Audie Murphy

I know a lot has been said about Audie Murphy, and all the Western films he starred in. Last night, Encore Westerns played No Name on the Bullet, starring Murphy, but earlier in the evening I heard that yesterday, Jan. 26, marked the 66th anniversary of the battle in which Murphy was awarded his Medal of Honor. This was 12 weeks after being wounded in the hip, and the day after returning to duty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy

I just got a chance to see "Tumbleweeds for the first time in its entirety. A very entertaining film starring Audie Murphy, Chill Wills, Russell Johnson, and Lee Van Cleef. Oh yeah, and a scrawny white horse named Tumbleweeds! A very good way to spend 90 minutes.

Steve,
Posse From Hell has been officially released and it's a good copy from The Hollywood Studio Collection. Also Kit Parker Films have released a brilliant remastered dvd of Apache Rifles. Also check out TCM movies. They are going to release a few great westerns in April. Ambush, Robert Taylor and The Outriders, Joel McCrea to name two.
Andy

I did check out TCM Movies store and they list the Univeral and Warner Archives and a few RKO Collection titles. This looks like a good place to at least check out in one place what is coming in these areas. They list a lot of titles.

I have watched two of the four Audie Murphy westerns in TCM's exclusive box set. Sierra and Ride Clear of Diablo have both been very entertaining. The visual presentation of Sierra was excellent and good on Ride Clear of Diablo. Maybe Audie Murphy will finally get proper credit for being a very good actor. He will always be in the shadow of John Wayne, Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea by many, but I think his name deserves to be mentioned in that group as part of the actors that made 50's westerns so popular.

Bill,
You make a very fair,and valid,point about Audie Murphy,he deserves to be mentioned with all the rest of our western stars,because he was one!!!!
Sometimes I think we can be a bit too hard on our western stars,and yes I,m as guilty as anybody else,the western is our favourite genre,not Shakesperian/History films etc;and in the western category all we look for is entertainment/action and by and large we get that!!!!!
Audie Murphy,Alan Ladd,Randolph Scott,aye John Wayne and Clint Eastwood too,aint ever gonna be classed as "actors" in the Spencer Tracy mould,but we aint wanting them to be ACTORS as such,we want them to be hero,s/good guys,and they were/are with Clint still here,bearing in mind we all agree about John Wayne,s acting ability in Red River/The Searchers.
My favourite Audie western is Guns of Fort Petticoat,dont ask me why,it,s a simple wee story,and Audie isn,t Spencer,but it,s got that "something" that we all love,we cant explain it,we,ve definitely seen better westerns,better performances,better everything,but we just love it!!!!! and that,s Audie,s Guns of Fort Petticoat for me,I thought he was great/perfect in it,and nobody is ever gonna change my mind,every one of us Pards on our Forum has an "Audie,s Guns of Fort Petticoat",we love it but cant explain WHY,WE JUST LOVE IT!!!!!
Davy,westernnut.

Davy, I agree, Guns of Fort Petticoat was a very entertaining movie. Perhaps a lot of the "what I thought yesterday / what I think today," comes with age. I remember long ago seeing an Audie Murphy movie (don't recall title) and thinking the movie was just okay, but Audie Murphy seemed to be to young, to baby faced to play the role. As the years role by and something along the lines of maturity sneaks in between the ears, I became quite interested in Audie's life, especially his Military life. A sense of appreciation and pride in what he had done starting turning me towards looking again at Audie Murphy the western actor. Now the more I see of Audie, the more I like what I see. Like you said Davy, no Spencer Tracy up on the big screen. That said, I guess we could reverse it and say about Spencer Tracy, sorry, you're no Audie Murphy and that could apply to just about any actor. Of course this all relates into taking a look at the entire life of Audie Murphy, not just what we see on the screen. I remember in my youth, pretty much the same thing applied as to my taste in music. I wouldn't walk across the street to see or hear Frank Sinatra. Just didn't think he had a great voice, compared to others of the same time frame, i.e., Jerry Vale, Steve Lawrence, Johnny Mathis, Jack Jones, etc etc etc. Again, time has passed and a certain appreciation for what Frank did in the world of popular music is now embedded in my soul. I've even acquired a box set of his tv specials and concerts. Big orchestra, snappy arrangements and that certain something, not the great voice, just something. Like Audie Murphy, that certain something, that way time has of making you take a second look, a second listen, a way of making you seek out the good and just enjoy and forget all of what may or may not have been bad. Yep Audie, I'll include you in any type of discussion about western movies because I think you earned the right to be included with Wayne, Scott, Eastwood, McCrea and so many others. Bullfrog Bill

Hi Bill,
I feel a wee bit "ashamed" for not mentioning Joel McCrea and Ben Johnson in my earlier post,these two guys are just about the perfect example,you wouldn,t consider them in the same league as Spencer,Charles Laughton,BUT,they never tried to be these two greats,they were "themselves",I,m interrupting myself here to make it quite clear that this is meant with no disrespect to Joel/Ben,these two great western stars/actors are two of my very favourite westerners!!!!!
I,ve seen Joel/Ben in other genres,and they were both "fine",but in westerns they were GREAT,that really is Joel/Ben,s "forte",and jeez did they give us pleasure,still do in fact.
I remember getting into a heated discussion on the merits of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,it was said that TMWSLV had the greatest western cast ever,which automatically made it the greatest western ever???and I took umbrage to that statement,not because I didn,t like TMWSLV,I loved it,and not because I didn,t think that it had the greatest western cast ever,it did have a GREAT western cast,but THE GREATEST?????
No Slim Pickens/Harry Carey Jnr/Katy Jurado/Ben Johnson/Audie Murphy etc;there was a big list of western stars/character actors who weren,t in TMWSLV,
Bill,you,re gonna laugh here,I,ve completely lost my thought/thread,and for the life of me I just cant remember,ha! is that senile coming into play here???ha!
Anyway,the point I "think" I was trying to make was ALL these actors we,ve mentioned played other genres very good,but in the western genre they excelled themselves!!!
I,m still laughing at myself here Bill,ha! as I said,I "think" that,s the point I was trying to make,ha!
Jeez if I,m like that at 60!!!! what in the beejeesus am I gonna be like at 70!!!!!!
Davy,whatsmynameagain?????

Bill,
I,m just looking over our posts,and I think I was trying to bring your Frank Sinatra comment into play,but I completely "lost" what I was thinking/talking about.
I do agree with you about Mr Sinatra,like you I wasn,t a big Frank fan when I was younger,but since I "matured",if I have,I,ve come to really appreciate how GREAT Frank Sinatra was.
I love most kinds of music,if I was to "try" and pick one Band,it would be The Eagles,I,ve always loved these guys,still do,their music was for ME,and,if you can understand this,Frank Sinatra is "The Eagles" for me too,I think,when I hear both,that one word sums it up for me,PROFESSIONALISM,at the TOP of the tree.
I dont know if I,m making any sense here Bill,probably not,I,m just blethering to you Pard.
There are two American musicians that border on "genius" for me,but they hardly ever get mentioned,I dont know if it,s "your era" or not Bill,these guys are Bob Seger AND John Fogerty,I think Seger/Fogerty are WHOOOAAGGGHHH,I think the same about Marty Robbins!!!!!
So,I can listen too,Sinatra/Eagles/Seger/Robbins/Fogerty,and you can throw in Louis Prima/Keeley Smith big-time,whooaagghh,Louis/Keely were FABULOUS.
NOW,
HOW was I trying to get all these names into an Audie Murphy thread?????????
Aye Bill,beats me too,ha!jeez I,m gettin "worried" about myself,ha!
Davy,WESTERNMUSICNUT!!!!!

Davy, fear not, I am approximately three years older than you are. When we lose our train of thought, we have an excuse, we're slowly sliding down the other side of the mountain. How fast we travel down that side differs from one person to the next. If nothing else, we can laugh at ourselves and have enough common sense to get over it in a hurry. (providing we remember what we're getting over) You mentioned some great musical artists in this "Audie Murphy" thread, Seger, Fogerty, Eagles. You're just a tad more progressive than I as I got hooked on a lot of the entertainers that appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," which was a Sunday night staple for 20 years. First look at Elvis, first look at Johnny Mathis, first look at Connie Francis and many others who at some point in their careers made mention that the opportunity to be on the Ed Sullivan Show was the real launching pad to a career. I never got to see Louis Prima but did see Keeley Smith about 7-10 yrs ago (see, I can't remember). She was still fabulous. And funny. And she had some ripe comments about one of her ex boyfriends, Frank Sinatra. I'll be seeing Jack Jones in concert August 29th and Johnny Mathis on December 4th, 73 & 76 yrs of age respectfully. Unlike a few performers that refuse to go home and accept the fact that they no longer have it, these two guys are still very much "have it," and Johnny continues to perform at every venue with a full orchestra, something not seen since Frank Sinatra's day. Very few of the greats in popular music remain, much less perform. All are now in their 70's, precious few in their 80's. So there you have it Davy, everything you ever wanted to know about westerns, Audie Murphy and senility all wrapped up in one post on this "western" forum. Ye-Haw! Or as you would say, Ha. Bullfrog Bill

GREAT STUFF Bill,
That,s what it,s all about my very good friend/pard,we have to have the ability to laugh at ourselves,and jeez have I laughed at myself recently!!!!
The artists you mention,screen/music,well,there,s no substitute for CLASS.
Thanks Bill,and I really mean that Pard.
When you think of what age the two of us are,well,we were very lucky to have grown up when we did,seeing/hearing these greats first time around,I remember vividly,though I cant remember what age I was,11 maybe 12,seeing The Everly Brothers singing Walk Right Back/Cathy,s Clown on TV,jeez,the harmony,whoooaaagghhh,aye Bill,it,s great to be a boomer!!!!!!
Davy,westernnut.

Davy, yes indeed, the Everly Brothers. Wow, Wake Up Little Suzie, Dream Dream Dream, so many great songs. Keeping with the "Audie Murphy Theme," (ha) someone once told me, "no Elvis, no Fats Domino, no Everly Brothers, no Rock'n'Roll." Wow, are we climbing into a time machine and going back so far that the air was clean and sex was dirty? Yipes, I'm gonna find me a time machine on ebay and go back to the 50's. And just to keep things on "subject," while back there, I'll go to my local cinema for a "double feature with cartoon, newsreel, short subject" and see an Audie Murphy western. Don't want to stray to far off the range here. Ha! Bullfrog Bill

Bill,
Sorry Pard,I FORGOT,ha!
I came across Louis Prima/Keely Smith by complete accident,in 1981,would you believe,in a Disco in Switzerland,on holiday,they were having,believe it or not,a JIVE competion,in Switzerland 1981!!!!!!
Well,the song they played was Buona Sera,I didn,t know who was singing it,though it was fabulous,and they followed it up with Just A Gigolo,well I immediately marched over to the DJ and asked WHO was singing,he told me Louis Prima,of course me being Scottish,I said WHO?????well,he laughed and told me,in excellent English btw,that the WHOLE World knows Louis Prima,he was the voice of King Louie in Disney,s The Jungle Book!!!!!
I,ve been hooked ever since,and Keely Smith,WHAT a voice.
Davy,westernnut.

Davy, My favorite Big Band that plays at Disneyland once a month, always includes "Just A Gigolo." I understand that Louis Prima/Keely Smith did 6 shows a night from Midnight till 6am at the lounge in the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas and would do this for 6 straight weeks without a break. Suppose to be the greatest lounge act in the history of Vegas and many stars appearing in main showrooms on the Strip would come to their show after doing their own shows. "That Old Black Magic" was a MONSTER hit for them on all the charts, pop, rock, jazz, you name it. Ha, now what was this thread? Oh yeah, Audie Murphy. If he could read this, he'd either declare us both off our rockers or join in with a discussion about the Glenn Miller Orchestra, just to keep the western theme going. Ha! Bullfrog Bill

Since this is the Audie Murphy post I will add that I have
always enjoyed Audie Murph’s westerns…..all those great ones from Universal in
the early 1950’s. Probably my favorite (not counting Red Badge of Courage) is
Ride Clear of Diablo (and that for sentimental …..there goes that word,
sentimental, again…reasons) although close on its heels are his others like Tumbleweed,
Drums Across the River, Destry, Gunsmoke, Sierra, Kansas Raiders, Six Black
Horses & his countless others. These westerns make Audie Murphy one of the
bright stars in the night skies of our western heroes.


And speaking of the
music of the bygone days, and the Everly Brothers in particular, that
flashbacks me to the time when they were just starting out and were not yet
known for the classic songs that they would later record. They appeared on a TV
show called something like Hollywood Talent Roundup where they competed with
five or six other bands to see who would win top vote from the telephone
calling audiences watching the TV show at home. They won. But I remember more
the group, The Re-als, who came in second place. The lead guitarist and vocalist
was a guy known at that time locally as Guitar Goldy…his real name being Bill
Goldrup. Yep, the Bill Goldrup that we visited in Florida
a couple of weeks ago and is our oldest brother. While in Florida
we were able to attend a Saturday night show where his current group that he
plays and sings with were performing, now the new group is called Southern
Pride and Friends. Was enjoyable listening Bill sing some songs like House of
the Rising Sun & Johnny Be Good. Back in his early career he & his
group backed up folks like Bobby Darin at a show in northern California,
and opened for other musicians in Oakland, CA,
like Chuck Barry, Roy Orbison, Duane Eddy, The Coasters & The Fleetwoods. Bill
told us that they were all really friendly folks and had no big egos…..except
for one “star” at the time (name goes unmentioned) that thought she was really
big stuff and rude.


Yep, themusic from
the good old days was great. Where have all those good songs gone…Long time
passing. Those were the days, I thought they’d never end. Music, like the
movies and television, were sooo much better when we were young.


Take care, pards….Tom
(or should I say Tam (Scotish), Omar (Arabic), Tomas (Spanish), Fomo (Russian)……..Yep,
we are an international forum of pards from around the world.

Davy lost his train of thought....hmm....that light growing bigger in the tunnel may remind you where you put it! Kind of like saying the captain of the Titanic lost his dingy! Another really good Audie Murphy movie was "The Quiet American" costarring Michael Redgrave. Set in pre-U.S. involvement days in Viet Nam, its a good story about a murder and the search for the killer. The movie was remade years later starring Michael Caine and Brendan Fraiser. And of course there is Murphy's autobiographical "To Hell and Back" about his war service. Very entertaining!

My favorite Audie Murphy westerns are "No Name on the Bullet" and "The Unforgiven" with Burt Lancaster.

There have been several Audie Murphy westerns on TCM and the Westerns channel lately. I recently watched "Arizona Raiders" and "The Quick Gun". Both very good ways to spend an afternoon!

I watched Audie play Billy the Kid last week in The Kid from Texas....Audie's first western. And I am always pleased to revisit Ride Clear of Diablo (with Dan Duryea as co-star) any day of the week.

Pards,

I didn,t know whether to post on this thread,or the double feature thread,WHY?

Well,I,ve just watched FOUR Audie Murphy westerns back to back,so it could be a double DOUBLE feature,but as this is Audie,s thread,it,s only fitting I posted here!!!

My very good Friend/Pard Andy Mowatt loaned me his TCM Vault Collection of four Audie Murphy westerns,Sierra/Ride Clear of Diablo/Drums Across the River/Ride A Crooked Trail,and I enjoyed the four of them,I know there,s been "talk" in the past of Audie,s "acting ability",but that doesn,t really bother me,it,s the film/western itself that I,m concerned about,and this 4 Audie westerns was very similar to the two Randolph Scott triple western dvd,s,they aren,t The Searchers/Red River,but they aint supposed to be,they are there for our "western enjoyment",and,for me anyway,Audie,s 4 westerns were very enjoyable.

I was struck by the Picture Quality of these dvd,s,Ride Clear of Diablo was okay PQ,the other three were VERY GOOD!!!!

Now and again I mention blu-ray!!!!!!!!!! ha! but I have to admit that these Audie westerns looked great on dvd,especially Sierra,which I had never seen,it was the one I enjoyed most,a role very suited to Audie,quiet and lonesome.

I was also struck by the amount of western character actors in all these films,Tony Curtis appeared in Sierra,this must have been one of Tony,s earliest appearences,he wasn,t even mentioned in the credits??

All in all,a very enjoyable western quartet!!!!!

Definitely RECOMMENDED.

Davy,westernnut.

ps,I suppose you could MAYBE call Audie,s/Randolph,s quartet/triple,"run of the mill westerns",with no disrespect intended,but if they are,they,re still very enjoyable,AND,they certainly weren,t trying to make Shane quality westerns,just westerns to sit and relax to,and in that relaxation they still try to send "a message",the diffirence between good and bad.

Howdy Davy!!

Pard, when you strip away the six guns, the horses, the saloon, the saloon girls, the stetsons, and the stagecoaches, what you have left is a morality play!! Good vs bad. I guess it's the reason that "critics" termed them horse operas or oaters. I doubt if the stars understood what they represented. They were just earning a living like the rest of us, only they did it by acting. Nevertheless, they taught whole generations of tens of millions of children, what was right and what was wrong. What was moral and what was immoral and the bad guy always got it right between the eyes!! Just kiddin, he always got it in the hand or the shoulder or got his neck stretched. Only the good guys got shot in the back!!

Ed

Davy: Last night I watched Drums Across the River. I have the TCM 4pk and I've been watching one movie about every 2 weeks. Just one left and want to make the excitement of seeing these for the first time last as long as possible. Like you said, these aren't top tier westerns and are similar to the Randolph Scott triple features, but critics be damned, these are entertaining and great supporting casts to enjoy. I've always maintained that for my part, a movie must be entertaining or why watch the movie. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and for my money, if I want to hit at least an 8 on the 10 scale, I just grab a Randy or Audie movie and proceed. Bullfrog Bill

Ed,Bill,

I,m in complete agreement with the both of you,I watch a film to be entertained,or to take me away from what,s going on nowadays,and westerns are perfect for that,for me anyway,there,s nothing to beat watching a western for the first time,especially good quality westerns,and no matter what anybody else thinks I can sit back,relax,and really enjoy Audie and Randolph,what,s wrong with that.

Does anybody question the acting ability of the actors in American Pie/The Hangover,etc; NO!!!!!

So why question Audie/Randolph,it,s a western for goodness sake,we aint looking for SHAKESPEARE!!!!!

Davy,westernnut.

I have three of the four Audie Murphy westerns....Ride Clear of Diablo (studio released VHS), Sierra & Drums Across the River (dvd...not studio released but very nice PQ from elsewhere) and I enjoy all three. Yes, Davy, the supporting folks in these shows (Dan Duryea, Jack Elam, Paul Birch, Jim Arness, Burl Ives, Lyle Bettger, Walter Brennan, James Anderson, etc) really help make them fun. As I have said elsewhere, Ride Clear of Diablo is a special sentimental one for me. When we saw it at the cinema, Jim was probably seven or eight years old, and when we came out of the theater Jim went into the bar right next door, walked up to the bar and said to the barkeep, "I'm Whitey Kinkaide, the laughing killer, and I want a drink." The bartender took out a glass, poured a drink, and this little boy stepped back, turned and ran out of the place as other patrons gave out a laugh. Of course, Whitey Kinkaid was the character name of Dan Duryea in the picture. This film was also the movie that we learned the name that went to the face of Jack Elam. We had seen him before in movies and TV shows and had wondered what his name was. So Ride Clear of Diablo always had a special place in our memory. Tom.