Actress. Raised in Cleveland and later Los Angeles by her widowed mother, she attended University High School and caught the attention of a Hollywood talent scout which led to her being put under contract by Paramount Pictures. A string of several uncredited roles in the pictures "The Lemon Drop Kid" (1951), "My Favorite Spy" (1951) and "Houdini" (1953) were followed with what would be her best remembered part as 'Kathie Bleeker' (the small town girl) opposite Marlon Brando in the classic picture "The Wild One" (1953). Murphy never again achieve the same success, as she appeared in lesser film roles throughout the remainder of her career. She would fair better on TV with scores of guest parts on the programs "Dr. Kildare," "The Fugitive" and "I Spy," among many others. She retired from acting during the mid-1970s. She was formerly married to actor Dale Robertson. She died of complications from heart disease.
Actress. Raised in Cleveland and later Los Angeles by her widowed mother, she attended University High School and caught the attention of a Hollywood talent scout which led to her being put under contract by Paramount Pictures. A string of several uncredited roles in the pictures "The Lemon Drop Kid" (1951), "My Favorite Spy" (1951) and "Houdini" (1953) were followed with what would be her best remembered part as 'Kathie Bleeker' (the small town girl) opposite Marlon Brando in the classic picture "The Wild One" (1953). Murphy never again achieve the same success, as she appeared in lesser film roles throughout the remainder of her career. She would fair better on TV with scores of guest parts on the programs "Dr. Kildare," "The Fugitive" and "I Spy," among many others. She retired from acting during the mid-1970s. She was formerly married to actor Dale Robertson. She died of complications from heart disease.
Bio by: C.S.
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