Murphy's Law (1986)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writer:

Gail Morgan Hickman (writer)

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

They set him up. He takes them down.

Plot:

An action-packed thriller starring Charles Bronson as Jack Murphy, a cop who is running to stay alive long enough to even the score with his wife's killer.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Stalking | Knee In Groin | Elevator Shaft | Stalker

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Jack Murphy
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Arabella McGee
Carrie Snodgress	...	Joan Freeman
Robert F. Lyons	...	Art Penney
Richard Romanus	...	Frank Vincenzo
Angel Tompkins	...	Jan
Bill Henderson	...	Ben Wilcove
James Luisi	...	Ed Reineke
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Lt. Nachman
Janet MacLachlan	...	Dr. Lovell
Lawrence Tierney	...	Cameron
Jerome Thor	...	Judge Kellerman
Mischa Hausserman	...	Det. Dave Manzarek
Cal Haynes	...	Reese
Hans Howes	...	Santana
Joseph Roman	...	Carl (as Joseph Spallina Roman)
Chris DeRose	...	Tony Vincenzo
Frank Annese	...	Kelly
Paul McCallum	...	Hog
Dennis Hayden	...	Sonny
Tony Montero	...	Max
David Hayman	...	Jack
Lisa Vice	...	Blonde
Janet Rotblatt	...	Mrs. Vincenzo
Greg Finley	...	Sergeant
Jerry Lazarus	...	Lawyer
Robert Axelrod	...	Hotel clerk
John Hawker	...	Hotel guest
Bert Williams	...	Police captain
Daniel D. Halleck	...	Lead cop (as Daniel Halleck)
Randall Carver	...	Mechanic
Gerald Berns	...	Young cop
Don Brodie	...	Old Man (as Don L. Brodie)
Graham Timbes	...	Detective
David K. Johnston	...	Guard #1
Paul McCauley	...	Ballill
Brooks Wachtel	...	Maître
Richard Hochberg	...	Man with glasses
John P. McCarthy	...	Patrol cop
Leigh Lombardi	...	Stewardess
Charlie Brewer	...	Security guard
Charles A. Nero	...	Liquor store clerk
Wheeler Henderson	...	Woman in bathroom
Frank Bove	...	Guard #2
Christopher Stanley	...	Ambulance attendant (as Chris Stanley)
Linda Harwood	...	Waitress
Nancie Clark

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gail Morgan Hickman		writer

Produced by
Yoram Globus	....	executive producer
Menahem Golan	....	executive producer
Gail Morgan Hickman	....	associate producer
Jill Ireland	....	co-producer
Pancho Kohner	....	producer

Original Music by
Marc Donahue
Valentine McCallum

Cinematography by
Álex Phillips Jr.

Film Editing by
Peter Lee-Thompson
Charles Simmons

Casting by
Perry Bullington
Robert MacDonald

Production Design by
William Cruse

Set Decoration by
Whitney Brooke Wheeler		(as W. Brooke Wheeler)

Costume Design by
Shelley Komarov

Makeup Department
Lilly Benyair-Gart	....	hair stylist supervisor
Lilly Benyair-Gart	....	makeup supervisor
Melonie Nadinia Cleric	....	assistant hair stylist
Dee Mansano	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jeffrey Silver	....	executive in charge of production
George Van Noy	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Lazarus	....	first assistant director
Robert C. Ortwin Jr.	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Edwin M. Brewer	....	property master (as Edwin Brewer)
Joshua Culp	....	assistant art director (as Joshua S. Culp)
Jim Elyea	....	set dresser (as James Elyea)
Mark Heiner	....	assistant property master
John S. Karas	....	construction coordinator (as John Karas)
Aimee D. Orkin	....	scenic artist
Rodger M. Pitts	....	set dresser
Lynn Risdon	....	art department coordinator
Catherine Schlesinger	....	art department coordinator
Walter Shipley	....	set dresser (as Walt Shipley)
Rene Veluzat	....	construction coordinator
David Halver	....	art department assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Berndt	....	supervising dialogue editor
Jim Borgardt	....	dialogue editor (as James A. Borgardt)
Mike Clark	....	boom operator
Christine Danelski	....	assistant sound effects editor
Elliot Deitch	....	sound effects editor
John Duvall	....	foley editor
Craig Felburg	....	sound mixer
Dennis Fuller	....	cable person
Jessica Gallavan	....	assistant dialogue editor
Sandy Gendler	....	supervising sound effects editor
Howell Gibbens	....	assistant sound effects editor
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Glass)
Victor Grodecki	....	dialogue editor
Julie Hall	....	sound effects editor
Richard King	....	sound effects editor
David Lebrun	....	foley editor (as David LeBrun)
Darwin Jay Lollar	....	boom operator
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Portman)
Barry Rubinow	....	foley editor
Ruth Schell	....	dialogue editor
Ralph Stuart	....	assistant sound effects editor

Special Effects by
John Bisson	....	special effects
Michael Clifford	....	special effects (as Michael A. Clifford)

Stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
David Bilson	....	stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (as May R. Boss)
Hal Burton	....	stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	stunts
Beau Vanden Ecker	....	associate stunt coordinator (as Beau Van Den Ecker)
Tom Elliott	....	stunts
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunts
Buck McDancer	....	stunts
George Novak	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (as Ernie Orsatti)
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunts (as Ernie Orsatti)
Karen Price	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts
John Sherrod	....	stunts
Bob Stephens	....	stunts (as Bob Norm Stephens)
Joe Stone	....	stunts
Harry Wowchuk	....	stunts
David Zellitti	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Josh Bleibtreu	....	second assistant camera
Anthony Caldwell	....	best boy grip
Andrew Cooper	....	still photographer
Caleb Edwards	....	best boy grip
Jack English	....	gaffer
Joan Geguld	....	grip
Ed Giovanni	....	first assistant camera
Kevin Kuhn	....	second assistant camera
John Maninger	....	electrician (as John H. Maninger)
Tony Mazzucchi	....	grip (as Anthony T. Mazzucchi)
Hugh McCallum	....	electrician
John Roy Morgan	....	key grip (as John Morgan)
Dino Parks	....	electrician
Charles W. Smith	....	electrician
Pat Swovelin	....	second assistant camera
Jesse Tango	....	grip (as Jess Tango Jr.)
Newton TerMeer	....	best boy electric
Eric Ward	....	electrician (as Eric A. Ward)
Jamie Young	....	grip
George M. Chappell	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Dennis Hansen	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heidi Freundlich Gilles	....	assistant costume designer
Beverly Val-Brown	....	second assistant wardrobe (as Beverly Brown)
Marion Kirk	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Johanna Lyle Bennett	....	assistant editor (as Johanna L. Bennett)
Anne Couk	....	assistant editor
Michael J. Duthie	....	additional editor
Mary E. Jochem	....	assistant editor
Karen D. Joseph	....	assistant editor (as Karen Joseph)
Daniel Loewenthal	....	additional editor (as Daniel Lowenthal)
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	post-production coordinator
Angelo Russo	....	color timer
Scott Stevenson	....	assistant editor
Anne-Marie Vitello	....	negative cutter
Ron Vitello	....	negative cutter
Craig Weintraub	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Bisharat	....	composer: closing title theme
Bill Black	....	assistant music editor
Paula Erickson	....	music supervisor
Barbara Pokras	....	music editor

Transportation Department
George K. Burnette	....	driver
John Conte	....	driver
Ross Ellis	....	driver
Edward Flotard	....	transportation captain
Allan Herendeen	....	driver
Jimmy Jones	....	transportation coordinator
Joe 'Stinky' Killian	....	driver (as Joseph Killian)
George R. Matejka	....	driver (as George Matejka)
Tim C. McHenry	....	driver (as Tim McHenry)
George Panivics	....	driver
George Panivics	....	transportation chief
Joel Renfro	....	transportation coordinator (as Joel A. Renfro)
Jim Rogers	....	driver
Charlie Rothstein	....	driver (as Charles Rothstein)
Daniel Rothstein	....	driver
Danny L. Swanson	....	driver (as Danny Swanson)
Chip H. White	....	driver
John Yarbrough	....	driver (as John David Yarbrough)
Bruce Scott	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Wenden K. Baldwin	....	title designer
Caroline Baron	....	assistant production executive
Karen Cooper	....	script supervisor
Karin Cooper	....	script supervisor
Alan Gershenfeld	....	production coordinator
Amy Grandrath	....	production assistant
Mischa Hausserman	....	aerial coordinator
Gretchen Iverson	....	production assistant
Leonor Johnson	....	cook's helper
Leslie 'Tinker' Linville	....	accounting assistant (as Leslie Linville)
Michael Madl	....	security officer
Shelley Mills	....	production assistant
Patricia G. Payró	....	assistant to producer
Larry Pearson	....	location manager
Kevin B. Piatt	....	craft service
Kevin B. Piatt	....	first aid
Robert Saurman	....	police coordinator
Kyle Seidenbaum	....	title designer
Jonathan Wolf	....	production accountant (as Jonathan D. Wolf)
Erez Yaoz	....	production assistant
Enrico Mastracchi Manes	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joe Straw	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Golan-Globus Productions

Distributors

• Cannon Group, The (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Scotia (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• América Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cannon Home Video (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (video)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (Canada)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video
• Vestron Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:R | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Golan-Globus Productions

Quotes:

Arabella McGee: You're welcome, dildo-nose.

Movie Connections:

References "Airwolf" (1984)

When you just can't take a break.

Life for police detective Jack Murphy is the pits, especially after his wife left him and has become a stripper. He hit's the bottle, and gets into scuffles with his fellow officers. Things get worse when he's suddenly framed for his wife and lover's murder, and he's arrested. He gets handcuffed to the dirty-mouthed street thief he caught earlier. By chance they both manage to escape and Murphy goes after the real killer, to only find out he's the one being preyed upon by the mafia and psychotic murderer.

This tough guy image really works for Charles Bronson, and makes any standard revenge story compelling. In it's defence, this Bronson vehicle (produced by Cannon) might be routine, but Gail Morgan Hickman's above average screenplay has plenty going on and throws our way a few effective surprises. The strategic story is grounded by its hard as nails approach, where the sombre and seedy urban atmosphere can be a brutal smack in the guts. Even the humour has that dark touch, but what did get tiresome was the constant potty-language and banter erupting from Kathleen Wilhoite's explosively charming character. Did it grate! The compulsively uneven, but hard-bitten script keeps on the move and can draw tension, but never goes in to much depth of the characters and situations. What begins interestingly enough, changes course for a buddy story with awkward attempts of humour and nastiness. In parts it kinda reminded me of Eastwood's superior action film "The Gauntlet (1977)".

J. Lee Thompson's efficient direction is sharply observed and packs grittiness, but really lacked the avid jolts. The professional camera work visually gets amongst the dirt, but can provide some airy scope. The crisp sounding music score is very well balanced. A weary looking Bronson might look like he's slumming it in, but his low-scale turn works accordingly and keeps you hanging on. Kathleen Wilhoite's lively chemistry with Bronson wasn't bad. Carrie Snodgress neatly goes about her psychotic part with utter coldness and Richard Romanus is perfectly cast as a seamy mobster. Look out for an amusing cameo role by Lawrence Tierney.

Roughly engaging and mildly humorous revenge b-film.