Although Murphy was initially reluctant to appear as himself in 'To Hell and Back', the 1955 adaptation of his book directed by Jesse Hibbs, he eventually agreed; it became the biggest hit in the history of Universal Studios at the time. To help publicize the release of the film, he made guest appearances on television shows such as "What's My Line?", "Toast of the Town", and "Colgate Comedy Hour". The Hibbs-Murphy team proved so successful in "To Hell and Back" that the two worked together on five subsequent films. The partnership resulted in Murphy appearing as John Phillip Clum in the 1956 western "Walk the Proud Land", and the non-westerns "Joe Butterfly" and "World in My Corner". They worked together for the last time in the 1958 western "Ride a Crooked Trail".