Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website Message Boards

Hello fellow members!
I watched the movie "Kid from Texas" last night on Netflix,and let me tell you people,I consider myself "a no-spin movie critic!"
I found this to be the best Audie Murphy Western movie![I remember seeing this movie way back in the 50's!]
Why?Because he was very young,looking trim and fit,still with those boyish good looks,yet deadly serious.Check out those piercing eyes!Also,I firmly believe this movie is his first Western?
He plays Billy The Kid,and he does a perfect job.

This movie ,most likely,launched his Western Movie career.
And any critic that says he couldn't act, is ,either blind or crazy!He is a natural and believable actor ,especially in roles like this one where he probably relates so well to the subject he is portraying.

And the real Billy The Kid couldn't compete with Audie's handsome boyish looks.Ha!The real Billy looked like H*LL ,and having terrible buckteeth didn't help any!

This movie was released in 1950,making AM around 24/25 while filming this biography on the real Kid!
And a bonus,Audie does some narrating himself!

And all you confessed Murphy "swooners," if this Kid doesn't make you swoon,better see your family doctor!

Late edition...Audie plays a killer in this movie,and with a double-edged sword;one side kills the bad guys ,the other ,kills the ladies!

Edited again:I for got to add this in. In this movie Audie wears a black leather jacket with with a black scarf and black hat,wears a black leather holster for his gun,and rides a beautiful black horse ,while playing a "dark" character!

I agree with you on this one, too; although TUMBLEWEED is still my favorite movie of Audie's. You're right about the piercing eyes and how he can switch from man-killer to lady-killer with such ease. How appropo for him to play "The Kid From Texas" since he was just that.

And BTW, I "swooned" in EVERY Audie movie!!!!!

**************
Teri

LOL Teri @ 'And BTW, I "swooned" in EVERY Audie movie!!!!!'

Ain't THAT the truth for all of us females! Though, I must 'fess up - there are still some I am yet to see ... lucky me!

Tom, you wrote this up so well, I'll have to dig it out again! It's just that I hate it when he dies ... but I know that he's drop-dead handsome in it. This was my first Audie movie, btw.

LOL @ '... kills the ladies!'

Thank you!

Hi Folks,
My favorite western of Audie's was "Ride a Crooked Trail". I loved the sexual innuendo banter back and forth in that movie between Audie and Gia Scala. And even though not a Western I loved the
bedroom scene's and Tavern scene's in "The Gun Runner's" Ooooh La La. Talk about Lady Killer.
Wowza meter just jumped 100 points. Shirley Jean.

Tom: I agree what you said about Billy the Kid. After my husband and I watched this movie, I told my husband that aside from the changes in the story, the difference is Billy the Kid was UUUUGLY! Shirleyjean: The World in My Corner was not one of my favorites either. I thought it was funny that someone said while making this movie, Audie thought he could whip Chico Veja.
Chico was a welter weight champion at that time and when Audie did the scene where he was fighting the character Chico was playing, Audie's cheek was cut by one of Chico's punches. "Ride a Crooked Trail" is also one of my favorites. I generally don't care for Walter Matthau but he is good in this one. One movie that isn't one of my favorites but I like the scene Audie is in which Audie plays a detective for the Pinkerton Agency. His two colleagues are looking for him because the boss told them to find him because he is on vacation and they need him right away. He is holed up in a hotel room with a redhead and another man comes crashing through the window upstairs. One detective says to the other "There's our boy!" I thought 'That is classic Audie!' "The Quiet American" is also not one of my favorites. I can't think of any others right now but if I think of any I will post later.

I thought of one of Audie's movies that I didn't care for that much but I thought Audie's performance was fantastic: The Unforgiven. The newcomers might be interested to know Audie almost died making this movie. While off screen, he and another man went duck hunting. The boat they were in sprang a leak. If it hadn't been for a photographer that was photographing the lake at dusk, Audie would have drowned. The boat had capsized and they were standing on the bottom of it. As it started to sink lower, the man held Audie up. The photographer, who happened to be a champion swimmer, saw the two heads just above the water. She then stripped down to her undergarments and jumped in the water and swam toward them. She took Audie and the other man held on by her clothes. In many of his movies, Audie did his own stunts. Of course, there are occupational hazards with that. He once came home with a rope burn on his hands. Another time, he was elbowed in the throat from a fight scene.

Dear Georgana,
I had read that same exact item. Was it in NNOTB, or one of the other books about Audie? It is terrible when a person gets so old they start to develop Swiss Cheese Memory. Anyway, what I want to do here is sort of make a point and also ask a question at the same time. What I thought that was real strange about the incident was a couple of statements that went a long with it. I remember thinking "What, Audie did not know how to Swim? That seems kind of crazy to me. Then I thought about it and realized they (the Author) Never said Audie did not Know how to Swim, They said he was unable to swim, (apparently) in this incident. So my feeble brain sort of filled in the Gaps so to speak.
Really a very bad thing to do, because that is how rumors and inuendos get started. I also remember reading a little more on this incident and both Audie and the guy he went Duck hunting with were
brought back to a house where they were covered with warm blankets, and allowed to change into
dry clothes and given warm beverages to drink because they were both suffering from the cold and exposure. I also remember reading that Audie at one point was caught under the capsized boat and his friend had to get him out from under neath it. I am thinking that maybe because of the surgery he had done on his hip during the war, that it precluded him from being able swim via a natural hip movment or gait. I wonder ? I mean he was able to ride a horse, but after intense training and determination. Also, he wasn't crazy about dancing either, although later he learned how for a movie, (the Wild and Innocent) still not one would want to do with an iffy hip? But even
stranger still, I understand at one time he immensely enjoyed Scuba Diving, and also owned a boat.
Not excercises one would do if they felt uncomfortable around water. Besides, I still remember the scenes in 'World in My Corner" with him fighting Chico and he does not seem to have any problems
with his hip there, so I just wonder what it was that made him refuse his friend in trying to swim
for shore that day. Anyone got any suggestions? Just my meanderings. Shirley Jean.

Shirleyjean: I read detailed accounts of this in "Audie Murphy: American Hero - Charles Whiting). It is my understanding that Audie knew how to swim but was not a good swimmer. I don't know what that means. I don't know if he ever scuba dived but I read that he "skin dived." I take that to mean he did not use scuba equipment but used a snorkle. Also, I don't know if the hip injury affected his ability to swim. As for "swiss cheese memory", I have that, too.

Georgana,
Thanks ever so much for clarifying which book. I own that one also, and will need to go back and
re read. Also, you are very very right. Big difference between Scuba Diving and Skin Diving.
Thanks for keeping me on track. Are you and Hubby going to be able to make it to AM days this
year in either Greenville or Farmersville? I am soooo bummed as I will not be able to go, and I was
sooo hoping I could. Maybe Next Year. Take Care Little One. Shirley Jean.

Both of you ladies are so knowledgeable regarding Audie - thank you.

I think Audie could conquer anything he set his mind to, and he didn't seem to hold fear. The 'hip' injury is a good point, Shirleyjean - I can't think of anything else which would make sense. Although, since he was poor, perhaps he wasn't confident with his swimming ability due to lack of formal lessons? Even that sounds incredible ...

Hello Australian Audie Fan,
I Love your posts, they are so, Well,..... Australian ! You even type Australian, with phrases like,"Spot On". That is soooo refreshing to hear. Now mix that with the Texas Drawl that occasionally pops up
here, and you have One Very Happy California Girl thinking she has finally succeeded in leaving
California Behind. So Thank You Very Much for joining our group. I love discussing "Anything Audie".
His life was sooo unusual. If someone sat down and tried to write the stuff he experienced in real
life, I do not think they could have matched it. Like Vic from New Jersey says, Audie even "Out Audied
Audie at times. Glad to have all of you hear, and really love our discussions. Shirley Jean.

Shirleyjean: My pleasure! Glad I could help. I also enjoy Australian Audie Fan and Shirleyjean's posts. I appreciate both of you for your kind words.

Shirleyjean, I forgot to answer your question about if we are going to Audie days: I am so sorry we won't be able to go. We were looking forward to it but my husband works for a textbook publisher and his busiest time of the year is when school lets out.
Maybe we will be able to go next year. I hope you are well. You said you were so bummed out. Hope you aren't under the weather.

May God Bless you,

Georgana

I seem to remember the reason Audie had trouble swimming was
due to the frigid water that day. I could be wrong but I do know
the incident was exaggerated by the press to some extent. So
much so that Spec McClure wrote a letter to the editor to a
national magazine clarifying things.

Shirleyjean and Georgana: thank you for making me feel so welcome. I'm so glad I joined - as I love to learn and share ideas about Audie. That's probably obvious by now.

I hope everyone knows that Australian/UK English differs from the American - I'm actually a very good speller. It's only since I've joined here that I've noticed how differently we spell, but we have altered some words to accord with the American versions. For example, we don't use "gaol" any more; rather "jail". We don't use "grey" often anymore, either.

This French phrase depicts Audie, in my opinion: "je ne sais quoi". It means an 'indefinable quality that makes somebody or something more attractive and interesting'.

I just stumbled upon it by accident today, but I immediately thought of Audie!