Donald Murphy
Born
Donald Random Murphy

(1918-01-29)January 29, 1918
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 19, 2008(2008-05-19) (aged 90)
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film and television actor
Years active1941–1971

Donald Random Murphy (January 29, 1918 – May 19, 2008) was an American film and television actor.[1] He was known for playing Wyatt Earp's brother Virgil Earp in the 1954 film Masterson of Kansas.[2]

Murphy was born in Chicago, Illinois.[3] He played Johnny Ringo and two other roles in the western television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. He made appearances in television westerns such as Tombstone Territory (as Anson Gurney), Lawman (as Jack O'Reilly), Shotgun Slade (as Hal Bates), and Bat Masterson (as Charlie Ryan).[2]: 252  Murphy guest-starred in the legal drama television series Perry Mason.[4] He retired from acting in 1971, when he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to work as an interior designer.[3]

In 1949 Murphy was a summer stock cast member at the Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

Murphy died in May 2008 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 90.[3]

Partial filmography

Year Title Role
1941 Nice Girl? Club Steward (uncredited)
1946 Driftin' River[5] Captain Rogers
1947 My Brother Talks to Horses Bettor (uncredited)
1950 Fortunes of Captain Blood Valdez (uncredited)
1954 Killer Leopard Fred Winters
1954 The Bamboo Prison Intelligence Officer (uncredited)
1954 Masterson of Kansas Virgil Earp
1955 The Long Gray Line Army Captain (uncredited)
1955 Seven Angry Men Hoyt (uncredited)
1955 The Shrike Actor in Play (uncredited)
1955 Shack Out on 101 Pepe
1956 On the Threshold of Space Sgt. Zack Deming
1956 Strange Intruder[6] Dr. Adrian Carmichael
1958 Frankenstein's Daughter Oliver Frank/Frankenstein
1966 Lord Love a Duck Phil Neuhauser
1971 Swamp Girl Surly

References

  1. ^ "The Other Gunther". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. September 20, 1947. p. 16. Retrieved July 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  2. ^ a b Rainey, Buck (November 17, 2015). Western Gunslingers in Fact and on Film: Hollywood's Famous Lawmen and Outlaws. McFarland. p. 162. ISBN 9781476603285 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c Lentz, Harris (April 17, 2009). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2008. McFarland. p. 313. ISBN 9780786434824 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Hill, Ona (September 9, 2011). Raymond Burr: A Film, Radio and Television Biography. McFarland. p. 209. ISBN 9780786491377 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Schneider, Jerry (May 2014). Corriganville: The Definitive True History of the Ray Crash Corrigan Movie Ranch. Corriganville Press. p. 345. ISBN 9780983197256 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Lentz, Robert (August 28, 2008). Korean War Filmography: 91 English Language Features Through 2000. McFarland. p. 338. ISBN 9780786438761 – via Google Books.

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