Richard Murphy was an American screenwriter and director known for his work in film during the mid-20th century. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his career as a journalist before transitioning to screenwriting. Murphy wrote scripts for films such as Boomerang! (1947) and The Desert Rats (1953). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for The Desert Rats. Murphy's writing was noted for its strong character development and engaging narratives, contributing to the success of numerous films during Hollywood's Golden Age.
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 8, 1912
- May 19, 1993 (aged 81)
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Writer, also director
- 18 on MovieCove · 29 credits in all
What are Richard Murphy's films like?
Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 18
A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 5 · Dark 6
Grounded 14 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0
Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 6
Steady 10 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 1
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 10 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 6 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 4
Resolved 16 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet8
- Tragic1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Richard Murphy's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Richard Murphy's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
29 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Voltus 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Last Angry Man(1959)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Compulsion(1959)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Three Stripes in the Sun(1955)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Broken Lance(1954)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Desert Rats(1953)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Les Miserables(1952)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
You're in the Navy Now(1951)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Panic in the Streets(1950)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Slattery's Hurricane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Cry of the City(1948)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Deep Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Boomerang!(1947)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Wrecking Crew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
X Marks the Spot(1942)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Wildcat(1942)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
I Live on Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
The Cyclone Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Jesse James, Jr. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Flying Blind(1941)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
The Singing Hill(1941)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Apache Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Back in the Saddle(1941)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Life in Sometown, U.S.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Career shape
A full career of 29 titles from 1938 to 1980.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Richard Murphy's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up7
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
None of their 18 titles divides audiences: 12 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser12
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 55/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Richard Murphy work with?
People who share at least 2 of Richard Murphy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Fred Kohlmar shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Robert WiseShared titles: The Desert Rats (1953), The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Wise
- Elia KazanShared titles: Panic in the Streets (1950), Boomerang! (1947)See all 2 shared titles with Elia Kazan
- Frank McDonaldShared titles: Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Frank McDonald
- Lew LandersShared titles: Back in the Saddle (1941), The Singing Hill (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Lew Landers
Writers
- Philip YordanShared titles: Broken Lance (1954), Panic in the Streets (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Philip Yordan
- Maxwell ShaneShared titles: Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Maxwell Shane
- Jesse Lasky Jr.Shared titles: Back in the Saddle (1941), The Singing Hill (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Jesse Lasky Jr.
Actors
- Chips RaffertyShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Desert Rats (1953)See all 2 shared titles with Chips Rafferty
- Joby BakerShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Last Angry Man (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Joby Baker
- Richard AndersonShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), Compulsion (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Anderson
- E.G. MarshallShared titles: Compulsion (1959), Broken Lance (1954)See all 2 shared titles with E.G. Marshall
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Charles NelsonShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Last Angry Man (1959), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Charles Nelson
- George DuningShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Last Angry Man (1959), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955)See all 3 shared titles with George Duning
- Joseph MacDonaldShared titles: Broken Lance (1954), You're in the Navy Now (1951), Panic in the Streets (1950)See all 3 shared titles with Joseph MacDonald
- Harmon JonesShared titles: Panic in the Streets (1950), Cry of the City (1948), Boomerang! (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Harmon Jones
Producers
- Fred KohlmarShared titles: The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Last Angry Man (1959), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955), Les Miserables (1952), You're in the Navy Now (1951)See all 5 shared titles with Fred Kohlmar
- Darryl F. ZanuckShared titles: Broken Lance (1954), Cry of the City (1948), Boomerang! (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Darryl F. Zanuck
- Sol C. SiegelShared titles: Broken Lance (1954), Panic in the Streets (1950), Cry of the City (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Sol C. Siegel
- William C. ThomasShared titles: Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 2 shared titles with William C. Thomas
