Murphy’s War (1971): Cast & Plot
Murphy’s War is a 1971 war drama directed by Peter Yates, starring Peter O'Toole as Murphy, Harry Fielder and Siân Phillips. It runs 1 hour 47 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 47m (107 min)
- Director
- Peter Yates
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Hemdale
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Murphy’s War About?
The premise of Murphy’s War without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set in the closing days of World War II, the story follows Murphy, the sole survivor of a crew massacred by a German U‑boat. Rescued, he is taken to an abandoned mission station at the mouth of the Orinoco, where he plots revenge. Determined to sink the submarine by any means, he teams up with Louis, the local oil‑company manager, and launches a daring plan.
Murphy’s War Themes & Keywords
· 36 tags- boat
- sole survivor
- seaplane
- submarine
- torpedo
- revenge
- soldier
- german soldier
- world war two soldier
- plane
- flight
- explosion
+24 more Show fewer
- 20th century
- 1940s
- year 1945
- death
- shot to death
- zippo lighter
- u boat
- orinoco
- river
- apostrophe in title
- two word title
- kriegsmarine
- south america
- murder
- molotov cocktail
- war crime
- hospital
- female doctor
- irishman
- crane
- world war two
- based on novel
- independent film
- character name in title
Murphy’s War Cast & Characters
Peter O'Toole leads the cast as Murphy, with Harry Fielder as German Submarine Crewman (uncredited) and Siân Phillips as Hayden. Directed by Peter Yates; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Peter Yates
-
Peter O'Toole as Murphy - Harry Fielder as German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
-
Siân Phillips as Hayden -
Philippe Noiret as Brezan
Also Starring in Murphy’s War
· 6 more- Horst Janson Lauchs
- John Hallam Ellis
- George Roubicek German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- Bob Simmons German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- John Clifford German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- Ingo Mogendorf Voght
More from Peter Yates
More films directed by Peter Yates, best-rated first: Breaking Away, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Bullitt and The Hot Rock.
Murphy’s War Plot Summary
What happens in Murphy’s War from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the waning days of World War II, Murphy [Peter O’Toole] is the sole survivor of the Mount Kyle, a merchant ship that was sunk by a Nazi U-boat and whose crew were machine-gunned in the water. He washes ashore and finds a quiet, mission-minded settlement on the Orinoco in Venezuela, where he is tended to by the pacifist Quaker Dr. Hayden [Sián Phillips].
Full summary
The whole story of Murphy’s War, scene by scene
Murphy’s War Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Unboxing
How Well Do You Know Murphy’s War?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor stars as Murphy, the sole survivor of the Mount Kyle?
Murphy’s War Also Known As
16 alternative titles, including “Murphy háborúja” and “新戰海浮生”.
- Also known as
-
- Murphy háborúja
- 新戰海浮生
- La guerre de Murphy
- Ο μεγάλος αντάρτης
- L'uomo che venne dal Nord
- La guerra de Murphy
- Seu Último Combate
- Das Wiegenlied der Verdammten
- Murphyho válka
- Войната на Мърфи
- Война Мерфи
- 墨菲的战争
+4 more Show fewer
- 머피의 전쟁
- Murphy går i krig
- Murphys krig
- Війна Мерфі
Seen Murphy’s War?
Movies Like Murphy’s War
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Murphy’s Law, Torpedo: U-235 and Sink the Bismarck!.
Murphy’s War FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Murphy’s War, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Murphy’s War?
Murphy’s War runs 1 hour 47 minutes (107 minutes).
When was Murphy’s War released?
Murphy’s War was released on January 27, 1971.
Who directed Murphy’s War?
Murphy’s War was directed by Peter Yates.
More films by Peter Yates Who is in the cast of Murphy’s War?
Murphy’s War stars Peter O'Toole as Murphy, Harry Fielder as German Submarine Crewman (uncredited) and Siân Phillips as Hayden, among 10 credited actors.
Does Murphy’s War have a post-credit scene?
No. Murphy’s War has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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