambition, making the novel a poignant critique of the costs of success. The reviewer notes how the story's sharpness and symbolism offer a profound reflection on human drive and societal pressures, which continues to resonate with readers.

Quick quotes

    Sammy Glick is 'running people down'; he is running 'with death as the only finish line'.

    Sammy's running is highly symbolic: he runs both literally and metaphorically.

    Manheim talks about Sammy's 'undeclared war against the world', at another about Sammy Glick's Mein Kampf.

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