MURPH THE SURF (1975)

Title: MURPH THE SURF (Alternate title: LIVE A LITTLE, STEAL A LOT)

Year of Release: 1975

Director: Marvin J. Chomsky

Genre: Drama, Action, Biography

Synopsis: Career criminals, and surfers Jack Murphy, and Allan Kuhn, plan a heist to steal precious gems from a museum. 

Within a film history context: With the rise of surf culture in the late 1950s and early 1960s, cinema began to respond with an assortment of movies about surfers. The first notable example was Paul Wendkos' GIDGET (1959). A young woman has her first experience with surfing one summer, and is squired by two surfers, one her age, the other considerably older. GIDGET was the first film released by a major Hollywood studio, Columbia, with a beach and surfing background. Its popularity led to two sequels, being GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961), and GIDGET GOES TO ROME (1963), several television movies, and television series in the years after. GIDGET and its counterparts were followed by the BEACH PARTY movie cycle, filmed by American International Pictures. 

Commencing with BEACH PARTY (1963), directed by William Asher, this led to a number of sequels, frequently starring Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello. These adeptly combined surfing shots with comedy, and romance. Some of the sequels included MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964), BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965) and HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI (1965), with increasingly darker variations such as DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965). They were films made on tight budgets which, in most cases, returned handsome profits to the studio. The movies were also notable for the big-name stars they attracted, with actors such as Eve Arden, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, and Mickey Rooney featured. Aside from the BEACH PARTY movies, there were others which spotlighted surfers.

Leslie H. Martinson's FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG (1964), was about a wild young man looking for romance, with the obligatory scenes of beach action, and surfing mixed in for good measure. RIDE THE WILD SURF (1964), directed by Don Taylor, contrasted the lives of three young surfers competing in Hawaii not only for the surf but also, the young women. Lennie Weinrib's musical BEACH BALL (1965), centered around a crafty, surfer rock and roll group manager employing dubious methods to raise money to purchase instruments for his band, which are discovered by the finance committee. THE SWEET RIDE (1968), directed by Harvey Hart, featured a character who was a surfer, among others such as a tennis player, and a musician in this light movie. MURPH THE SURF came later in time than the 1960s films, being released in 1975, but was notable for its differences from the other examples.

In common with the afore-mentioned movies, MURPH THE SURF had scenes of its lead characters surfing, relaxing on the beach, and other related activities. There was plenty of location footage which highlighted scenic places, and spaces, in this vein. Where it diverted was that its surfers were not teenagers, or twenty-somethings. They were men in their thirties, more seasoned by life in this respect, than young men yearning for romantic adventures. Their relationships with women were not romantic in nature, but more adult in tone. It was not a fairytale world of true love in MURPH THE SURF, as depicted in the BEACH PARTY movies, with their romantic misunderstandings peppering the story. With its male-female relationships treated with flippancy at times, MURPH THE SURF was a film for adults rather than teenagers or young adults. Other facets of the movie are also of interest.

In a related manner, the light-hearted, simplistic scenarios of BEACH PARTY, and others of its type, were not present in MURPH THE SURF. It did, though, have a cavalcade of events and happenings which marked all the surfer movies, but in MURPH THE SURF, these were of a more complex nature, in keeping with the film's real-life events. Both lead protagonists were career criminals who loved to surf, a distinct change from the largely crime-free world of BEACH PARTY series. Furthermore, while many of the movies had surfers in a supporting role, such as the GIDGET movies and THE SWEET RIDE, MURPH THE SURF offered two central male characters. This afforded contrasts in how both men saw life and love. The intricate nature of male characters in MURPH THE SURF harked back to GIDGET's Burt Vail, and his complicated persona. Another version of a film about surfers, MURPH THE SURF offered an original view in this respect.

Overview: Marvin J. Chomsky was an American director who made five motion pictures in his career. He was extremely prolific on television, presiding over thirty-one telemovies, and scores of episodic television series. His first movie, EVEL KNIEVEL (1971), was a biopic of the American stuntman, with George Hamilton in the lead role. It was a financial success based upon its comparatively low budget. Next came western MACKINTOSH AND T.J. (1975). The relationship between a cowboy, and a young man whom he meets one day under difficult circumstances, was notable as the last screen performance by Roy Rogers as the aging cowboy. GOOD LUCK, MISS WYCKOFF (1979) was contrary in tone. An unmarried schoolteacher has an affair with a black school janitor, which causes waves in a small Kansas town in the 1950s. Marvin Chomsky's cinematic swan song came in the form of TANK (1984). An army sergeant comes up against a ruthless sheriff, and they face off over a number of issues in this action movie. MURPH THE SURF was Marvin Chomsky's second film, but not one of his best efforts.

With MURPH THE SURF, Marvin Chomsky has made a disappointing motion picture. The story of real-life criminal Jack Murphy, and his friendship with Allan Kuhn, their partnership revolving around a jewel heist, it is a ponderous viewing experience. There are a number of reasons why this is so. The movie is a retelling of real events, but there is nothing remotely exciting about the presentation of these. One never feels involved with what is taking place, as emotion that should have been present, but is nowhere to be found. The characters, and their journey, are secondary to the anticipation built for the jewel robbery sequence which, of itself, fails to capture the imagination. While the movie, as such, cannot be accused of glamorizing crime, there is no suspense in seeing if the characters actually carry out their deeds, or evade prosecution. MURPH THE SURF, in honesty, functions as a dramatization of real events, with certain liberties taken, but that is the extent of its effectiveness. It is a plodding picture which has a few interesting sections, but that is all. One of the most monotonous heist movies ever produced, MURPH THE SURF is a forgettable movie.

Acting: MURPH THE SURF has a handful of striking performances which stand out. As Jack Murphy, master criminal, jewel thief and surfer, Don Stroud delivers an excellent portrayal of a charismatic, complicated man drawn to this way of life. An actor who always brings heart and soul to his acting, making his protagonists real, and sympathetic, despite many objectionable deeds, Mr Stroud is one of the film's best assets. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Robert Conrad, as Allan Kuhn, Jack Murphy's partner in crime. While he certainly looks the part as a man who almost lives on the beach, he does not make the same impact as his co-star, seeming lost against Don Stroud's dominant personality. As Ginny Eaton, Jack Murphy's girlfriend, Donna Mills, though, is radiant as the sensitive young woman who takes Jack too seriously. An actress with a luminosity about her, Miss Mills' role is too brief, but she still makes her mark in MURPH THE SURF.

Soundtrack: Phillip Lambro's instrumental score adds an urgency, and tension to MURPH THE SURF, which makes it one of the movie's best features.

Mise-en-scene: MURPH THE SURF offers a convincing onscreen experience for viewers. Exterior locations lend the film a freshness, and realism, which could never be achieved in a studio. Interior sets by Don Ivy and John McCarthy Jr. are also believable, such as the apartment where Jack and Allan reside with their girlfriends, planning their underhanded schemes. Costuming by Norman Salling is in keeping with the Florida coastal theme, with swimsuit changes for the central duo and their amours at the beach, deftly contrasting these with smart, relaxed attire for more formal events.

Notable Acting Performances: Don Stroud, Donna Mills.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Adult themes.

Overall Grade: D

Link: IMDB Page