MURPHY, AUDIE

MURPHY, Audie: translation

(1924–1971)

Born in Texas, Audie Murphy is one of the most neglected Western stars and his work is undergoing a major revaluation. Murphy fought in World War II and returned a genuine war hero, a man who knew intense combat first hand. Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier of the war, earning 33 medals and the Medal of Honor itself. James Cagney saw Murphy’s picture on the cover of Life magazine and invited him to Hollywood, where he began playing bit roles in the late 1940s. In 1950 Universal signed him and began featuring the combat hero in Westerns. Audie Murphy starred in 29 Westerns of varying quality. His best films were probably Destry (1954) ; Hell Bent for Leather (1960) ; and his last film, A Time for Dying (1969), directed by Budd Boetticher. When he was killed in a plane crash in 1971, Audie Murphy was just developing into a real Western star independent of his war hero image.