Murphy was featured in three westerns in 1959: he starred opposite Sandra Dee in "The Wild and the Innocent", collaborated as an uncredited co-producer with Walter Mirisch on the black and white "Cast a Long Shadow", and performed as a hired killer in "No Name on the Bullet", a film that was well received by critics. Thelma Ritter was his costar in the 1960 "Startime" television episode "The Man". During the early 1960s, Murphy donated his time and otherwise lent his name and image for three episodes of "The Big Picture" television series produced by the United States Army. He received the 1960 Outstanding Civilian Service Medal for his cooperation in the episode "Broken Bridge", which featured his visits to military installations in Germany, Italy, Turkey and the U.S. state of New Mexico to showcase the military's latest weaponry.