Murphy's Law (1986)

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.

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writer:

Gail Morgan Hickman

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Carrie Snodgress

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Lieutenant Nachman
Janet MacLachlan	...	Dr. Lovell
Lawrence Tierney	...	Cameron
Jerome Thor	...	Judge Kellerman
Mischa Hausserman	...	Dave Manzarek
Cal Haynes	...	Reese
Hans Howes	...	Santana

Storyline

Charles Bronson plays Jack Murphy a veteran police detective who is framed for the murder of his ex-wife. Although taken into custody, Murphy escapes from the police station handcuffed to a foul-mouthed car thief. Pursued by the police, Murphy must find the real killer before it is too late.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | female serial killer | juvenile delinquent | glock | cult film | 

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Taglines:

They set him up. He takes them down.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Carrie Snodgress, Academy Award Best Actress Oscar nominee for Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), creates a variation of her famous "Mad Housewife" screen persona in this movie by playing a "Mad Villain" who is a psycho killer who actually frames Jack Murphy (Charles Bronson) by murdering his ex-housewife!

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Goofs

When Jack faints while handcuffed to Arabella in the log cabin, he lays flat on a rug. When Arabella starts to pull him towards the dresser in the room, to get the 'pick' he's not on a rug.

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Quotes

[while flying in a helicopter]
Arabella McGee: [to Murphy] Hey, Airwolf, where the hell are we going?

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Bob Uecker/Kathleen Wilhoite/Zippy the Chimp (1986)

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Soundtracks

It's Got to Get Better
Written by Jim Cushinery & Valentine McCallum (as Val McCallum)
Courtesy of The Wigs

User Reviews

classic bronson doing what he does best; kicking ass

while he was still making movies for cannon films which is no longer in existence, bronson took the lead in this cop thriller from the early eighties. he stars as jack murphy a worn and beaten down cop who has been framed for the murder of his wife who left him to become a stripper in a sleazy bar. while on the run from the mob as well, and trying to clear his name, he is handcuffed to a mouthy petty thief named arabella mcgee. considering it is kathleen whilhoite's first starring role in a feature (she plays arabella) she turned in a great and funny performance. she has a mouth like a trucker but has some very creative and imaginative ways of telling people off who displease her ie. snot-licking donkey fart among other things. while she is more than half of bronson's age the writers were trying to build some kind of weird sexual tension between the two and it clearly wasn't working. it came off more creepy and awkward than anything else. while bronson's later movies won't win any awards it will keep you entertained.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murphy's Law

Filming Locations:

Kelly Gulch - 1801 N. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Topanga, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,388,907, 20 April 1986

Gross USA:

$9,947,631

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,947,631

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1