Audie Murphy Filmography


Audie Leon Murphy was born on June 20th, 1924 at Kingston, Texas.  Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor was also decorated for bravery by the governments of France and Belgium.  On May 18, 1971, he was aboard a private plane on his way to a business meeting when it ran into thick fog near Roanoke, Virginia, and crashed into the side of a mountain, killing all six people aboard.  He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.


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Audie Murphy: Great American Hero

1996 - A&E Home Video

Biography  Produced by A&E Home Video.

World War II history will always recall one of its greatest heroes: Audie Murphy. His military exploits and courage were legendary, and became the subject of a Hollywood film. When he returned to America after the war, Murphy found success as an actor and screenwriter. This video chronicles his brilliant military achievements and Hollywood career. It reveals how the demons of his war memories haunted him, driving him to despair, drug addiction, and an untimely death at age 46. With archival film footage and accounts of soldiers and family, the documentary follows the sad story of the man who served so bravely in war, but could not save himself.

A Time for Dying

1969 - Etoile Productions/ Fipco Productions

Main Cast: Peter Brocco, Victor Jory, Beatrice Kay, Richard Lapp, Audie Murphy, Burt Mustin, Anne Randall, Bob Random .  Produced by Etoile Productions/ Fipco Productions.

This unique western centers on an innocent farm boy with a talent for handling guns who decides to make it big. He begins as a bounty hunter. Later he encounters a crazed gunslinger and ends up fatally shot. Before the fateful encounter, the young man is visited by a number of mythical western heroes including Judge Roy Bean, seen as a sentimental drunk, and Jesse James who gives the boy some good advice.

40 Guns to Apache Pass

1967 - Admiral Pictures

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Kenneth Tobey, Kay Stewart, Laraine Stephens, James Beck, Michael Blodgett, Willard Willingham, Michael Burns, Ted Gehring, Robert Brubaker.  Directed by William Witney.  Produced by Admiral Pictures.

The directorial reins of 40 Guns to Apache Pass are in the expert hands of actionmeister William Witney, who helmed many of Audie Murphy's latter-day vehicles. Here Murphy plays a Cavalry captain who takes on the entire Apache nation virtually single-handedly. He is undermined by villainous Corporal Bodine (Kenneth Tobey), who runs a thriving business selling guns to the Indians. Michael Keep plays Apache leader Cochise, bringing a touch of humanity and dignity to his two-dimensional role. After wrapping up 40 Guns to Apache Pass, William Witney went into retirement, emerging every so often for "guest of honor" chores at the various western-movie conventions of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Texican

1966 - M.C.R. Productions

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Ernest Borgine. Directed by Lesley Selander. Produced by M.C.R. Productions.

Wanted north of the border, Jess Carlin resides safely in Mexico. Then he hears his brother was killed in a gunfight with another man. Knowning his brother never carried a gun he heads north to find his brother's killer. After battling bounty hunters he arrives in Rimrock, a town controlled by Luke Starr. Starr is the man he wants but he unable to find any evidence until he is given an item found by his brother's body.

 

Trunk to Cairo (1966) .... Mike Merrick

Gunpoint

1966 - Gordon Kay Productions / Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Morgan Woodward, Denver Pyle. Directed by Earl Bellamy. Produced by Gordon Kay Productions / Universal.

Gunpoint stars Audie Murphy as a Colorado sheriff -- and never mind that the film was shot in Utah. Sheriff Lucas (Murphy) sets out to bring bad guy Drago (Morgan Woodward) to justice. If the sheriff doesn't succeed, that will be fine and dandy with deputy Hold (Denver Pyle), who's out to get Murphy's job. Edgar Buchanan took a break from Petticoat Junction to play the sort of comic relief he'd been doing in westerns for years. Gunpoint's well-photographed but economical highlights include a wild horse stampede and a shootout with disgruntled Apaches.

Arizona Raiders

1965 - Columbia Pictures

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Michael Dante, Ben Cooper, Gloria Talbott. Directed by William Whitney. Produced by Columbia Pictures.

Action expert William Witney glosses over the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in Arizona Raiders. Audie Murphy and Ben Cooper play members of Quantrill's Raiders, hoping to avenge the fallen South after the Civil War. Murphy and Cooper are captured by a Union officer (Buster Crabbe) (effectively cast as a villain) and sentenced to a long prison term. They are offered amnesty by the Union officer, who, appointed head of the Arizona Raiders, hopes to use the ex-confederates within his jurisdiction to drive Quantrill's men out of the territory. The two heroes spend the rest of the film juggling loyalties between the Union leader and Quantrill (Fred Graham).

Apache Rifles

1964 - 20th Century Fox / Admiral Pictures

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Michael Dante, Linda Lawson, L.Q. Jones. Directed by William Whitney. Produced by 20th Century Fox / Admiral Pictures.

This western presents a more sympathetic view of Native Americans than is usually found in the genre.  As a Captain in the Union Calvary, Jeff Stanton (Audie) is charged with trying to force the Indians back to their reservation. Miners also have tried to dig for gold and torture and kill the Indians to do so. Stanton sees the injustice to the Indians and tries to help them. He also falls in love with a half-breed girl. During a peaceful visit to the Indian camp, Stanton is betrayed by the Colonel in charge. Stanton is seriously injured but recovers, and is put back in charge of the post command.

Bullet for a Badman

1964 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Darren McGavin, Ruta Lee. Directed by R. G. Springsteen. Produced by Universal.

Audie Murphy continued to make 1950s-style westerns into the 1960s. In Bullet for a Badman, Logan Keliher (Murphy) is framed for murder by onetime friend Sam Ward (Darren McGavin). Keliher escapes to mete out justice and to reclaim his former wife (Ruta Lee), whom Ward has married. The escapee gradually comes to realize that the true villain of the piece is not his ex-friend but instead his ex-wife. A Bullet for a Badman was shipped out to the lower halves of Universal's drive-in double bills for the 1963-64 season.

 

The Quick Gun (1964) .... Clint Cooper

Gunfight at Comanche Creek

1963 - Allied Artists

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Ben Cooper, Colleen Miller, DeForest Kelley, Jan Merlin. Directed by Frank McDonald. Produced by Allied Artists.

In this western, set in 1875, an agent for the National Detective Agency is assigned to find the murderous outlaw gang that has been breaking convicts out of prison and helping them to commit more crimes. The resulting crimes cause the bounties upon the fugitives' heads to rise. The outlaws then kill the convicts and reap the generous rewards. Fortunately, the agent succeeds in infiltrating the group and killing the leader.

War Is Hell (1963) .... Narrator

Showdown

1963 - Gordon Kay Productions / Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Harold J. Stone, Kathleen Crowley. Directed by R. G. Springsteen. Produced by Gordon Kay Productions / Universal.

In this western adventure set in a Mexican border town, two prisoners Foster and Pickett (Audie Murphy and Charles Drake), who are chained to a stake, somehow escape with other prisoners. They are led by cruel outlaw Lavalle (Harold J. Stone) who steals $12,000 in securities. Later the two fugitives try to steal the securities from the gang-leader. Unfortunately, they are caught by Lavalle. He holds Foster hostage and sends Pickett to town to cash the securities. The fugitive gives the resulting loot to his ex-girlfriend Estelle (Kathleen Crowley), and returns with nothing. The enraged Lavalle then lets Foster go to get the money. He meets the newly wealthy dance-hall girl who explains that Pickett gave her the money to make up for his losing her life savings gambling. She then grudgingly hands Foster the money. But as he returns to the outlaw lair, he is unaware that Estelle pursues him. Unfortunately, Lavalle sees her, and in the ensuing scuffle Pickett dies trying to protect Foster and the girl. Later the two flee with the angry Lavalle in hot pursuit. In the end, fugitive Foster kills the gang leader. He and Estelle then settle down and lead a peaceful life.

Six Black Horses

1962 - Gordon Kay Productions/ Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Joan O'Brien, Roy Barcroft, Bob Steele, Henry Wills. Directed by Harry Keller. Produced by Gordon Kay Productions/ Universal.

A sometimes astonishingly grim western, Six Black Horses ostensibly stars Audie Murphy, but is effortlessly stolen by Frank Jesse (Dan Duryea). Wrongly accused of horse theft, Ben Lane (Murphy) is rescued by ruthless but sentimental gunslinger Jesse. The two men are hired as trail guides by Kelly (Joan O'Brien), who wants to traverse hostile Indian territory so that she can be reunited with her husband. What she knows -- but the audience doesn't -- is that her husband is dead, murdered by Jesse. Kelly had hired him to exact vengeance, but it is she who is nearly killed. Lane is left stranded when Jesse rides off to claim the money promised him by Kelly. This he does so as to finance his "dream funeral," wherein his casket will be borne to Boot Hill by six black horses. When Lane catches up with Jesse, he sees to it that the outlaw gets his wish -- after first taking the precaution of filling Jesse full of lead.

Battle at Bloody Beach

1961 - 20th Century Fox

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, JGary Crosby, Dolores Michaels, Alejandro Rey, Marjorie Stapp. Directed by Herbert Coleman. Produced by 20th Century Fox.

Seven Ways from Sundown is a well-wrought western by director Harry Keller, starring Audie Murphy in the title role (his character's "first" name is the same as the title). Young "Seven" is a talented but novice Texas Ranger who is in the process of learning the tricks of the trade from veteran Ranger Sergeant Hennessey (John McIntire). The two are currently hunting down the flamboyant outlaw Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan), crafty enough not only to elude them, but to take a surprise offensive against them as well. In the end, it will take all of "Seven's" abilities to capture the wanted criminal.

Posse from Hell (1961) .... Banner Cole

Seven Ways from Sundown

1960 - Gordon Kay Productions / UI

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, John McIntire, Barry Sullivan. Directed by Harry Keller. Produced by Gordon Kay Productions / UI.

Seven Ways from Sundown is a well-wrought western by director Harry Keller, starring Audie Murphy in the title role (his character's "first" name is the same as the title). Young "Seven" is a talented but novice Texas Ranger who is in the process of learning the tricks of the trade from veteran Ranger Sergeant Hennessey (John McIntire). The two are currently hunting down the flamboyant outlaw Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan), crafty enough not only to elude them, but to take a surprise offensive against them as well. In the end, it will take all of "Seven's" abilities to capture the wanted criminal.

The Unforgiven

1960 - Hecht-Hill-Lancaster / James Productions / United Artists

Main Cast: Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Lillian Gish, Audie Murphy, Dough McClure. Directed by John Houston. Produced by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster / James Productions / United Artists.

One of Hollywood's most famous and acclaimed directors, John Huston guides this western with an unerring hand -- the cast of notable stars is no drawback either. Setting up the story with a series of suspenseful scenes, Huston has a mysterious stranger on horseback come into a small community in the Texas Panhandle and then proceed to cause a mini-war. The time is the mid-19th century and there is already antagonism between the white settlers in the community and the local Kiowa Indian nation. The Zachary family is at the crux of the trouble. Matilda (Lillian Gish) is the matriarch who holds a family secret -- her adopted daughter Rachel (Audrey Hepburn) is actually a Kiowa child. There are three brothers in the Zachary family, and one of them, Ben (Burt Lancaster) is obviously in love with Rachel. Another, Cash (Audie Murphy) hates Native Americans, while the youngest (Doug McClure) is there to defend the family when they need it. The stranger on horseback has done the unthinkable, he has made it widely known that Rachel is a Kiowa -- and then the battles begin.

Hell Bent for Leather

1960 - Gordon Kay Productions / UI

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Felicia Farr, Stephen McNally, Robert Middleton, Rad Fulton. Directed by George Sherman. Produced by Gordon Kay Productions / UI.

Hell Bent for Leather is a standard western that features Audie Murphy in the role of Clay, a cowboy hunted by a posse out for blood. Clay deals and trade in horses in an honest way, and he does not suspect that a crooked U.S. Marshal (Stephen McNally) interested in furthering his career, is determined to nab him as a killer though he knows full well Clay is innocent. When first attacked, Clay grabs a hostage (Felicia Farr) who eventually sides with him and helps him in the long chase that follows. Clay's challenge is not only to get away from the Marshal and his posse but to somehow prove his innocence as well. Murphy, the most decorated soldier in World War II was still riding the popularity of his own real-life story in 1955's To Hell and Back when this western was released.

Cast a Long Shadow

1959 - United Artists

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Terry Moore. Directed by Thomas Carr.  Produced by United Artists.

Audie Murphy co-produced this film and plays the part of a saddletramp who inherits the ranch of the man he thinks was his father. Not knowing that the ranch is deep in debt, he takes a chance and goes on a cattle drive to raise money needed to keep the ranch running. There are those who try to sabotage his efforts but eventually the cattle get to market and the ranch is saved.

 

 

The Wild and the Innocent (1959) .... Yancy Hawks

No Name on the Bullet

1959 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Willis Bouchey, Warren Stevens, Whit Bissell. Directed by Jack Arnold. Produced by Universal.

John Gant (Audie Murphy) rides into the town of Lordsburg and quietly checks into the hotel. He doesn't say much, nor does he need to -- his mere presence does the talking. Gant is a killer, a hired assassin, a gunman with 23 dead men to his credit, but he is not a murderer or a criminal; all of his killings have been legal, a result of self-defense when the men he was after drew on him. When he comes to a town, someone dies as surely as if he were the angel of death -- he even tells the town doctor in Lordsburg (Charles Drake) that he's in "a similar line of work," and ends up playing chess with him. Who has he come to "see" in Lordsburg? No one is sure, but as the sheriff (Willis Bouchey) tells his deputy, it will be mighty interesting watching the leading citizens over the next few days. Sure enough, the town banker (Whit Bissell) locks himself in his office with a gun, his business partner starts packing iron for the first time in his life, the man they cheated in their dealings is also going armed; and one guilty cuckold (Warren Stevens) is positive his ex-rival has paid Gant. Less than 12 hours after that, there's no law left in Lordsburg, every dirty little secret in every man's past starts bubbling to the surface, and gunplay has broken out in the streets between the men who think their respective rivals have brought Gant to town.

Ride a Crooked Trail

1958 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Walter Matthau, Gia Scala. Directed by Jesse Hibbs. Produced by Universal.

Audie Murphy heads the cast of the better-than-usual oater Ride a Crooked Trail. It all begins when gunslinger Joe Maybe (Murphy) is mistaken for a famed U.S. marshal. This wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that Joe has already drawn up plans to rob the town's bank with his cohort Sam Teeler (Henry Silva). The dilemma deepens when Joe falls in love with Teeler's ex-girlfriend, Tessa Milotte (Gia Scala), and begins entertaining notions of reforming. A youthful Walter Matthau steals the show as boozy, braggadocio Judge Kyle.

The Gun Runners

1958 - Seven Arts / United Artists

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Eddie Albert, Patricia Owens, Everett Sloane, Gita Hall, Richard Jaeckel . Directed by Don Siegel. Produced by Seven Arts / United Artists.

The third and (as of 2005) the last film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's short story To Have and Have Not, The Gun Runners was as topical as this morning's news when it came out in 1958. Audie Murphy plays Sam Martin, a charter-boat skipper based in Key West, whose bad luck has enlarged from the gambling tables to his business. He's managed to stay honest up to this point, with a little help from his boozy friend and first-mate, Harvey (Everett Sloane), and a lot from his loyal, loving wife, Lucy (Patricia Owens), both of whom represent the best things in Sam's life. But then he finds himself about to lose his boat, and the only opportunity he has to save it lies with a larcenous American arms seller named Hannagan (Eddie Albert), who isn't above murder to get what he wants. Sam falls in with him, first for a quick trip in and out of Cuba and then up to his neck, and he is suddenly faced with destroying the most decent part of himself and the only people who care about him.

The Quiet American

1958 - Figaro Films / United Artists

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Produced by Figaro Films / United Artists.

The Quiet American was the first major American-financed film to touch upon the powder-keg situation in Vietnam (still referred to as Indochina in 1958). Audie Murphy plays an enigmatic American who comes to Saigon, ostensibly on an economic mission. He meets an embittered journalist (Michael Redgrave) who is living with an Indochinese girl (Giorgia Moll). The American falls for the girl and promises to marry her. In retaliation, the reporter tells the communists that the American GI's economist stance is a cover, and that he is actually selling munitions to non-communist troops. Graham Greene had intended his novel The Quiet American to be an attack against American influence in Southeast Asia. Producer/director/adapter Joseph L. Mankiewicz would have none of that, so he changed the ending into a pro-Yankee tract -- thereby killing any impact the film might have had.

Night Passage

1958 - Universal

Main Cast: James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Dianne Foster, Elaine Stewart. Directed by James Nielson. Produced by Universal.

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.

Joe Butterfly (1957) .... Pvt. Joe Woodley

  The Guns of Fort Petticoat

1957 - Columbia Pictures

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Kathryn Grant, Hope Emerson, Jeff Donnell, Jeanette Nolan. Directed by JGeorge Marshall.  Produced by Columbia Pictures.

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.

The Flight

1957

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Susan Kohner. Directed by James Neilson.

Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION stories were meant to fascinate, mystify and confound the audience, and generally dealt with people's fears and suspicions. Alfred Hitchcock, who had his own series on CBS at this time, produced half of the filmed episodes.

Plot: Hired to fly a cargo to Bermuda, pilot Steve Murray (Audie Murphy) finds that the cargo's human and the destination has been changed.

Walk the Proud Land

1956 - Apache Agent / Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Jay Silverheels, Anne Bancroft. Directed by Jesse Hibbs. Produced by Apache Agent / Universal.

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.

World in My Corner (1956) .... Tommy Shea

To Hell and Back

1955 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson, Susan Kohner, Greg Palmer, David Janssen, Charles Drake, Jack Kelly. Directed by Jesse Hibbs. Produced by Universal.

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.

Destry

1954 - Stanley Rubin / Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Lyle Bettger, Edgar Buchanan, Thomas Mitchell, Mari Blanchard, Lori Nelson. Directed by George Marshall. Produced by Stanley Rubin / Universal.

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.

Drums Across the River

1954 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan, Lyle Bettger, Jay Silverheels. Directed by Nathan Juran. Produced by Universal.

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.

Ride Clear of Diablo

1954 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, Dan Duryea, Abbe Lane, Russell Johnson. Directed by Jesse Hibbs. Produced by Universal.

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.

Tumbleweed

1953 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Lori Nelson, Chill Wills, Roy Roberts, Russell Johnson, Lee Van Cleef, Lyle Talbot. Directed by Nathan Juran. Produced by Universal.

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.

Column South

1953 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Joan Evans, Robert Sterling, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver. Directed by Frederick de Cordova. Produced by Universal.

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.

Gunsmoke

1953 - Seven Arts / United Artists

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, Paul Kelly, Mary Castle, Charles Drake, Jack Kelly . Directed by Nathan Juran, Richard Whorf, Bartlett Carré. Produced by Seven Arts / United Artists.

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.

The Duel at Silver Creek

1952 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Stephen McNally, Eugene Lglesias, Faith Domergue, Gerald Mohr. Directed by Don Seigal. Produced by Universal.

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.

The Cimarron Kid

1952 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Yvette Dugay, Beverly Tyler, John Hudson, James Best. Directed by Budd Boetticher. Produced by Universal.

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.

The Red Badge of Courage

1951 - MGM

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, John Dierkes. Directed by John Huston. Produced by MGM.

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.

Kansas Raiders

1950 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Richard Long, James Best, John Kellogg, Tony Curtis, Brian Donlevy. Directed by Ray Enright. Produced by Universal.

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 Quantrell's Raiders. Idolizing Quantrell (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.

Sierra

1950 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Wanda Hendrix, Dean Jagger, Burl Ives, Sara Allgood, Richard Rober, James Arness, Tony Curtis. Directed by Alfred E. Green. Produced by Universal.

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.

The Kid from Texas

1950 - Universal

Main Cast: Audie Murphy, Gale Storm, Albert Dekker. Directed by Knut Neumann. Produced by Universal.

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.

Bad Boy (1949) .... Danny Lester

Beyond Glory (1948) .... Thomas

Texas, Brooklyn and Haven

1948 - United Artits

Main Cast: Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, Florence Bates, Audie Murphy, Susan Kohner. Directed by William Castle, Michael Gordon.  Produced by United Artists.

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.