Mary Murphy

Actress Mary Murphy's film career always seemed to be starting but never really progressing. In Hollywood from 1949, Murphy first gained critical attention for her performance opposite Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1954), but before the year was out she was going through the motions of a traditional ingénue in the Vincent Price shocker The Mad Magician (1954). The following year she was again showered with praise for her portrayal of Fredric March's daughter in The Desperate Hours (1955); once more, however, this personal triumph was followed by forgettable roles in the likes of The Maverick Queen (1956) and Live Fast Die Young (1958). At one point, she absented herself from the screen for seven years, returning only when a good part finally surfaced in Junior Bonner (1972). In 1961, Mary Murphy was a regular on the brief TV series The Investigators. - Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide