Audie Murphy legacy
Encyclopedia
The Audie Murphy legacy or cultural influence involves events and organizations that endure beyond the lifetime of Audie Murphy
, who was the most decorated United States soldier during World War II
, and who also became a Hollywood actor appearing in 44 films and on various television shows. The legacy also connects Audie Murphy with many other people beyond his personal biography.
. The list of military awards for Audie Murphy also provides a snapshot of many of the military honors that were established during World War II.
established the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club at Fort Hood, Texas
,
a post located in Killeen, Texas
(halfway between Austin
and Waco
).
Since 1994, other units of the U.S. Army have established chapters of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) as exclusive clubs to honor noncommissioned officers (sergeants) who have acted in a manner consistent with the actions of Audie Murphy
.
The SAMC membership selection process has four phases:
videos.
Because of Murphy's initial fame as a war hero, his military influence is often more noted than that of other contemporary Hollywood-actor servicemen, such as James Stewart
, Karl Malden
, Lee Marvin
, and Ed McMahon
. Audie Murphy appeared in 33 Hollywood westerns, but those films are not all formula-style pictures, as they include a range of productions spanning 20 years, including The Cimarron Kid, Destry, The Duel at Silver Creek (1952), No Name on the Bullet
(1959) and A Time for Dying (1969).
Don Siegel
considered Murphy for the role of Scorpio in Dirty Harry
. Siegel thought it would be a nice irony to have a genuine war hero and heroic screen icon playing a psychopathic killer. Siegel offered Murphy the role, but Murphy died prior to making his final decision.
>... aka Einer spielt falsch (West Germany)
>... aka Mivtza Kahir (Israel: Hebrew title)
>... aka Renegade Posse (USA)
>... aka Gun Fight at Comanche Creek (USA: poster title)
>... aka War Hero (USA)
>... aka Battle on the Beach (UK)
>(directed by John Huston
, also starred Burt Lancaster
& Audrey Hepburn
)
>... aka Ford Startime
>... aka Lincoln-Mercury Startime
> - episode: The Man (1960) .... Howard Wilton
>... aka Gunrunners (International: English title)
>... aka "G.E. Theater" (USA: informal short title)
> - episode: "Incident" (1958) .... Tennessee
> (based on British
author Graham Greene
's 1955 novel The Quiet American
; a controversial film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
, also starred Michael Redgrave
and Giorgia Moll)
> - episode: The Flight (1957) .... Steve Murray
> (an "A" level Western top-billing James Stewart
)
> (a remake of the 1939 film titled Destry Rides Again
.)
>... aka The Breckenridge Story (USA)
>... aka Three Were Renegades (USA)
>... aka A Man's Country (USA)
>... aka Roughshod (USA)
>... aka Claim Jumpers (USA)
>... aka Texas Kid, Outlaw (UK)
>... aka The Story of Danny Lester
>... aka The Girl from Texas (UK)
The films from 1948 involved bit parts. The first starring role for Audie Murphy was in Bad Boy (1949).
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
, who was the most decorated United States soldier during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and who also became a Hollywood actor appearing in 44 films and on various television shows. The legacy also connects Audie Murphy with many other people beyond his personal biography.
Military awards
Audie Murphy became famous as the United States' "most decorated soldier" of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The list of military awards for Audie Murphy also provides a snapshot of many of the military honors that were established during World War II.
Audie Murphy clubs
In early 1986, the CSM George L. Horvath III and III Corps Commander LTG Crosbie E. SaintCrosbie E. Saint
Crosbie Edgerton Saint is a retired United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1988 to 1992.-Military career:...
established the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club at Fort Hood, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
,
a post located in Killeen, Texas
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
(halfway between Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
).
Since 1994, other units of the U.S. Army have established chapters of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) as exclusive clubs to honor noncommissioned officers (sergeants) who have acted in a manner consistent with the actions of Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
.
The SAMC membership selection process has four phases:
- Phase One: Army Commanders nominate their finest NCO leaders for selection as SAMC members. Candidates are screened by the unit to determine their leadership ability; training excellence (technical and tactical); care for Soldiers and families; commitment to Army Values; demonstration of Warrior Ethos, Soldier's Creed, and NCO Creed.
- Phase Two: Units conduct a performance evaluation, based on the training accomplishments of the candidates and their soldierSoldierA soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s.
- Phase Three: Units conduct at least one screening board, which will evaluate the candidate's appearance, bearing, speaking and thinking abilities, mastery of common warrior tasks (hands-on evaluation) and Army policies and programs (question-answer evaluation).
- Phase Four: The SMDC CSM chairs the final selection board. This board focuses on a candidate's knowledge of their soldiers and families as well as Army policies and programs. Emphasis is on situational questions which have no single correct answer, but which force the candidates to apply policies and programs to given situations, and to defend the solutions.
Films made
Another notable aspect of Audie Murphy's legacy is the collection of films in which he appeared, some having been re-released as DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
videos.
Because of Murphy's initial fame as a war hero, his military influence is often more noted than that of other contemporary Hollywood-actor servicemen, such as James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
, Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
, Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
, and Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon
Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
. Audie Murphy appeared in 33 Hollywood westerns, but those films are not all formula-style pictures, as they include a range of productions spanning 20 years, including The Cimarron Kid, Destry, The Duel at Silver Creek (1952), No Name on the Bullet
No Name on the Bullet
No Name on the Bullet is a 1959 western film. It is one of a handful of pictures in that genre directed by Jack Arnold, better known for his science-fiction movies of the era...
(1959) and A Time for Dying (1969).
Don Siegel
Don Siegel
Donald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
considered Murphy for the role of Scorpio in Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
. Siegel thought it would be a nice irony to have a genuine war hero and heroic screen icon playing a psychopathic killer. Siegel offered Murphy the role, but Murphy died prior to making his final decision.
Filmography
The following are films (or television shows) in which Audie Murphy appeared (listed in reverse chronological order, with name of character portrayed):- A Time for Dying (1969) .... Jesse James
- 40 Guns to Apache Pass40 Guns to Apache Pass40 Guns to Apache Pass is a 1967 Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy. It was Murphy's last starring film and the final film of Robert E. Kent Productions.-Plot:...
(1967) .... Capt. Bruce Coburn - The Texican (1966) .... Jess Carlin
... aka Texas Kid (Spain) - Trunk to CairoTrunk to Cairo-Plot:Mike Merrick is an American agent who is sent to meet with Professor Schlieben a German scientist. During the mission it is revealed that the professor is a Neo-Nazi, developing a weaponized rocket that can be used against the Western world. Merrick now must destroy the rocket plans hidden...
(1966) .... Mike Merrick
... aka Cairo Campaign
>... aka Einer spielt falsch (West Germany)
>... aka Mivtza Kahir (Israel: Hebrew title)
- Gunpoint (1966) .... Chad Lucas
- Arizona Raiders (1965) .... Clint Stewart
- Apache Rifles (1964) .... Jeff Stanton
- Bullet for a Badman (1964) .... Logan Keliher
>... aka Renegade Posse (USA)
- The Quick Gun (1964) .... Clint Cooper
- Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963) .... Bob 'Gif' Gifford aka Judd Tanner
>... aka Gun Fight at Comanche Creek (USA: poster title)
- War is Hell (1963) .... Narrator
>... aka War Hero (USA)
- Showdown (1963) .... Chris Foster
- Six Black Horses (1962) .... Ben Lane
- Battle at Bloody BeachBattle at Bloody BeachBattle at Bloody Beach is a 1961 Drama directed by Herbert Coleman, starring Audie Murphy and Gary Crosby. Battle at Bloody Beach is only the second Audie Murphy movie set in WWII, after his autobiographical To Hell and Back.-Plot:...
(1961) .... Craig Benson
>... aka Battle on the Beach (UK)
- Whispering SmithWhispering Smith (TV series)Whispering Smith is a short-lived American Western series that aired on NBC. Based on a 1948 movie, the series stars Audie Murphy as Tom "Whispering" Smith, a police detective in Denver, Colorado...
(1961) TV Series .... Detective Tom "Whispering" Smith (26 episodes) - Posse from HellPosse from HellPosse from Hell is a 1961 Audie Murphy Western written by Clair Huffaker based on his 1958 novel of the same name. Herbert Coleman made his directoral debut.-Plot:...
(1961) .... Banner Cole - Seven Ways from SundownSeven Ways from SundownSeven Ways from Sundown is a 1960 Western film about an inexperienced Texas Ranger, played by Audie Murphy, who is sent to bring in a dangerous, if charming, outlaw played by Barry Sullivan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Clair Huffaker, who also wrote the script...
(1960) .... Seven Ways From Sundown Jones - The UnforgivenThe Unforgiven (1960 film)The Unforgiven is a 1960 American western film filmed in Durango, Mexico released in 1960. The film was directed by John Huston and starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, Charles Bickford and Lillian Gish...
(1960) .... Cash Zachary
>(directed by John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
, also starred Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
& Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
)
- Hell Bent for Leather (1960) .... Clay Santell
- StartimeStartime (TV series)Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American television shows broadcast in color. The program was aired Tuesday nights in the United States on the NBC Television network in the 1959-60 television season....
(TV anthology series)
>... aka Ford Startime
>... aka Lincoln-Mercury Startime
> - episode: The Man (1960) .... Howard Wilton
- Cast a Long Shadow (1959) .... Matt Brown
- The Wild and the InnocentThe Wild and the InnocentThe Wild and the Innocent is a 1959 Western film starring Audie Murphy and Sandra Dee as two inexperienced young people who get into trouble when they visit a town for the very first time.-Cast:*Audie Murphy as Yancy Hawks*Joanne Dru as Marcy Howard...
(1959) .... Yancy Hawks - No Name on the BulletNo Name on the BulletNo Name on the Bullet is a 1959 western film. It is one of a handful of pictures in that genre directed by Jack Arnold, better known for his science-fiction movies of the era...
(1959) .... John Gant - The Gun RunnersThe Gun RunnersThe Gun Runners, a 1958 film directed by Don Siegel, is the third adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel To Have and Have Not, starring Audie Murphy and Patricia Owens. Everett Sloane essays the part of the alcoholic sidekick originally played by Walter Brennan in the film's first adaptation,...
(1958) .... Sam Martin
>... aka Gunrunners (International: English title)
- Ride a Crooked TrailRide a Crooked TrailRide a Crooked Trail is a 1958 American western film, with former World War II hero Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winning actor Walter Matthau heading a strong if not well-known cast.-Plot:...
(1958) .... Joe Maybe - General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
(TV anthology series)
>... aka "G.E. Theater" (USA: informal short title)
> - episode: "Incident" (1958) .... Tennessee
- The Quiet American (1958) .... The American
> (based on British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
's 1955 novel The Quiet American
The Quiet American
The Quiet American is an anti-war novel by British author Graham Greene, first published in United Kingdom in 1955 and in the United States in 1956. It was adapted into films in 1958 and 2002. The book draws on Greene's experiences as a war correspondent for The Times and Le Figaro in French...
; a controversial film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph Leo Mankiewicz was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career and is best known as the writer-director of All About Eve , which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six. He was brother to screenwriter and drama critic Herman J...
, also starred Michael Redgrave
Michael Redgrave
Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave, CBE was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author.-Youth and education:...
and Giorgia Moll)
- "SuspicionSuspicion (TV series)Suspicion is the title of an American television mystery drama series which aired on the NBC from 1957 through 1959. The executive producer of Suspicion was film director Alfred Hitchcock.-Overview:...
" (TV anthology series)
> - episode: The Flight (1957) .... Steve Murray
- Night Passage (1957) .... The Utica Kid
> (an "A" level Western top-billing James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
)
- Joe ButterflyJoe ButterflyJoe Butterfly is a comedy film directed by Jesse Hibbs and starring Audie Murphy, George Nader, Keenan Wynn, and Burgess Meredith in the title role. The movie follows the staff of Yank magazine, who are among the first American troops in Tokyo after Japan's surrender. They are given the difficult...
(1957) .... Pvt. Joe Woodley - The Guns of Fort PetticoatThe Guns of Fort PetticoatThe Guns of Fort Petticoat is a 1957 Technicolor Western produced by Harry Joe Brown and Audie Murphy for Columbia Pictures. It was based on the 1955 short story "Petticoat Brigade" by Chester William Harrison that he expanded into a novelization for the film's release. It was directed by George...
(1957) .... Lt. Frank Hewitt - Walk the Proud LandWalk the Proud LandWalk the Proud Land is a 1956 Western Technicolor CinemaScope film directed by Jesse Hibbs, starring Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winner Anne Bancroft. It was filmed at Old Tucson.-Plot:...
(1956) .... John P. ClumJohn ClumJohn Philip Clum was an Indian agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory. He implemented a limited form of self-government on the reservation that was so successful that other reservations were closed and their residents moved to San Carlos. Clum later became the...
... aka Apache Agent - World in My Corner (1956) .... Tommy Shea
- To Hell and BackTo Hell and Back (film)To Hell and Back is a CinemaScope war film released in 1955. It was directed by Jesse Hibbs and starred Audie Murphy as himself and Kyle Sanville. It is based on the 1949 autobiography of the same name and is an account of Murphy's World War II experiences as a soldier in the U.S. Army...
(1955) .... Audie Murphy - DestryDestry (film)Destry is a 1954 western starring Mari Blanchard, Audie Murphy, and Thomas Mitchell. The third and final film version of Max Brand's Destry Rides Again, this 1954 version is closer to the 1939 Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart film version than it is to the Brand original. Indeed Halliwells film...
(1954) .... Tom Destry
> (a remake of the 1939 film titled Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again is a western starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody, Jr., and Una Merkel. The original Max Brand novel was translated into an "oater" with the...
.)
- Drums Across the RiverDrums Across the RiverDrums Across the River is a 1954 Technicolor Western directed by Nathan Juran, starring Audie Murphy and Walter Brennan. Gary Brannon , is a peaceful homesteader living a quiet existence with his father Sam...
(1954) .... Gary Brannon - Ride Clear of DiabloRide Clear of DiabloRide Clear of Diablo is a 1954 Technicolor Western. It is the first collaboration between Audie Murphy and Jesse Hibbs, and the last film Susan Cabot made for Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
(1954) .... Clay O'Mara
>... aka The Breckenridge Story (USA)
- TumbleweedTumbleweed (1953 film)Tumbleweed is a 1953 western film starring Audie Murphy, Lori Nelson, Chill Wills, Roy Roberts, Russell Johnson, K.T. Stevens, Madge Meredith, and Lee Van Cleef. It was also known as Three Were Renegades....
(1953) .... Jim Harvey
>... aka Three Were Renegades (USA)
- Column South (1953) .... Lt. Jed Sayre
- GunsmokeGunsmoke (film)Gunsmoke is a 1953 western film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Audie Murphy alongside Susan Cabot, Paul Kelly, Charles Drake. Gunsmoke is a Technicolor film for action star and war hero Audie Murphy.-Plot:...
(1953) .... Reb Kittridge
>... aka A Man's Country (USA)
>... aka Roughshod (USA)
- The Duel at Silver CreekThe Duel at Silver CreekThe Duel at Silver Creek is a 1952 Western film directed by Don Siegel and starring Audie Murphy...
(1952) .... Luke Cromwell, The Silver Kid
>... aka Claim Jumpers (USA)
- The Cimarron Kid (1952) .... Bill Doolin aka The Cimarron Kid
- The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage (film)The Red Badge of Courage is a 1951 war film made by MGM. It was directed by John Huston and produced by Gottfried Reinhardt with Dore Schary as executive producer. The screenplay is by John Huston, adapted by Albert Band from the Stephen Crane novel of the same name. The cinematography is by...
(1951) .... The Youth - Kansas Raiders (1950) .... Jesse James
- Sierra (1950) .... Ring Hassard
- The Kid from Texas (1950) .... William Bonney ('Billy the Kid')
>... aka Texas Kid, Outlaw (UK)
- Bad BoyBad Boy (1949 film)Bad Boy is a 1949 film starring Audie Murphy in his first leading role. It was directed by Kurt Neumann.In the film, Murphy plays Danny Lester, a hardened juvenile delinquent sent away by a judge to a Variety Clubs Boys Ranch in Texas run by Marshall Brown and his wife Maud where the couple...
(1949) .... Danny Lester
>... aka The Story of Danny Lester
- Beyond Glory (1948) .... Thomas
- Texas, Brooklyn and HeavenTexas, Brooklyn and HeavenTexas, Brooklyn and Heaven is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by William Castle and starring Guy Madison and Diana Lynn.- Plot :...
(1948) .... Copy boy
>... aka The Girl from Texas (UK)
The films from 1948 involved bit parts. The first starring role for Audie Murphy was in Bad Boy (1949).