Movies by Michael Murphy
As part of the cast:
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American Experience: Custer's Last Stand (2012)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Directed by: Stephen Ives
This edition of the PBS series examines Custer's war record and impulsive nature, and his wife's role in shaping his legacy. Aided by rare photos and period accounts, historians…
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American Experience: Billy the Kid (2012)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Directed by: John Maggio
Billy the Kid -- just 21 years old when gunned down -- was born to poverty-stricken Irish immigrants but grew up to become one of the Old West's most infamous legends. Along the way, he…
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American Experience: Grand Coulee Dam (2012)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Directed by: Stephen Ives
Featuring those who lived and worked at Grand Coulee, alongside historians and engineers, this film explores how the crucial tension between technological achievement and environmental impact…
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American Experience: Robert E. Lee (2011)
Cast: Jason Alan Carvell, Kara Jackson, Michael Murphy …
Despite being on the losing end in the American Civil War, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee remains one of the nation's most vital and popular military leaders. This installment of…
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American Experience: Dinosaur Wars (2011)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Edward Cope, O.C. Marsh …
This installment of "American Experience" tells the story of two 19th-century scientists whose work in the American West circa 1870 laid the foundation for the fledgling field of paleontology…
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American Experience: Triangle Fire (2011)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Ami Ankin, Joanna Bonaro …
Directed by: Jamila Wignot
One of the deadliest fires in U.S. history occurred at New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, killing more than 140 workers -- mostly young women who were locked inside --…
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American Experience: The Greely Expedition (2011)
Cast: Tim Hopper, Justin Mader, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Rob Rapley
PBS's acclaimed documentary series uses a wealth of vibrant historical sources to examine the Greely Expedition, one of the late 19th century's most keenly anticipated scientific…
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The Bridge: Season 1 (2010)
Cast: Aaron Douglas, Paul Popowich, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: John Fawcett, Paul A. Kaufman
The premiere season of this character-driven police drama introduces viewers to Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas), a hardworking cop who keeps watch with his partner, Tommy (Paul Popowich), on both…
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American Experience: Panama Canal (2010)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Finished in 1914, the 48-mile Panama Canal revolutionized the shipping industry by creating a shortcut for vessels headed from one coast of North America to the other. This documentary…
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The Great Bank Hoax / The Great Bank Robbery (2009)
Cast: Burgess Meredith, Kim Novak, Ned Beatty …
Directed by: Joseph Jacoby, Hy Averback
A banking clerk works his connections from the inside and ends up with more corruption than he bargained for in The Great Bank Hoax (1978), while three different plans to rob the same Texas…
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According to Greta (2009)
Cast: Hilary Duff, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Nancy Bardawil
Dumped on her grandparents (Ellen Burstyn and Michael Murphy) for the summer by her indifferent mother (Melissa Leo), acerbic and self-destructive teenager Greta (Hilary Duff) disrupts the…
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The Trotsky (2009)
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Saul Rubinek, Geneviève Bujold …
Directed by: Jacob Tierney
Seventeen-year-old Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel) thinks he is the reincarnation of Russian October Revolution leader Leon Trotsky, thus staging a strike at his father's (Saul Rubinek)…
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Away from Her (2006)
Cast: Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis …
Directed by: Sarah Polley
Grant (Gordon Pinsent) plunges into an emotional abyss after moving his Alzheimer's-stricken wife (Julie Christie) to a nursing facility and keeping his distance for her benefit. When…
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The Wind in the Willows (2006)
Cast: Matt Lucas, Mark Gatiss, Lee Ingleby …
Directed by: Rachel Talalay
From the prolific "Masterpiece Theatre" series comes this rollicking family adventure based on Kenneth Grahame's classic children's book. Mild-mannered Mole (Lee Ingleby) and…
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Childstar (2005)
Cast: Don McKellar, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mark Rendall …
Directed by: Don McKellar
Cast in a big-budget action film, insufferable 12-year-old TV star Taylor Brandon Burns (Mark Rendall) heads to Toronto with his manipulative stage mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in this droll…
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American Experience: Transcontinental Railroad (2005)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Built in only six years by a team of ruthless entrepreneurs, innovative engineers and throngs of diligent workers, the Transcontinental Railroad shaped American culture, commerce and…
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American Experience: Jesse James (2005)
Cast: Michael P. Murphy, Michael Murphy
In this Michael Murphy-narrated documentary, legendary outlaw Jesse James emerges not as a dashing hero but as a vicious criminal. The man who once said "If we are going to be wicked, we…
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Silver City (2004)
Cast: Chris Cooper, Richard Dreyfuss, Daryl Hannah …
Directed by: John Sayles
Down-home Dicky Pilager (Chris Cooper) can't put a coherent sentence together, but he's running for governor anyway, as a candidate for those looking for an approachable leader. But…
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Tanner on Tanner (2004)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Cynthia Nixon, Ilana Levine …
Directed by: Robert Altman, Garry Trudeau
Showtime's miniseries follows up on former presidential contender Jack Tanner (Michael Murphy) and his documentary-filmmaker daughter Alex (Cynthia Nixon) 16 years after Jack's…
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Dancing to New Orleans (2003)
Cast: Buckwheat Zydeco, BeauSoleil, Raymond Myles …
With its strong musical roots, New Orleans has become a mecca for many styles of music; everything from country music to jazz has benefited from the diverse culture of this Southern city.…
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Footsteps (2003)
Cast: Candice Bergen, Bryan Brown, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: John Badham
After killing off her most popular character, phobia-plagued novelist Daisy Lowendahl (Candice Bergen) retreats to her beach house, only to discover she isn't alone in director John…
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Live from Baghdad (2002)
Cast: Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, Joshua Leonard …
Directed by: Mick Jackson
Based on a nonfiction book of the same name, Live from Baghdad explores how CNN producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton), Igrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter) and their crew brushed aside…
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Mount Rushmore: American Experience (2002)
Cast: Michael Murphy
Directed by: Mark Zwonitzer
On a granite cliff in South Dakota's Black Hills loom four huge carved faces of American presidents. Is Mount Rushmore a masterpiece or, as many Native Americans would say, an…
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The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001)
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Richard Crenna, Colm Feore …
Directed by: Cyrus Nowrasteh
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley attempts to assassinate President Ronald Reagan (Richard Crenna) in front of the Washington Hilton. While Reagan is in the hospital, Secretary of State…
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Magnolia (1999)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards …
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Through chance, human action, past history and divine intervention, an eclectic cast of characters (including Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy and more) weaves and warps through…
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Breaking the Surface (1997)
Cast: Mario Lopez, Michael Murphy, Rosemary Dunsmore …
Directed by: Steven Hilliard Stern
U.S. diving sensation Greg Louganis gained worldwide fame at the 1988 Olympic Games, winning two gold medals after clunking his head on the platform during a difficult high dive. Not long…
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Kansas City (1996)
Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte …
Directed by: Robert Altman
Blowsy Blondie O'Hara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is on the hunt for her low-life husband, Jack (Dermot Mulroney), who's been kidnapped by vicious casino kingpin "Seldom Seen" (Harry…
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Clean Slate (1994)
Cast: Dana Carvey, Valeria Golino, James Earl Jones …
Directed by: Mick Jackson
Maurice Pogue (Dana Carvey) is a private eye with a problem: Every morning when he wakes up, he has amnesia -- his mind is essentially a "blank slate." Since he's the key witness in the…
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Batman Returns (1992)
Cast: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito …
Directed by: Tim Burton
Trouble returns to Gotham in director Tim Burton's sequel as Batman (Michael Keaton) battles three new villains plotting to take over the city, including corrupt businessman Max Shreck…
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Folks! (1992)
Cast: Tom Selleck, Don Ameche, Anne Jackson …
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
Jon Aldrich (Tom Selleck) lives the good life: He has a stunning home, a fantastic job and a beautiful wife (Christine Ebersole) and children. But when his folks (Don Ameche and Anne Jackson)…
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Shocker (1989)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Peter Berg, Mitch Pileggi …
Directed by: Wes Craven
Frightmeister Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street) creates a new boogieman in Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi). All the electric chair does to Horace is turn him into a high-voltage phantom…
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Salvador (1986)
Cast: James Woods, James Belushi, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Washed-up photojournalist Richard Boyle's (James Woods) bad habits keep him from getting jobs, so he heads to El Salvador with his pal Dr. Rock (James Belushi) to find work amidst the…
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Cloak & Dagger (1984)
Cast: Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Richard Franklin
An imaginative, 11-year-old boy (Henry Thomas) discovers there's a sinister plot afoot to smuggle top-secret military information out of the United States inside a cassette of his…
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Strange Behavior (1981)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor …
Directed by: Michael Laughlin
Strange behavior, indeed! If you like gritty slasher movies with mounting body counts, this bud's for you. A madman (or men?) is hunting human flesh and doesn't discriminate between…
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Manhattan (1979)
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Woody Allen
In the thick of a midlife crisis, television writer Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) finds himself torn between the sweet but far too young Tracy (Mariel Hemingway, who received an Oscar nod for the…
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O Youth and Beauty! (1979)
Cast: Edward Herrmann, Sigourney Weaver, Kathryn Walker …
Directed by: Jeff Bleckner
Adapted from a short story by John Cheever, this Broadway Theatre Archive production stars Michael Murphy as Cash Bentley, a middle-aged suburbanite who attempts to recapture the glory of his…
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An Unmarried Woman (1978)
Cast: Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Paul Mazursky
A groundbreaking film at the time of its release, director Paul Mazursky's poignant portrayal of a woman dealing with the dissolution of her marriage won many honors, including Oscar…
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The Front (1976)
Cast: Woody Allen, Zero Mostel, Herschel Bernardi …
Directed by: Martin Ritt
Alfred Miller (Michael Murphy) is a successful television writer whose political views have left him blacklisted from every major network in the McCarthy-era 1950s. Desperate to keep…
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Echoes of a Summer / Mesmerized (1976)
Cast: Jodie Foster, John Lithgow, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Michael Laughlin, Don Taylor
This double feature collects two early movies of Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster. In Echoes of a Summer, Foster stars as Deirdre, a dying 11-year-old girl who strikes up a…
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Nashville (1975)
Cast: Lily Tomlin, Ned Beatty, Keith Carradine …
Directed by: Robert Altman
Countless characters, including Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Ned Beatty and Karen Black, get caught up in a political rally that takes over Nashville in director Robert Altman's…
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Classic Courtroom Movies: Mesmerized / Death Sentence / Dishonored Lady (1974)
Cast: Jodie Foster, John Lithgow, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Michael Laughlin, E.W. Swackhamer, Robert Stevenson …
This collection includes three memorable courtroom dramas. In Mesmerized, an 18-year-old girl (Jodie Foster) trapped in an arranged marriage to a cruel middle-aged man (John Lithgow) is the…
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Phase IV (1974)
Cast: Michael Murphy, Nigel Davenport, Lynne Frederick …
Directed by: Saul Bass
When a spate of peculiar activities begins to occur in the Arizona desert, scientists Ernest Hubbs (Nigel Davenport) and James Lesko (Michael Murphy) investigate and discover a colony of…
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What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn …
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
While two researchers are competing for a grant, one must deal with a strange woman who's devoted her life to confusing and embarrassing him. Meanwhile, a woman's jewels are stolen…
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McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois …
Directed by: Robert Altman
From director Robert Altman comes a dazzling original film capturing the essence of frontier life while overturning Old West myths. John McCabe (Warren Beatty), an entrepreneurial vagabond,…
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Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)
Cast: Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Murphy …
Directed by: Bob Kelljan
A modern-day Dracula posing as psychic medium Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) preys on unsuspecting young women in 1970 Los Angeles -- leaving their surviving male consorts no choice but to band…
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MASH (1970)
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt …
Directed by: Robert Altman
Director Robert Altman's thinly veiled Vietnam War satire is indicative of when the spirit of the 1970s went mainstream, with Elliot Gould, Donald Sutherland and Tom Skerritt as Army…
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Double Trouble (1967)
Cast: Elvis Presley, Annette Day, John Williams …
Directed by: Norman Taurog
Musician Guy Lambert (Elvis Presley) is chased by women, smugglers and detectives in this comedy with a European backdrop. While performing in Britain, Lambert catches the eye of an heiress,…
As a director:
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BeauSoleil: Live from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (2005)
Cast: Michael Doucet, David Doucet, Jimmy Breaux …
Directed by: Michael Murphy
Cajun musicians BeauSoleil perform live at the 2002 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest in this concert video. The band dishes up their unique blend of spicy toe-tapping tunes, including "Newz…