Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website Message Boards

Another excellent transfer. Since it was shot in Cinemascope and Fotki reduces the Cinemascope pics too much I decided to bypass Fotki for most of the pics and instead do my own crop.

Ben Zachary is back and is greeted by his two brothers.



The Rawlins family joined the Zacharys and they are partying.

_________________
Eva Danø

I liked this character. I think Murphy gave him a fair degree of sympathy. I only wish that the director's cut had not disappeared.

Ann

_________________
"He endured the shame of being sent home a living trophy to the blood and death of too many friends"
A Myth in Action: The Heroic Life of Audie Murphy
http://www.annjoiner.com

The Zacharys are nervously eating breakfast.



A barely avoided lance hit the front door.

_________________
Eva Danø

Everyone is out looking for Abe Kelsey.



Kelsey has been brought back to the Rawlins spread.

_________________
Eva Danø

Cash has left home and is in the Rawlins' barn with Georgia, but he is distracted when he hears gunshots.

_________________
Eva Danø

I didn't know there was a director's cut. How much different was it? Maybe it is still around?

IMHO, this was one of Audie's best efforts. The character had a depth that we rarely see in Audie's movies, and he was able to portray all the conflicting emotions of Cash Zachary.

I totally don't understand the critics (professional & amateur both) who think that Audie couldn't act. True, his style would not come across as well at a live performance, where one cannot see the sublety of his facial expressions, but on the silver screen we can truly appreciate him. What he could do with his eyes was a marvel to see. I only regret that he didn't have more opportunities to do complicated characters like Cash Zachary.

And then there is that moustache! I LOVE his mo in this movie! Totally heart melting!

_________________
Eva Danø

From what I've heard, the director's cut was much longer and most of the scenes cut from it were Murphy's scenes. It was said that the quality of Murph's work, under Huston's direction, was so high that Burt Lancaster chose to butcher the film rather than be shown up by our hero.

Sorry I don't have references. All this came up on the old Biography boards, but I do not remember the source.

Anyone here who was a part of that group, who has a better memory?

Ann

_________________
"He endured the shame of being sent home a living trophy to the blood and death of too many friends"
A Myth in Action: The Heroic Life of Audie Murphy
http://www.annjoiner.com

I agree with Eva that Audie Murphy looks fantastic with a mustache. It seems like today many western actors, and actors who do the occasional western, have mustaches. Think about Sam Elliot or Tom Selleck without their mustaches! Ooh, perish the thought! Too bad A.M. didn't grow it earlier. [i]The Unforgiven[i] is one of my favorite Murphy films and he certainly does hold his own as an actor, and yes, he does every bit as good as Burt Lancaster if not better. The one weak link is Audrey Hepburn. She just doesn't come across as an Indian. A beautiful woman, but not an American Indian. Thanks for the photos, they make me want to put in my DVD and watch it again.

Victoria

I didn't particularly like Audie with the mustache, but I thought he did a terrific job of acting in the movie. For some reason women seem to like men with mustaches. One of my favorite Audie movies.

_________________
"You lead from the front." Audie Murphy, WWII's Most Decorated Soldier

Hi Folks,
So to Ann, I guess my question is, that a Director's Cut of The Unforgiven is no longer
available anywhere ????

And then my other question is I am wondering if the full mustache on Audie is his true
mustache in this film, or if it is the work of the make up department? I wonder what others
think ? I would like to think it is, but don't know for sure. Shirley Jean.

I don't know about the mustache, for sure. All I remember hearing is that no one knows what happened to the Director's cut. Richard added this forum to the website in 1997, so the discussion on the Bio board would have been sometime in 1996. I can't remember the details, just that Lancaster had many of Murphy's best scenes cut from the film, and that's why the plot is so disjointed.

Ann

_________________
"He endured the shame of being sent home a living trophy to the blood and death of too many friends"
A Myth in Action: The Heroic Life of Audie Murphy
http://www.annjoiner.com

I remember reading about John Wayne not wanting Audie to be in The Alamo for the same reason; he was afraid he would be too good in it. If that's true it's a real shame.

I don't particularly like the mustache. He didn't need to hide that gorgeous face behind hair, in my opinion.

_________________
Betty

Thanks Ann and Betty for the responses. I have put the question of whether or not a "Director's
Cut" is available on "The Unforgiven" to a film critic on line, who happens to be a very big John
Huston Fan. So we will see what he answers. Don't know if I will get a reply, but if I do, I will
post the answer here. Or at least the link to his blog at the web site. The reason why I asked about
the stash on Major Murphy's beautiful face is because of Eva Dano's excellent clear and crisp
snappy's, if you look real close you can see "beard Stubble" in between the break in the middle of
the mustache and the stubble is a little darker than the stash, and not so much red in it, so I was
just wondering if it was "Movie Magic", as they say in the trades. Either way, it looks gorgeous....
Just my thoughts. Shirley Jean.