{{Short description|British cinematographer (1933–2003)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Brianne Murphy | image = File:Brianne_Murphy.jpg | caption = Murphy on the set of<br/> ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' in 1981 | occupation = Cinematographer | birth_name = Geraldine Brianne Murphy | birth_date = {{birth date|1933|4|1|df=y}} | birth_place = [[London]], England, UK | death_date = {{death date and age|2003|8|20|1933|4|1|df=y}} | death_place = [[Puerto Vallarta]], Mexico }}
'''Geraldine Brianne Murphy''' (1 April 1933 – 20 August 2003) was a British cinematographer. She was the first female [[Cinematographer|director of photography]] for a major studio film<ref name="bmurphy2">[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614130/bio Brianne Murphy biography]</ref> and the first female who became a member of the [[American Society of Cinematographers|American Society of Cinematographers Guild]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2003/scene/people-news/brianne-bri-murphy-1117891348/ |title=Brianne "Bri" Murphy |last=North |first=Gary |date=2003-08-22 |work=Variety }}</ref> Murphy is often referred to as a pioneer for women in the film industry.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal|journal=Film Quarterly|date=1998|volume=52|issue=2|pages=61–62|title=Women Behind the Camera: Conversations with Camerawomen|last=Wheeler|first=Winston Dixon|doi=10.2307/1213285 |jstor=1213285 |id={{ProQuest|223099679}}}}</ref>
==Biography== Murphy was born in [[London|London, England]] where her father was working on the railroad in Britain. While her whole family was living in the UK due to her father's career, her parents were both middle class Americans. With the threat of the war in England coming, the family made the decision to move back to America. At a young age, Murphy's' parents divorced.<ref name=":05">{{Cite news|title=In memoriam|date=2003}}</ref>{{full citation|date=September 2023}} She created her own opportunities by taking advantage of small positions in the film industry and made her way in a "man's world" of cinematography<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=55505732&S=R&D=f3h&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLe80Sep684zdnyOLCmr1CeqK5Sr6a4Sa%2BWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlC1qbVRuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA|title=Murphy, Brianne|last=Knight|first=Judson|date=1999}}</ref> Once she moved to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] she fell in love with B-movie film director [[Jerry Warren]] who she went on to marry. They eventually divorced before having any children.
== Career == In the 1950s, Brianne Murphy started her career in the film industry in New York.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-1292335911/voigtlander-murphy-on-highway-to-heaven|title=Voigtlander & Murphy on Highway to Heaven|last=Nora|first=Lee|date=1986}}</ref> Murphy was educated in [[UK|English]] and [[United States|American]] schools before she set her sights on an acting career and attended the Neighborhood Playhouse in [[New York City]] and [[Pembroke College (Brown University)|Pembroke College]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-27-me-murphy27-story.html |author=Dennis McLellan |date=2003-08-27 |title=Brianne Murphy, 70; Pioneering Woman Behind the Camera }}</ref> During the filming of a movie called "''On the Waterfront''" in New York, she made an effort to hang around the set and eventually was asked to run errands for the production manager. After doing this, the director agreed to let Murphy watch the rest of the filming process. This allowed her to gain more insight into what went into making the film while teaching her how to use the equipment properly.<ref name=":05" /> She took this as a learning experience and started to search for more jobs in the industry. In order to become "more American", she worked as a trick rider with a rodeo for a season. In 1954, she crashed the [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus]] at [[Madison Square Garden]] on opening night and performed as a clown for the entire evening.<ref name="bmurphy2"/> The resulting publicity helped Murphy land a job as a still photographer with the traveling circus and eventually led her to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]. She soon began working with low-budget filmmakers Jerry Warren and Ralph Brooke, both of whom she married. While working on these low-budget films, Murphy was promoted to production manager due to her strategic decisions to save money by using the same crew and actors and shooting movies back-to-back. While working in production management, she would often use herself as a second cameraman on set,<ref name=":05" /> once again getting more experience.
Murphy's career began to take off in 1975 when Richard Glouner, a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, who had worked with Murphy as a script supervisor in the past, had to leave a show, ''[[Columbo]]'', that he was working on and suggested Murphy take over for him.<ref name=":05" /> In 1980, she was the first female [[Cinematographer|director of photography]] on a major studio picture, ''[[Fatso (1980 film)|Fatso]]''. In 1982, Murphy won an [[Academy Award]] for Scientific and Engineering Achievement.<ref>[http://wwwdb.oscars.org/ampas/plsql/ampas_mainmenu.year?year_in=1982 AMPAS - Index of Motion Picture Credits] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821074340/http://wwwdb.oscars.org/ampas/plsql/ampas_mainmenu.year?year_in=1982|date=August 21, 2007}}</ref> She was also nominated for four [[Emmy Award|Emmys]] for cinematography, winning for outstanding cinematography for the series ''[[Highway to Heaven]]'' in 1985.
Murphy struggled to get jobs at times due to the fact that she was a female attempting to make a place in a male dominated industry. She attempted to join her local union branch in 1973 where she was told by a union officer that she would be accepted "over his dead body".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/sep/10/guardianobituaries.film|title=Brianne Murphy|last=Reed|first=Christopher|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=2003}}</ref> When he died, she went back to the Union and told the new Union Officer what had happened before. Upon hearing this, he did allow Brianne to join. This only encouraged Murphy to work harder. She eventually made it into this union, being the first female executive board member to join. Murphy was recognized as the woman who brought women's rights into the film industry.<ref name=":22"/> In order to avoid discrimination, she would at times use an abbreviated version of her name "Brian" and would talk with a deep voice on the phone as a way to improve her chances of getting a job.<ref name=":12" /> She would also use her initials G.B. to avoid revealing that she was a woman.<ref name=":3" />
== Filmography == Cinematographer credits: {| class="wikitable" |+ !Film !Role in film !Year of Film |- |''Wonder Woman'' |Cinematography |1974 |- |''Five Finger Discount'' |Cinematography |1975 |- |''[[Fatso (1980 film)|Fatso]]'' |Cinematography |1980 |- |''[[Breaking Away (TV series)|Breaking Away]]'' |Cinematography |1980 |- |''Highway to Heaven'' |Director of photography |1985 |- |''There Were Times, Dear'' |Cinematography |1987 |- |''Mulligan Stew'' |Cinematography |1972-1981 |- |''ABC Afterschool Special'' |Cinematography |1972-1997 |- |''Little House on the Prairie'' |Cinematography |1974-1983 |- |''[[Trapper John, MD]]'' |Cinematography |1979-1986 |- |''Father Murphy'' |Cinematography |1981-1984 |- |''In the Heat of the Night'' |Cinematography |1988-1994 |}
==Death== On 20 August 2003, Brianne Murphy died suffering from a combination of lung cancer and a brain tumor, both of which she had been struggling with since April.<ref name=":05" /> At the age of 70, in [[Puerto Vallarta|Puerto Vallarta, Mexico]] she died.<ref name="bmurphy2"/>
==Awards==
===Daytime Emmy Awards=== *Won: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming For: ''[[After school special|NBC Special Treat]]'' (For the episode "Five Finger Discount", 1975)
===Emmy Awards=== *Nominated: Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special For: ''There Were Times, Dear'' (1987) *Nominated: Outstanding Cinematography for a Series For: ''[[Highway to Heaven]]'' (For the episode "A Match Made in Heaven", 1985) *Nominated: Outstanding Cinematography for a Series For: ''Breaking Away'' (For the episode "La Strada", 1980)
===Academy Award=== *Won: Scientific and Engineering Award Plaque for the concept, design and manufacture of the MISI Camera Insert Car and Process Trailer (Shared with Donald Schisler, 1982)
===Women in Film Crystal and Lucy Awards=== *Recipient - [[Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards#THE CRYSTAL AWARD|Crystal Award]] for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.<ref name="wif.org">{{cite web |url=http://wif.org/past-recipients |title=Archived Document |accessdate=2011-05-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830035734/http://www.wif.org/past-recipients |archivedate=2011-08-30 }}</ref> (1984) *Recipient - [[Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards#THE LUCY AWARD|Lucy Award]] in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.<ref name="wif.org"/> (1995)
==References== <references />
==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=0614130|name=Brianne Murphy}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Brianne}} [[Category:1933 births]] [[Category:2003 deaths]] [[Category:American cinematographers]] [[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Mexico]] [[Category:English emigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Film people from London]] [[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Mexico]] [[Category:English women cinematographers]]