"What Makes Sammy Run?" is a novel by Budd Schulberg, first published in 1941. The book tells the story of Sammy Glick, a ruthlessly ambitious young man who schemes his way to the top of the Hollywood film industry. The leitmotif of the novel is Sammys running, which is highly symbolic. Sammy runs both literally and metaphorically, and his running represents his relentless pursuit of success and his "undeclared war against the world". The novel explores themes of ambition, success, and the corrupting influence of power. It has been adapted into a Broadway musical and a live television drama).