Audie Leon Murphy
(June 20, 1925 – May 28, 1971)
Audie Murphy — the most-decorated American soldier of World War II and later a major star of 50s Westerns, was born on this day in 1925.
Here he is with the lovely Felicia Farr in what has become my favorite Murphy film, Hell Bent For Leather (1960). It was the first of the Murphy pictures produced by Gordon Kay for Universal International. George Sherman directed. It boasts some really incredible Lone Pine location work, in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, from Clifford Stine. The Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber is beautiful.
We all owe Audie a huge debt. Two debts, actually. One for his service — which certainly took its toll on him, and another for all those terrific movies.
50 Westerns From The 50s.