Hollywood actor who shot to fame as Marlon Brando's girlfriend in The Wild One
Co-starring with Marlon Brando in his prime is a bonus for any actor's filmography. The fame of Mary Murphy, who has died aged 80, was boosted considerably when she played his love interest in The Wild One (1953). Tame by today's standards, it was the film in which the brooding, rebellious, black-leather-clad Brando, as the leader of a motorcycle gang, emerged fully as a sex symbol.
The pretty, clean-cut Murphy, never considered a sex symbol herself, served as an excellent foil to Brando who, when asked what he is rebelling against, replies: "What've you got?" As the sheriff's daughter, she immediately attracts the attention of Brando when he comes in for a beer at the diner where she works. Gradually, the attraction becomes mutual as he rides his large, phallic motorcycle with her clutching his waist, her...
Co-starring with Marlon Brando in his prime is a bonus for any actor's filmography. The fame of Mary Murphy, who has died aged 80, was boosted considerably when she played his love interest in The Wild One (1953). Tame by today's standards, it was the film in which the brooding, rebellious, black-leather-clad Brando, as the leader of a motorcycle gang, emerged fully as a sex symbol.
The pretty, clean-cut Murphy, never considered a sex symbol herself, served as an excellent foil to Brando who, when asked what he is rebelling against, replies: "What've you got?" As the sheriff's daughter, she immediately attracts the attention of Brando when he comes in for a beer at the diner where she works. Gradually, the attraction becomes mutual as he rides his large, phallic motorcycle with her clutching his waist, her...
- 6/3/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Actress Mary Murphy has died at the age of 80.
She passed away at her Los Angeles home after a long battle with heart disease, according to the Associated Press.
Murphy was perhaps most famous for starring opposite Marlon Brando in the 1953 hit The Wild One, but she was also cast among other popular leading men including Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours and Tony Curtis in Beachhead.
Murphy, who retired from the acting industry in the 1980s, was also featured in a variety of TV series including I Spy, Dr. Kildare and Ironside.
The actress died on 4 May.
She passed away at her Los Angeles home after a long battle with heart disease, according to the Associated Press.
Murphy was perhaps most famous for starring opposite Marlon Brando in the 1953 hit The Wild One, but she was also cast among other popular leading men including Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours and Tony Curtis in Beachhead.
Murphy, who retired from the acting industry in the 1980s, was also featured in a variety of TV series including I Spy, Dr. Kildare and Ironside.
The actress died on 4 May.
- 5/16/2011
- WENN
Mary Murphy -- who was famously discovered at a coffee shop and cast opposite Marlon Brando in " The Wild One " -- died of heart disease in her Beverly Hills home on May 4. Murphy was working as a package wrapper at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills when a talent scout from Paramount Pictures spotted her in a coffee shop. She went on to star in several films during the 1950's -- including "The Desperate Hours,...
- 5/16/2011
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Talk about a fast turnaround. Turner Classic Movies will run a 24-hour marathon of 12 Tony Curtis movies on Sunday, October 10th. (In fact, Tony once joked that TCM stands for Tony Curtis Movies.) The movies to be shown are Beachhead (1954), Kings Go Forth (1958), The Vikings (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), Who Was That Lady? (1960), Sex and the Single Girl (1964), You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Defiant Ones (1958), Trapeze (1956), The Great Race (1965), Don’t Make Waves (1967).
- 10/1/2010
- by Nikki Finke
- Deadline Hollywood
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.