We figured it was time to have a place to talk about Steve’s latest video subjects that do not have an UMR page.
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We figured it was time to have a place to talk about Steve’s latest video subjects that do not have an UMR page.
Apologies final line of my last post should read “This man truly is the Son of Gawwd!”
The Work Horse never did fix that correction button – probably too busy of late rolling his Easter eggs!
Just added Steve’s Don Murray and Richard Boone Videos to the page. Our thoughts found on his You Tube channel.
Don Murray was an interesting actor. Here in the states I feel he was better known for his television work than his movies. His big movie, Bus Stop, has Monroe…but I did not like his character at all….it was like nails on a chalkboard. He was much better (to me) in #1 Advise and Consent and #8 Baby The Rain Must Fall. #12 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes was ok….but his performance as the bad guy was one of the better parts of the movie. My 5th and last Don Murray movie seen is #9 Peggy Sue Got Married….and I confuse I do not remember his part in the movie. So that is 4.5 movies seen. Good stuff.
Aloha Bruce, Bus Stop isn’t a favorite of mine either but it’s worth watching for sexy Marilyn. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is how I knew Don Murray best in my youth. My tally 3, yours 4.5 and Flora has seen 6 of the 20 films here. Thanks again for the vote, share and comment.
Richard Boone the actor not Richard Boone the composer? Good to see another video from the Lensman. Surprised I have not seen more of his movies. Only 8. Favorites include #1 The Shootist…great swan song for John Wayne. #7 Big Jake…another late in his career Wayne good movie. The Tall T(#3) one of Randolph Scott’s better westerns. I liked The Alamo and The Robe more when I was younger….but they do not seem to be as good now that I am older. Good video. Good job.
Hi Bruce, thanks for checking out my Richard Boone video. I’ve seen 11 of the 30 here, Flora’s tally 12. Favorites include – The Alamo, Big Jake, The Shootist, Rio Conchos and The War Lord. Thanks for the comment, vote and share. Always appreciated.
My own pick of the STILLS in your Murray video are: (1) Endless Love (2) The Plainsman in the old Cooper 1936 role for DeMille (3) Conquest Planet of Apes (4) Bachelor Party. This was another one of those social commentary films made by Burt Lancaster’s film company in its 1950s heyday (5) Murry with “The Dirty Rat” (6) Don with sexy MM ( 7) him with the man whom Sir Peter Ustinov claimed saw himself as the greatest actor who ever lived and who stopped speaking to Sir Peter when the latter didn’t appear to agree – Charles Laughton! and (8) Don with The [voluptuous] Viking Queen.
Whilst I have no Work Horse stats overview of Murray’s box office to guide me I get the impression that it never again truly caught fire after his debut Bus Stop. For example The Viking Queen required $1.625 million in studio rentals in its day to just break even whereas iits worldwide rentals were eventually only $835,000,000.
It’s good to see you being more appreciative of Murray than Hirsch and WH by giving Don some recognition with your video which I rate at 97% despite its brevity because it holds much magical nostalgia for me personally. For example the Don Murray film that I most remember is These Thousand Hills (1959) which provides the cover poster reproduction in your catalogue.
I recall it so well because I saw it during a matinee at which there were only about 6 other people in the cinema and yet two guys who didn’t know each other insisted upon sitting beside one another and struggled for possession of the seat arm-rest between them, with the matter ending up in a shouting match so that a cinema attendant had to intervene.
In a way that recollection reminds me of the Mexican standoffs between your friend John and me which often went on for so long that an exasperated Work Horse ultimately had to step in and call “time!”
Don Murray was one of a number of young men and women [such as Robert Wagner, my Rory Calhoun, Joanne Woodward, Brit Joan Collins and Lee Remick] whom 20th Century Fox was grooming for stardom in the 1950s
Sadly whilst things started well for Don with his first movie being the big hit Bus Stop with Monroe after Rock Hudson refused to accept the part, Murray’s overall career has turned out not to have been one of the truly great movie careers of all time [see also 2nd para in Part 2] and to add insult to injury he was not mentioned at all in The Master’s 1983 Book of Terror, nor has he enjoyed any Work Horse love to date.
Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Best POSTERS in your Murray video are for my money [FL=foreign language] (1) Stunner for Viking Queen (2) The Plainsman (3) Kid Rodeo (4) Deadly Hero (5) an iconic Laddie in One Foot in Hell, with Alan the villain for once (6) FL for Conquest Planet of Apes (7) 1st one for Thousand Hills (8) both for Shake Hands with Devil (9) the 1st one for Bus Stop – one of the sauciest posters for that movie that I’ve ever seen and that’s saying something! (10) FL one for Bus Stop (11) FL for Escape from East Berlin (12) Peggy Sue Got Married and (13) From Hell to Texas, which featured Diane Varsi.
SHE was another one of those young Fox contract stars that I mention above. She made a name for herself in her debut movie as the heroine Allison in the 1957 blockbuster hit Peyton Place. Overall though her career never came to much and sadly she died prematurely aged 54 of Lyme disease. I especially liked her though in Cooper’s 1958 political drama 10 North Frederick
H Bob, thanks for reviewing and rating my Don Murray video, appreciate the info, trivia and poem. Glad you liked the picture gallery.
I was almost sure Bruce had a Don Murray page. I remember chatting about him here a few months ago. One of the UMR regulars was a big fan.
I knew him best as Breck in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the most violent chapter in the original 5 movie Ape series. I caught up with Bus Stop some time in the 1980s when I decided to catch up on Marilyn’s other films besides Some Like it Hot (still my favorite of her films).
Two films scored 9 out of 10 in Murray’s filmography – Advise & Consent and Shake Hands with the Devil.
In the latter James Cagney plays a high ranking IRA leader! ooh sounds interesting… how did Irish Bob miss that one? 😉
Paul Regret up next.
Hey Steve….nope….I do not have a Don Murray page. Probably going to be awhile before I go down the Murray UMR road. His most acclaimed Murray role is my least favorite Murray movie. Bus Stop got him some serious award recognition….but I find the movie unwatchable because of Murray’s performance.
HI STEVE
Thanks for the feedback and interesting extra information.
I never liked Some Like It Hot and grew tired of Planet of the Apes after Chuck’s and the sequel. I think that Don’s outing in Conquest of Planet of the Apes was the 4th of the series,which you cover in your excellent Murray profile.
I remember Donald Patrick Murray being the “New kid on the block” in Bus Stop as if it were yesterday so it’s almost morbid to think he will be 90 years of age in 3 months time. Now grizzled, Don seems to still be going strong and in fact last appeared as Bushnell Mullins in 8 episodes of Showtime’s 3rd series of Twin Peaks just two years ago in 2017. In 2014 Frisco’s Roxie theatre showed a retrospective of Murray films.
I look forward to Paul Regret, whom the Duke repeatedly in his endearing way kept addressing as “Monseuur” [meaning Monseigneur]in The Comancheros if my memory is correct. I can pick my idols can’t I? One is known as The Great Mumbler on the screen and another strangles foreign and Biblical languages – “His man truly is the son of Gawwd!”
Take care.