AUDIE MURPHY'S

Westerns

Audie Murphy, with Randolph Scott & Joel McCrea seemed to dominate the color western genre in the 1950's thru to the early 1960s. But when Randy & Joel gave westerns away, Audie stayed with them - longer than any other well known actors. Even through to as late as 1967, Audie was still "cranking out" these genre staples that were exciting adventure fare. Easily identified by his "baby face" and usually with a distinctive bandana tied tightly around his neck, real-life war hero, Murphy made some great westerns.

Murphy's westerns were engaging and action packed affairs, but while lacking the tall-in-the-saddle presence of Randolph Scott, or the congeniality of Joel McCrea, Murphy could ride and shoot with the best of them and get the job done with a certain style (which was often termed "taciturn").

Murphy made his film debut in a small role as Cadet Thomas in Beyond Glory (1948), an Alan Ladd vehicle set at West Point which is available from this website (Alan Ladd & INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES sections).

Universal-International placed Murphy under contract and quickly put him to work in westerns.

Audie's first western outing was The Kid from Texas (1950) in which he played Billy the Kid seeking revenge for his benefactor's murder. Kansas Raiders (1950) was an all-star oater with Murphy as Jesse James. The Cimarron Kid (1952) saw Audie involved with the Dalton gang. Stephen McNally and Murphy were U.S. Marshalls pursuing claim jumpers Faith Domerque and Gerald Mohr in Duel at Silver Creek (1952).

Murphy's westerns proved profitable for Universal-International as double bill fare and he turned them out at a steady rate: Gunsmoke (1953), Ride Clear of Diablo (1954), Drums Across the River (1954), Walk the Proud Land (1956) and Seven Ways from Sundown (1960) are good examples of his westerns in this “youthful” period

His westerns became more routine and low budget during the 1960s and those from Murphy and producer A.C. Lyles represent the last burst of Hollywood feature western film production. The genre even switched locales from Hollywood to Spain for a “spaghetti "western (a la Clint Eastwood) titled The Texican (1966).

Age and a heavier build gave Murphy a more mature and rugged western look in his later westerns: Posse from Hell (1961), Gunfight at Commanche Creek (1963), Bullet for a Bad Man (1964) and 40 Guns to Apache Pass (1967) are fine examples of this later period of his western output.

Unfortunately 40 Guns to Apache Pass (1967) was Audie Murphy's last starring role - he was to appear on screen once more - in a small role as Jesse James in Budd Boetticher's A Time for Dying (1969).

Audie Murphy was killed in a plane crash in 1971.

As my tribute to this forever youthful cowboy and incredible real-life WWII hero, find below a collection of his westerns. Its not a complete group but each film is of excellent quality and presents Murphy "at his taciturn best!"

All are in Technicolor except for Cast a Long Shadow (1959) which was filmed in B&W

Note that all of these films can also be found in the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section.

The set up and pricing are the same as for the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section namely:

· The DVDs in this section of the website consist of one movie title per DVD, each movie commencing when inserted into your DVD player (no delays or useless menus).

· DVDs are available in any combination of titles comprising 1, 2 or 4 DVD boxed sets

(Note: They are not available in 3, 5 or 6 DVD sets)

A typical Audie Murphy 4 DVD Western boxed set is pictured below:

· The prices (including Express Postage anywhere) for these single movie DVDs are:

1 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$20 or US$20 or £10

2 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$25 or US$25 or £13

4 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$35 or US$35 or £18

· Email me for a current price in CN$, Euros, NZ$ etc

· PURCHASING TIP: the most economical way to buy movies from this section is in groups of 4 films,

-they are neatly assembled in a quad case with full artwork (see picture above) and sell for AU$35 or US$35 or £18. Since postage is included then each film can be delivered to your door for less than AU$9 or US$9 or £5 per movie!

(Note that AU$ prices are for AU postal destinations only,

international customers to use US$ or UK£)

Bullet for a Badman (1964) - 80 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Darren McGavin, Ruta Lee, Skip Homeier, George Tobias & Alan Hale Jr.

Directed by R.G. Springsteen

Logan Keliher (Audie Murphy) is an ex-lawman who must strap on the guns again to catch a former nemesis, Sam Ward (Darren McGavin), who happens to be the ex husband of Murphy's wife and father of the boy that believes he's Murphy's son.

A treat for Murphy fans!

Cast a Long Shadow (1959) - 82 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Terry Moore, John Dehner, James Best, Rita Lynn & Denver Pyle

Directed by Thomas Carr

Troubled saddletramp, Matt Brown (Audie Murphy) has a penchant for drinking away his pain - but then he inherits a ranch from the man who may have been his father. So he sets out to reform himself. His efforts are ultimately challenged when his old rivals come to town.

An interesting B&W western from Audie …

The Cimarron Kid (1952) - 84 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Beverly Tyler, James Best, Yvette Duguay, John Hudson & Hugh O’Brian

Directed by Budd Boetticher

After being falsely accused of a payroll heist, Bil Doolin aka The Cimarron Kid (Audie Murphy) 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.

Though director Budd Boetticher is best known to western fans for his collaborative efforts with star Randolph Scott, Boetticher also turned out several good actioners with other cowboy stars including this one in which Audie, who by playing Bill Doolin actually fills the same role that was played by Randolph Scott in The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949). Note that all of the Boetticher / Scott westerns as well as the Gordon Douglas directed The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949) are available from within the Randolph Scott section of this website.

Destry (1954) - 95 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard, Lyle Bettger, Thomas Mitchell, Lori Nelson & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by George Marshall

Tom Destry (Audie Murphy), the peace-loving son of a notorious gunslinger, is summoned to a wide-open western town in the hopes that he can stem the villainies of saloon owner Phil Decker (Lyle Bettger) and crooked mayor The Honorable Hiram J. 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 shot by Decker's minions, Destry straps on the shootin' irons and goes to work!

From the Max Brand's novel, Destry Rides Again, this film is a re-make of Jimmy Stewart's 1939 film Destry Rides Again (available from within the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website). Mari Blanchard essays the Marlene Dietrich role as vacillating saloon-hall chirp Brandy, while Lori Nelson is the "good"girl Martha Phillips.

Comedy craftsman George Marshall directed both pictures - 15 years apart!

Drums Across the River (1954) - 78 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan, Lyle Bettger, Lisa Gaye, Hugh O'Brian & Jay Silverheels

Directed by Nathan Juran

Gary Brannon (Audie Murphy) is 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 is aware of it.

Jay Silverheels, best known as Tonto on TV's Lone Ranger, co-stars as Ute warrior Taos.

Audie Murphy is at his taciturn best here.

The Duel at Silver Creek (1952) - 77 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Faith Domergue, Stephen McNally, Susan Cabot, Gerald Mohr & Lee Marvin

Directed by Don Siegel

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 carries on him - and is better known 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, courtesy of a 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.

Nicely balanced western helmed by famed Dirty Harry director Don Seigel

40 Guns to Apache Pass (1967) - 95 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Michael Burns, Kenneth Tobey, Laraine Stephens, Robert Brubaker & Michael Keep

Directed by William Witney

Bands of hostile Apaches are terrorizing settlers under the orders of their leader Chochise (Michael Keep). Cavalry Capt. Bruce Coburn (Audie Murphy) mission is to deliver a shipment of rifles, but it's stolen by greedy white traders with the help of mutinous soldiers - the most devious being the villainous Corporal Bodine (Kenneth Tobey), who runs a thriving business selling guns to the Indians.

The directorial reins of 40 Guns to Apache Pass are in the expert hands of actionmeister William Witney - remember his memorable Republic serials and B westerns? - fabulous!

Unfortunately this was Audie Murphy's last starring role

Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963) - 90 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Ben Cooper, Colleen Miller, DeForest Kelley, Jan Merlin & Adam Williams

Directed by Frank McDonald

In 1875, an agent for the National Detective Agency, Bob 'Gif' Gifford (Audie Murphy) 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. Gifford succeeds in infiltrating the group and sets about bringing the gang leader to justice

Gunsmoke (1953) - 79 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, Paul Kelly, Charles Drake, Mary Castle & Donald Randolph

Directed by Nathan Juran

Gunslinger Reb Kittridge (Audie Murphy) rides into town expecting to take a job helping badman Matt Telford (Donald Randolph) get rid of Dan Saxon (Paul Kelly), now the only other farmer in the basin. Instead the wily Saxon arranges that Kittridge become owner of his ranch, so the gunman lands up with the job of getting a cattle herd to their buyer while he fights off Telford and his men. He also himself falling for Saxon's pretty but independent daughter, Rita (Susan Cabot).

The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957) - 82 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Kathryn Grant, Hope Emerson, Jeff Donnell & Jeanette Nolan

Directed by George Marshall

Cavalryman Lt. Frank Hewitt (Audie Murphy) deserts the Union Army to warn former Texas neighbors of impending Indian attacks triggered by Army massacre. He overcomes initial distrust and convinces the homesteaders (all women whose men are away fighting in the Confederate Army) to take refuge in an abandoned mission. He trains them to fight and shoot in anticipation of the attack. The only other man at the mission runs away o save his scalp and ends up leading the Indians back to the mission. Surrounded and outnumbered, the defenders prepare for the final assault

Kansas Raiders (1950) - 80 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Brian Donlevy, Marguerite Chapman, Scott Brady, Tony Curtis, Richard Arlen, Richard Long, James Best, Dewey Martin & Richard Egan

Directed by Ray Enright

A young Jesse James (Audie Murphy) falls under the Svengali-like spell of the outlaw William Quantrill (Brian Donlevy). Jesse and his youthful gang join the rebels to avenge the death of his parents only to become disillusioned with the senseless violence and looting of innocent civilians. Goaded by Quantrill's girl to leave, Jesse vacillates until the Yankess close in.

Check out that cast - fabulous!

The Kid From Texas (1950) - 78 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Gail Storm, Albert Dekker, Shepperd Strudwick, Will Geer & William Talman

Directed by Kurt Neumann

Billy the Kid becomes embroiled in Lincoln County, NM, land wars. When a rancher who gave him a break is killed by rival henchman, Billy vows revenge. Billy's new employer takes advantage of his naivety to kill rivals and lets The Kid take blame. Billy takes to the hills with friends but when caught, he escapes hanging but remains in area to be near employer's young wife with whom he's infatuated.

Audie's first western!

No Name on the Bullet (1959) - 77 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Joan Evans, Virginia Grey, Warren Stevens & R. G. Armstrong

Directed by Jack Arnold

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 Sheriff Buck Hastings tells his deputy, it will be mighty interesting watching the leading citizens over the next few days. Sure enough, the town banker locks himself in his office with a gun, his business partner starts wearing a gun for the first time in his life, the man they cheated in their dealings is also 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.

Yes! - that’s legendary sci-fi director Jack Arnold at the helm in this always interesting western

Posse From Hell (1961) - 89 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith & Royal Dano

Directed by Herbert Coleman

Banner Cole (Audie Murphy) goes after bad guys who shot his friend the sheriff and abducted a local girl. In a plot reminiscent of High Noon, the posse of town blowhards gradually abandons Cole with only tenderfoot banker Seymour Kern (John Saxon) remaining to prove his manhood. When they find the girl, obviously abused by her captors, Cole shows her acceptance and sympathy whereas the others display only revulsion

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) - 69 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Douglas Dick, Royal Dano, John Dierkes & Arthur Hunnicutt

Directed by John Huston

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 - but its still a film of enormous power!

Trev was forced to read the book in school - but Audie was his hero and so tracking down the film after all the years was a necessity - John Huston is an added bonus!

Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) - 80 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Susa Cabot, Dan Duryea, Abbe Lane & Russell Johnson

Directed by Jesse Hibbs

Notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincaid (Dan Duryea) is hired by sinister forces to kill Clay O'Mara (Audie Murphy), who is out to avenge the murders of his father and brother. Instead, Kincaid befriends O’Mara, and helps him track down his family's killers. What follows is a classic shootout – who will survive?

Great role for Duryea as the snide, smirking Kincaid.

Seven Ways From Sundown (1960) - 96 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Barry Sullivan, Venetia Stevenson, John McIntire, Kenneth Tobey & Mary Field

Directed by Harry Keller

Young "Seven Ways From Sundown" Jones 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.

A nicely turned Audie Murphy western to welcome-in the new decade.

The Texican (1966) - 91 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Broderick Crawford, Diana Lorys, Luz Márquez, Antonio Casas & Antonio Molino Rojo

Directed by Lesley Selander

Wanted north of the border, Jess Carlin (Audie Murphy) resides safely in Mexico. But when he hears that his brother was killed in a gunfight with another man. But he well realizes that his brother never carried a gun so he heads north to find his brother's killer. After battling bounty hunters he arrives in Rimrock, a town controlled by Luke Starr (Broderick Crawford). Starr is the man he wants but he needs to find the evidence

Also known as Texas Kid (1966)

This is Audie’s “Spaghetti Western” which he filmed in Spain with only director Selander & co-star Crawford for US-style company amongst a cast full of non-English speaking players. These cast-members spoke Spanish in the film and their lines are dubbed into English. Please note that said dubbing is not the great est. However the visuals are stunning thanks to excellent work by Spanish cinematographer Francisco Marín.

Walk the Proud Land (1956) - 89 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Ann Bancroft, Pat Crowley, Charles Drake, Tommy Rall, Robert Warwick & Jay Silverheels

Directed by Jesse Hibbs

In 1874 John Philip Clum (Audie Murphy), an Eastern government representative, arrives in San Carlos, Arizona with the 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.

Walk the Proud Land, which is the true story of Indian agent John Philip Clum, as set down on paper by Clum's son,

scores with strong characterizations and well-crafted scriptwork from Gil Doud who also wrote Murphy's To Hell and Back (1955) and Alan Ladd's Saskatchewan (1954) - both of which are available from the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website.

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