Audie Murphy Movies

Want to know the best Audie Murphy movies?  How about the worst Audie Murphy movies?  Curious about Audie Murphy box office grosses or which Audie Murphy movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Audie Murphy movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well, you have come to the right place…. because we have all of that information.

Audie Murphy (1925-1971) was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II.  After the war, Murphy became a movie star. His most famous role was playing himself in 1955’s To Hell and Back.  That movie was based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name. His IMDb page shows 51 acting credits from 1948-1969. This page ranks Audie Murphy movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, documentaries and shorts were not included in the rankings.

Drivel part of the page:  Seems like Audie Murphy has been on our request hotline for a very long time.  So long ago that we can not remember if Dan, Lyle or Laurent requested him first. Well, finally we have finished our Audie Murphy page.  Sadly, when we got to the 1960s….. box office numbers for his movies became very hard to find.  So, 4 of his movies did not make the following table:  Those movies are listed in the “Possibly Interesting Facts” part of the page with their critic audience rating.

Audie Murphy in 1955's To Hell and Back
Audie Murphy in 1955’s To Hell and Back

Audie Murphy Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Audie Murphy Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort Audie Murphy movies by co-stars of his movies
  • Sort Audie Murphy movies by actual domestic box office grosses (in millions)
  • Sort Audie Murphy movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Audie Murphy movies by yearly box office rank
  • Sort Audie Murphy movies how they were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie
  • Sort Audie Murphy movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR)Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.

Audie Murphy and James Stewart in 1957's Night Passage
Audie Murphy and James Stewart in 1957’s Night Passage

Possibly Interesting Facts About Audie Murphy

1. Audie Leon Murphy was born in Kingston, Texas in 1925.  He was the seventh of twelve children.

2. Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war. Among his 33 awards was the Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive.

3.  When James Cagney saw an article on Audie Murphy in Time Magazine concerning his war heroics….Cagney decided to sign Murphy to a movie contract and brought him to Hollywood.

4.  Audie Murphy disliked the name “Audie” when he was a kid and usually went by his middle name, Leon. In the Army, he discovered that “Leon” was considered synonymous with rednecks, and spent the rest of his life going by “Audie” or “Murph.”.

5. Clint Eastwood versus Audie Murphy?  Yep it almost happened.  Murphy was offered the villain role in 1971’s Dirty Harry.  Sadly he died in a plane crash before filming began.

6. Audie Murphy was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

7. Audie Murphy was married two times.  He had two children.

8. Audie Murphy is one of the few actors/actresses in our database to have made over 30 movies and not have one of their movies nominated for a single Oscar® in any category.  The others?  Jennifer Aniston, Elvis Presley and Abbott & Costello.

9.  Audie Murphy has a wonderful official fan website.  Lots of Murphy stuff can be found at www.audiemurphy.com.

10. Check out Audie Murphy ‘s career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.

Astute readers will notice that four movies are missing….we were unable to find any box office information on them but here are those nine movies. Listed by the best rated ones according to critics and audiences

  1. 1962’s Six Black Horse  – 62.50% – critic audience rating
  2. 1966’s The Texican –  60.25% – critic audience rating
  3. 1969’s A Time For Dying – 53.00% – critic audience rating
  4. 1965’s Einer spielt falsch – 49.00% – critic audience rating

 

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158 thoughts on “Audie Murphy Movies”

  1. Hello Bruce.
    I like your Audie Murphy page. I was never a big fan of Mr. Murphy. He looked too much like my father to suit me. My father was a big fan of Audie Murphy. My fathers favorites were Alan Ladd, Tyrone Power and Audie Murphy. I like “The Red Badge of Courage” and “No Name on the Bullet”. There is one scene in “To Hell and Back” that makes me cry and that’s the scene where Murphy breaks down after the death of a friend. I hate the upbeat music score of “To Hell and Back” which really ruins the film as a whole. It’s really quite a sad film. I saw “To Hell and back” at a drive-in theater in Iowa when I was a child. “To Hell and Back” is the only film of Audie Murphy’s that I saw on the big screen. Over the years I’ve come to like Murphy, perhaps because he looks like my father. Thanks for this page.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Lyle. I had you listed as one of the people that requested Audie. So glad to see you found your requested page…unless I wrongly included you on that list (based on your 2nd sentence in your comment). Cool…we now have pages on all three of your dad’s favorite actors. Not sure if my dad had a favorite actor….to him it was favorite movies. He loved Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia….but rarely did he mention David Lean.

      I will have to listen to the score more carefully the next time I watch To Hell And Back. Sounds like you have a vivid memory of your only Audie Murphy movie seen on the big screen. I always felt like dad looked like Michael Caine….which is probably why I like him so much too. Thanks for the visit and the comment.

      Reply

  2. BRUCE

    PAGE ONE

    1 I am not at all being patronising when I say – Congratulations ! I have first hand knowledge of how difficult your Murphy exercise was In my own CPI/Rentals project I had to exclude Audie as I could not locate enough information for a meaningful assessment..

    2 An added bonus for me regarding your Leon [I did not know that ! ! ] page is that you have also given actual gross figures. My nostalgia for the 50s welcomes being re-acquainted with the’ earnings of the films cast in the money of that time.

    [3 After the second world war resources were scare and we had rationing over here. In Belfast some of the smaller cinemas gave you a seat if you offered goods instead of money. A used glass jam jar for example was perfectly acceptable in exchange for a very cheap seat ! No disrespect Bruce but even you would have difficulty converting such a mode of exchanges into reliable grosses as we know them today.]

    4 Glancing over some of the other comments I see that Paul singles out for praise Six Black Horses. An excellent film enhanced by his third (and unfortunately last) pairing with Dan Duryea.

    5 Steve mentions No Name on the Bullet. This would be about 5th on my own list of Murphy favourites. It is a MUST for any Audie fan. Although it was a B movie [Here in Belfast on the second half of a double bill shared with Cagney’s Never Steal Anything Small] it won Audie the finest critical reviews that I can recall. He was simply marvellous as the cold, but cultured ‘hit man’ quietly terrorising a small western town. He should have played the Bad Guy more often. Please Murphy fans if you haven’t seen it order your DVD now!

    6 The titles of his films often had a delicious double meaning. In Seven Ways from Sundown he was nicknamed Seven Ways from Sundown Jones because his father gave his kids numbers instead of names and his mother exaggerated their number.

    7 In The Guns of Fort Petticoat the soldiers were away on a mission and Audie was left to defend the fort with the support of just the womenfolk Of course being Leon he fast tracked the training of the gals so that they became virtual female Rambos. His love interest in the film was a young Kathryn Grant who later became Mrs Bing Crosby.

    8 But unless someone’s desperate he/she should in my opinion stay away from Joe Butterfly. Audie didn’t suit farce. If I recall correctly the Joe Butterfly of the title is an Asian played by a Yank and a kind of poor man’s Bud from Teahouse of August Moon..Of historical note though is that a supporting role in the film was played by Mr Shirley Temple, John Agar.

    9 You will recall that Flora was affronted by Robert Taylor’s reported sense of entitlement to the Cowboy of the Century award. I think the good news now is that I am quietly confident that
    Flora will not savage you for mentioning that that Audie was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

    10. In recognition of of the hard work that you put into the Murphy page I will be posting some more about him and providing extra information that will perhaps surprise others – but sufficient onto the day

    Reply

    1. I love Audie Murphy. a lot of my favourite actors are in the Cowboy Hall of Fame. l love Cowboys.

      I watch a lot of westerns.

      Reply

    2. Hey Bob.
      1. Thanks….at times I feel like one of those political analysis experts on election night…the ones that eventually conclude who the winner was….here in the states…it happens 50 times during Presidental elections…they collect the information and eventually decide the winner…..only in my case it is going through all of the movie data and concluding which one is the best rental number. In Murphy’s case it was indeed very challenging on many of his movies. A couple of his books were helpful…as was the Harrison Report….I actually found the Opening Night Premire box office of one his movie in Dallas of all places.
      2. I have found that 6 columns of information is the best amount of columns….especially since we found that floating header column that movies down as you scan down the page. For every pre-1980 movie…we have a rental number, an actual box office number and an adjusted number….so just let me know if you need a certain one….as at max only two of those three make the table.
      3. Interesting about the time after World War 2….it reminds me of the Michael Palin movie….A Private Function
      4.-8. Thanks for the mini-reviews. I will have to track down 6 Black Horses and No Name on the Bullet. My libraries (7 cities) do not have many Murphy movies….so it might be difficult to track them down though.
      Bring on all the information you can…..I am currently reseaching Walter Wanger….I knew nothing about him until about a week ago….man did he have a crazy life….including shooting his wife’s lover in the groin in a parking lot…crazy stuff…so bring it on!

      Reply

  3. Audie Murphy – one of the most decorated soldiers in US history turned movie star. Died aged 45 in a plane crash? Looking for more details… he survived several battles and firefights in WWII and in 1971 he and 5 other people died when the private plane they were in crashed into a mountain in Virginia because of low visibility, how cruel is that?

    Looking at the charts – I’ve seen just 5 of the 33 films listed – To Hell and Back, Night Passage, Red Badge of Courage, The Unforgiven and Destry. They are all in the collection but I can’t say any of them are favorites of mine.

    Some of the top rated films I haven’t seen – No Name on the Bullet, Beyond Glory and The Cimarron Kid – might be worth a look.

    Good work Bruce. Voted Up!

    Reply

    1. Hey Steve…..thanks for checking out my latest page. Those Virginia mountains have caused many an accident over the years. I am sure when he was holding off the Germans that day in World War 2…he would have gladly taking another 27 years of life…..just another reason to live each day to the fullest.

      I have seen 4 of the 5 you have seen. With the exception of To Hell and Back…..they were one and done movies for me….unless the John Huston Director’s Cut of Red Badge of Courage comes out. Huston filmed enough movie for a 3 hour movie….yet the studio edited the movie down to 66 minutes…I wonder where the rest of the movie is. Of the ones you say you are interested in….No Name On The Bullet is one that I want to see…..he is the bad guy in that one….and he evidently made a good bad guy.

      The tally count results….by far the most people reporting in….you are 5th….and still not in last place.

      Current and probable final standings.
      Gold Medal – Ireland’s Robert Roy with 31 Murphy movies watched
      Silver Medal – Paul G. with 30 Murphy movies watched (Bad Boy now on page)
      Bronze Medal – Canada’s BERN1960 with 13 Murphy movies watched
      4th Place – Canada’s Flora with 7 Murphy movies watched
      5th Place – New England’s Steve with 5 Murphy movies watched
      6th Place – USA’s Larry with 4 Murphy movies watched
      7th Place – USA’s Cogerson with 4 Murphy movies watched
      8th Place – France’s Laurent with 3 Murphy movies watched

      Reply

  4. Hello Bruce,

    I’ve seen 3 of his movies only. But I enjoy this page because Audie Murphy was the hero of my father, when he was child. My father was a cinema lover, fascinated by american movies. I suppose it explains a lot about me 😉

    Reply

    1. Hey Laurent….very cool that Audie Murphy was one of your dad’s favorites. Compared to my total of 4 Murphy movies watched….your 3 is pretty impressive. Not thinking France has much interest in low budget American westerns….lol. As for your last comment…..that does explain a lot about you….and all in good ways.

      Reply

  5. Hey Bruce. Thx for this. I have seen 29 of the 33 films. Haven’t seen Bloody Beach, …Apache Pass, Bullet for Badman, or the rather obscure Beyond Glory. I’m sure I will eventually see these, as I’m such a fan of his. Of the 9 data-less titles, I’ve seen about half. I can tell you that “6 Black Horses” is, by far, the best of the bunch. And “A Time For Dying” is the last film he ever made. It’s a solid film, but he is actually superb in a supporting role playing, of all people, an aged Jesse James. His scenes from this film can be found on YouTube. You are missing 2 of his earliest films, “Texas Brooklyn and Heaven” a tiny role but he’s endearing. And “Bad Boy”, his first starring role (a B film, but he’s extremely charismatic in it). He’s my second favorite actor of all time, and for what it’s worth, I have a huge collection of his movie memorabilia (posters, lobby cards, stills, books). One of the greatest Americans who ever lived in my (humble) estimation, when you consider his wartime contributions.

    Reply

    1. Hey Paul….glad we were able to do a page on one of your favorite actors. In our tally count you finished 2nd…so congrats.
      Current and probable final standings.
      Gold Medal – Ireland’s Robert Roy with 31 Murphy movies watched
      Silver Medal – Paul G. with 30 Murphy movies watched (Bad Boy now on page)
      Bronze Medal – Canada’s BERN1960 with 13 Murphy movies watched
      4th Place – Canada’s Flora with 7 Murphy movies watched
      5th Place – New England’s Steve with 5 Murphy movies watched
      6th Place – USA’s Larry with 4 Murphy movies watched
      7th Place – USA’s Cogerson with 4 Murphy movies watched
      8th Place – France’s Laurent with 3 Murphy movies watched

      I imagine seeing Dan Duryea and Murphy again in 6 Black Horses was fun….their third and final movie together. I excluded Texas Brooklyn and Heaven because I read many places that it was pretty much a cameo/bit role. Bad Boy was accidentally left off the page….but is now in the table…not sure how I made that mistake…but thanks for the catch.

      Sounds like you have a pretty impressive collection of Murphy gear….seems he has a very devoted fan base….if you have another favorite that we do not have a page on….just let us know….and will get that person done too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Mr. Murphy.

      Reply

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