Audie Murphy's Film and Television Co-Stars, From A to Z is much more than just a book---it’s a well-researched, tremendously informational, invaluable resource! Recognizing that the supporting players of a film are every bit as important as the "star," author David Williams, has spotlighted 600 of Audie's co-stars, providing information about their lives and careers.
Want to know a bit about frequent Audie co-star, James Best? Or maybe you want to know where else you've seen Barbara Rush, Jay C. Flippen, Susan Cabot, or any of 600 others? This book will tell you. Plus, the book also contains hundreds of terrific photos, a complete listing of Audie Murphy's film and television works, 40 trivia questions---the answers for which will be discovered by reading the book---and even a brief biography of Mr. Murphy.
While Audie Murphy has gone down in history as the most-decorated soldier of WWII, that singled-out status was not something with which Mr. Murphy was comfortable. Adamant that he didn't win the war alone---that it took teamwork and every man doing his part---Audie felt that his medals really belonged to his entire regiment. It’s the same with movies; the lesser-known character actors are just as essential to a film's success as the star. They bring storyline, chemistry, and richness that would be sorely lacking without them. Recognizing the importance of supporting players---and paying homage to them through a book---seems exactly what an Audie Murphy appreciator would do. In fact, it seems like something Murphy himself would do.
This resource isn't beneficial only for Audie Murphy films. For instance, the Red River remake came on TV recently, and seeing Guy Madison's name on the cast, the person I was with said, "I'm pretty sure Guy Madison was in a TV Western, but I don't know which one." Since Guy Madison was in an early Audie film and, thus, is covered in Mr. Williams' book, I immediately was able to tell that person that the show was The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok.
On another occasion, while watching an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Theatre, the person I was with commented that she thought actress Joanna Moore had played Sheriff Taylor's girlfriend in The Andy Griffith Show. Knowing that Joanna Moore had been in Audie Murphy's Ride a Crooked Trail and would be profiled in Mr. Williams' book, I quickly grabbed my copy and, within seconds, was able to tell the person that she was right...Joanna Moore had been in a few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and not only that...she was Tatum O'Neal's mother.
This is a book I will be referring to on a regular basis. Highly recommended...worth every penny I paid for it. A 5-star book, for sure.
By the way, Mr. Williams hopes to do a series of books like this; he's currently working on one highlighting the co-stars of Audrey Hepburn. The goal is to have that book finished by 2015, after which he may tackle Tyrone Power's co-stars. They will both be definite additions to my bookshelf.
Visit Amazon's page (HERE) for both the Kindle and paperback editions of this fantastic book.
NOTE: All photos obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE)