Audie Murphy Movies
Over the course of his extraordinary life, Audie Murphy went from being a poor Texas sharecropper's son to America's most decorated WWII hero to a popular Western and action movie star. Though he died in 1971, his accomplishments are still commemorated in a variety of ways that range from his native Hunt County's annual Audie Murphy Day celebration to his induction into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Country Music Association of Texas. His name also appears on a VA hospital, a library room, a stretch of U.S. Highway 69 in Texas, and a San Antonio division of the Army.Murphy was born to a family of cotton growers near Kingston, TX. Boyish-looking and slender, he appeared an unlikely war hero, but while stationed in Europe with his infantry unit, Murphy was credited with killing 240 Germans, was promoted to lieutenant, and earned at least 24 medals, including a Purple Heart for a gunshot wound that shattered his hip and the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor.
Following the war, Murphy worked as a clerk and a garage attendant before James Cagney invited him to his Hollywood home. Murphy stayed for 18 months and made his screen debut in Beyond Glory (1948), playing a guilt-ridden soldier. He had his first starring role in Bad Boy (1949) and was praised for his naturalistic acting style. Some critics chided him for only playing himself, but Murphy never claimed any acting ability. For audiences impressed with his war record and charmed by his charisma, Murphy playing himself was enough to sustain his busy film career for two decades. By the early '50s, Murphy was appearing in second-string Westerns. In 1953, distinguished director John Huston, whom Murphy regarded as a friend and mentor, starred him as the young soldier in his adaptation of Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage (1953). He would again work with Huston in 1960s' The Unforgiven. In 1955, Murphy appeared in his signature film, To Hell and Back, a chronicle of his war experiences based on his published autobiography. This film's box-office success allowed Murphy to appear in larger-budget films through the early '60s when he once again returned to B-movies. All told, during his heyday, Murphy worked with some of the era's most prominent stars including Jimmy Stewart, Broderick Crawford, and Audrey Hepburn.
But while Murphy's professional life flourished, he had to grapple with some tough situations in his personal life. In the late '60s, an Algerian oil field he'd purchased was blown up during the Seven Day War. Murphy lost around 250,000 dollars. In 1970, he was tried and acquitted for beating up and threatening to kill a man during a heated fight, the precise circumstances of which remain muddled. Despite this courtroom victory, rumors circulated that Murphy was suffering personal problems resulting from his war experiences.
Murphy was once briefly married to actress Wanda Hendrix with whom he had appeared in Sierra (1950). In 1951, Murphy married Pamela Archer and they remained happily wed until he accidentally crashed his plane into a Virginia mountainside on Memorial Day 1971. Murphy was given a full military burial and was interred in Arlington Cemetery. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this western, a cavalryman disobeys his officer's command to massacre Indians at Sand Creek, goes AWOL and heads for his home in Texas where he wants to protect the women who will soon bear the brunt of the Indians' revenge. Because he defected from the cavalry, his friends and neighbors consider him a traitor, but the young man disregards them. With his expert advice, the women become crack shots. He trains them at an abandoned mission. One of the women is a real smart aleck and it is she whom he falls in love with. When the angry Indians arrive, the ladies defeat them. Later, the young deserter is found not-guilty during court-martial proceedings. His C.O. is not so lucky and is charged with the Sand Creek slaughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Kathryn Grant, (more)
Night Passage is so similar in spirit to the successful collaborations between star James Stewart and director Anthony Mann that it comes as a surprise that this film is directed by James Nielson. Stewart plays Grant McLaine, ex-railroad employee and the level-headed brother of firebrand gunslinger The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy). When Grant is entrusted to guard a train delivering $10,000, The Kid's gang holds up the train and steals the money. Grant takes off to hunt his felonious brother down and attempts to convince him to go straight. Unfortunately, The Kid refuses, and the brothers face off in a showdown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Audie Murphy, (more)
- 1957
Based on a play by Evan Wylie and Jack Ruge, Joe Butterfly also bears the influence of Teahouse of the August Moon. The title character, played by Burgess Meredith, is a wily Japanese wheeler-dealer who offers his services as interpreter to the American GIs occupying postwar Tokyo (where the film was lensed). But Joe's "services" go above and beyond the call of duty, not to mention military protocol. To make certain that the local Army newspaper will continue to meet its deadlines as more and more soldiers march into Japan, Joe sets up the paper's staff in a luxurious private home. Top-billed Audie Murphy plays an army photographer who can't seem to adjust himself to military life, while Kieko Shima portrays Murphy's Japanese sweetheart. While Joe Butterfly is well cast and smartly directed, star Burgess Meredith always felt that the film could have been better had the Universal-International production staff had more faith in the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, George Nader, (more)
- 1956
In this boxing drama, a young pugilist hopes his talent will be his ticket out of the ghetto. Sure enough, the welterweight slowly rises in the ranks until he finally gets a shot at challenging the champ. Unfortunately, the champ has offered to pay the young fighter a lot of money if he throws the fight. The fighter could use that money to marry his girl and get her away from her father. Thinking of her, he decides to take the dive, but his conscience intervenes at the last moment and he goes on to win. Fortunately, everything ends happily. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Barbara Rush, (more)
- 1956
Walk the Proud Land is the true story of Indian agent John Philip Clum, as set down on paper by Clum's son. The film begins in 1874, as Clum, an Eastern government representative, arrives in San Carlos, Arizona. It is Clum's intention to uphold the peace between the settlers and the Apaches, and to encourage a form of self-government among the Indians. Realizing that he can never hope for cooperation from the Apaches so long as renegade warrior Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) is at large, Clum determines to negotiate the surrender of Geronimo -- and he intends to do it alone. Anne Bancroft co-stars as an Apache widow who falls in love with the married Clum. Though rather skimpy in the action department, Walk the Proud Land scores with strong characterizations and well-crafted scriptwork. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Anne Bancroft, (more)
The highly variable Audie Murphy delivers his best screen performance as "himself" in Universal's To Hell and Back. Based on the star's autobiography, this is the story of how Murphy became America's most-decorated soldier during WW II. After dwelling a bit on Murphy's hard-scrabble Texas upbringing, the story moves ahead to 1942, when, at 18, Audie joined the army. Within a year, he was a member of the 7th Army, serving in North Africa, Italy, France and ultimately Germany and Austria. One by one, the members of Murphy's Company B are killed in the war, until only three men from the original company are left (the others appear at the finale as ghostly images, a standard visual cliché of 1950s war films). The bulk of the film is given over to Murphy's conspicuous acts of combat bravery, and his killing of 240 enemy soldiers. Highlighted by excellent battle sequences, To Hell and Back is a serviceable tribute to a most complex individual. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson, (more)
- 1954
The third and (as of 1998) final film version of Max Brand's Destry Rides Again, this 1954 Audie Murphy vehicle owes more to the 1939 Jimmy Stewart version than it does to the Brand original. Murphy plays Tom Destry, the peace-loving son of a notorious gunslinger. Destry is summoned to a wide-open western town in hopes that he can stem the villainies of saloon owner Decker (Lyle Bettger) and crooked mayor Sellers (Edgar Buchanan). Though he prefers to talk rather than slap leather, Destry manages to keep the bad guys at bay. But when his best friend, town-drunk-turned-sheriff Rags Barnaby (Thomas Mitchell), is killed by Decker's minions, Destry straps on the shootin' irons and goes to work. Mari Blanchard essays the Marlene Dietrich role as vacillating saloon-hall chirp Brandy, while Lori Nelson is the "good"girl with whom Destry ultimately settles down. Though most of the highlights of Destry -- including the all-girl saloon brawl -- are lifted bodily from 1939's Destry Rides Again, the 1954 film lacks the light touch of the earlier picture, despite the fact that comedy craftsman George Marshall directed both pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard, (more)
- 1954
Audie Murphy may have had top billing in Ride Clear of Diablo, but the film is bushwhacked and stolen by co-star Dan Duryea. As notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincaid, Duryea is hired by sinister forces to kill Murphy, who is out to avenge the murders of his father and brother. Instead, Kincaid befriends Murphy, and helps him track down his family's killers. Since Murphy is the star, it is he who exacts final vengeance, but the script makes clear that he couldn't have done this without the aid of the snide, smirking Kincaid. Ride Clear of Diablo's supporting cast includes singer Abbe Lane, who handles her "bad girl" role with class. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, (more)
- 1954
Audie Murphy is at his taciturn best in the Universal western Drums Along the River. Murphy is cast as Gary Brannon, a peaceful homesteader living a quiet existence with his father Sam (Walter Brennan). No-account Frank Walker (Lyle Bettger), hoping to open up the Ute Indian territory for gold-mining purposes, tries to foment a war between the Utes and the local whites. As an added filip, he steals a gold shipment and pins the blame on Brannon. Now a fugitive from justice, Brannon joins Walker's gang, much to his father's dismay. Actually, it's all part of a plan to expose Walker's perfidy and prevent Ute hostilities, but no one knows this until Brannon wants them to. Jay Silverheels, best known as Tonto on TV's Lone Ranger, co-stars as Ute warrior Taos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan, (more)
- 1953
No relation to the TV and radio series of the same name, Universal-International's Gunsmoke is a Technicolor vehicle for action star (and war hero) Audie Murphy. Murphy plays a wandering hired gun who is commissioned to kill a rancher (Paul Kelly). The film's conflict arises when the gunslinger befriends his would-be victim and comes to reject the attitudes of those who hired him. The fact that the gunman has fallen in love with the rancher's daughter (Susan Cabot) may have something to do with his change of heart. Audie Murphy mends his ways by the time Gunsmoke comes to a close, as if there was any doubt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, (more)
- 1953
Audie Murphy is suitably cast as cavalry lieutenant Jed Sayre in Universal's Column South. Stationed in Navajo country, Sayre has a pretty good understanding of, and rapport with, the local Indians, but his new CO Lee Whitlock (Robert Sterling) is of the "only good Indian is a dead Indian" school of thought. Eventually Sayre is able to make Whitlock see the light -- and, as a bonus, he gets to romance Whitlock's sister Marcy (Joan Evans). Further complications arise when Confederate General Storey (Ray Collins) hatches an underhanded scheme -- one that will potentially cost many innocent lives -- to force the cavalry troops to join the Southern cause when the Civil War commences. Of interest to modern viewers is the presence of Dennis Weaver, here cast as Navajo chief Menguito. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Joan Evans, (more)
- 1953
Audie Murphy plays wagon train scout Jim Harvey in Universal-International's Tumbleweed. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Harvey is wrongly accused of saving himself while allowing the people under his protection to be slaughtered by Indians. With the help of sheriff Murchoree (Chill Wills) and his Native American friend Tigre (Ernesto Iglesias), Harvey breaks out of jail to prove his innocence. Figuring largely in the proceedings are horse-rancher Nick Buckley (Roy Roberts) and his wife Louella Buckley (K.T. Stevens), who provide Harvey with a "loser" horse that turns out to be a winner when the hero needs it most. The revelation of the film's true villain should be amusing for fans of TV's Gilligan's Island. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Lori Nelson, (more)
A group of vicious claim-jumpers is killing the miners in a Western settlement. Their latest victim is Cromwell (Harry Harvey), who is shot to death at his mine just after his son Luke (Audie Murphy) leaves for town. Luke has three passions in life -- poker, guns, and the silver ornamentation he likes -- and is better known to most people as the Silver Kid; he kills one of the claim-jumpers but can't catch the rest. The marshal of Silver Creek, "Lightning Tyrone" (Stephen McNally), is also trying to cope with the claim-jumpers, and he has a problem of his own, thanks to a well-placed bullet in his shoulder -- he can still draw faster than almost anyone, but he can't pull the trigger like he used to, and he doesn't know how long he can bluff some of the tougher citizens he's been riding herd on, especially a fellow named Johnny Sombrero (Eugene Iglesias), who's been itching to draw on him. These two cross paths and the Silver Kid ends up as Lightning's deputy, just in time to become suspicious of newcomers Opal Lacy (Faith Domergue) and her brother Rod (Gerald Mohr), who are in the mining business. Lighting's attraction to Opal and the Kid's distrust of her could just cost him the services of a deputy who is, literally, his good right arm. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Faith Domergue, (more)
- 1951
Though director Budd Boetticher is best known to western fans for his collaborative efforts with star Randolph Scott, Boetticher also turned out several worthwhile actioners with other cowboy stars. The Cimarron Kid stars Audie Murphy in the title role. After being falsely accused of a payroll heist, the Kid heads for the high country, where he joins the outlaw Dalton gang. When the Daltons are decimated during a daring daylight bank robbery, the Kid takes over what is left of the gang and hides out at a local ranch. Here he is reformed by the love of rancher's daughter Carrie Roberts (Beverly Tyler), but not so reformed that he doesn't embark upon one last robbery. Universal contractee Yvette Dugay has a high old time in the role of that notorious sagebrush camp follower, Rose of Cimarron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Yvette Dugay, (more)
The backstory of The Red Badge of Courage involves the toppling of MGM's old Louis B. Mayer regime in favor of Dore Schary and his young Turks. It is also the tale of how an intended epic was ruthlessly whittled down to a lower-berth programmer. Since this story has already been related in detail in Lillian Ross' Picture (not to mention several John Huston biographies), the focus here will be what shows up on screen in Red Badge of Courage. Based on the novel by Stephen Crane, the film stars real-life war hero Audie Murphy as a Civil War soldier who must redeem himself in his own eyes after an act of cowardice. When he finally gets his opportunity, he realizes that he is no less frightened than before; it is simply that he has learned to push on in spite of that fear. A comparative newcomer to films, Murphy acquits himself magnificently in the difficult title role; equally impressive are political cartoonist Bill Mauldin as "The Loud Soldier," John Dierkes as "The Tall Soldier" and Royal Dano as "The Tattered Man." When Red Badge of Courage tested poorly in preview, the studio sliced it down to 69 minutes and added a narrator (James Whitmore) to clarify the more obscure plot passages. Further hurting the film was Bronislaus Kaper's overbaked musical score, which seemed more suited to a gung-ho John Wayne flick than a comparatively intimate tale of personal fortitude. Though the finished product plays like a Reader's Digest adaptation, a few brilliant passages remain, notably the sequence in which a commanding officer ingratiatingly lies to his troops for the sake of morale. Like Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, Red Badge of Courage is a truncated classic -- but a classic, all the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, (more)
- 1950
If ever there was an actor born to play Billy the Kid, it was the combustible Audie Murphy. In Kid from Texas, Murphy is cast as a relatively benign Billy. Hoping to put down his guns and go straight, the Kid takes a job as a ranchhand. When his kindly boss is murdered, however, all bets are off, and Billy goes on a killing spree. By the time he's reached the age of 21, he's killed 21 men -- and that's when sheriff Pat Garrett (Frank Wilcox) enters the scene. There's no romance to speak of, though Billy does develop a fondness for Irene Kain (Gale Storm), the wife of fair-minded attorney (Albert Dekker). While Kid from Texas scores as a character study (albeit none too accurate), it falls surprisingly short in terms of action content. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Gale Storm, (more)
- 1950
Having previously played Billy the Kid, Audie Murphy assumes the role of Jesse James in Kansas Raiders. The plot finds Jesse and his brother Frank (Richard Long), together with the Younger Brothers (James Best, John Kellogg and Tony Curtis -- yes, Tony Curtis) joining Quantrill's Raiders. Idolizing Quantrill (Brian Donlevy), Jesse believes that his hero's mission -- to save the Confederacy by sacking Kansas -- is just. Only when it is too late does Jesse discover that Quantrell is little more than a bloodthirsty mercenary. The James and Younger Brothers are depicted as innocent dupes of a madman, which isn't surprising considering how often Hollywood has whitewashed Jesse and Frank in other films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1950
Audie Murphy and Wanda Hendrix were husband and wife when they co-starred in the Technicolor western Sierra. Murphy plays Ring Hassard, the son of outlaw Jeff Hassard (Dean Jagger), who despite his dad's reputation is basically a good kid. Hendrix portrays Riley Martin, a lady lawyer who hopes to clear Ring's name -- and, eventually, to march him to the altar. The plot hinges on whether or not Ring's father is the ruthless desperado he's cracked up to be. The film's highlight is an extended wild-horse roundup sequence, which helps the audience forget Wanda Hendrix's miscasting as a female legal eagle. Sierra was based on a novel by Stuart Hardy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Wanda Hendrix, (more)
- 1949
In 1947, Variety Clubs International, a showbiz charitable organization, was responsible for the frothy musical Variety Girl. The organization's 1949 film effort, Monogram's Bad Boy, is a bit on the grimmer side, but not too much so. Most of the film was lensed at the VCI's Boys Club Ranch at Copperas Cove TX. In his first starring role (and second film appearance), war hero Audie Murphy plays Danny Lester, the "bad boy" of the title. A delinquent with a long rap sheet, Danny is sent to the Ranch in hopes that he can be rehabilitated. This seems to be a hopeless goal until ranch head Marshall Brown (Lloyd Nolan) digs into Danny's past to find a reason for the boy's ungovernable behavior. Jane Wyatt as Brown's wife, James Gleason as his assistant, and a coterie of talented juvenile actors lend sensitivity and credibility to this refreshingly unsentimental yarn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Nolan, Jane Wyatt, (more)
Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven deserves a historical footnote as director William Castle's only comedy western. Future Wild Bill Hickok star Guy Madison plays Eddie Taylor, a lonesome cowboy who falls in love with city-gal Perry Dunkin (Diana Lynn). The couple "meets cute" in Brooklyn, where the two have migrated to seek their fortunes. The plot veers into Runyonesque territory as Eddie tries to write the Great American Play, while Perry "adopts" pickpocket Mandy (Florence Bates) to pose as her mother. The loosely structured storyline permits several entertaining diversions, including a trip to Coney Island and a wild episode at a Brooklyn riding academy which hero and heroine have been conned into purchasing. Audie Murphy makes his second film appearance in a near-microscopic role. Based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Barry Benefield, Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven was released in England as The Girl From Texas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, (more)
- 1948
An older soldier enters West Point but remains haunted by nagging guilt. It all began in Tunisia during a tremendous battle. The soldier passed out during the fight, and when he awoke he discovered his commanding officer was dead. He blames himself for the death and after being released from the army, he goes to see the officer's wife. Love blossoms, and with her help he enrolls in West Point where he becomes a model cadet until a jealous plebe begins making trouble that eventually sends the soldier to a court-martial hearing. There the truth of the incident is finally revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Coulouris, Vincent J. Donahue, (more)
