This Machine News
In ‘Murf The Surf,’ Director R.J. Cutler Explores Dashing Jewel Thief-Turned Murderer Who Became A Proto-True Crime Celebrity
Jack Roland Murphy just about had it all: Kennedy-esque good looks, charm to burn, athletic talent and even a musical gift. Still, he wanted more. The man who became a legendary jewel thief – he bagged the priceless Star of India from a New York museum – before graduating to murder is the focus of the documentary series Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA, which premieres on MGM+ on Sunday. Renowned filmmaker R.J. Cutler directed and executive produced the four-part series.
When to watch: ‘Murf the Surf’ on MGM+
The documentarian R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue”) turns his attention to a horrific larger-than-life tale in this four-episode series that avoids the worst drooling habits of the true-crime genre. Jack Roland Murphy, known as Murf the Surf because of his early life as a surfer, gained notoriety as a convicted jewel thief and was later tried for murder and sentenced to two life sentences plus 20 years.
How a Champion Surfer Became a Notorious Jewel Thief and Murderer
Jack Roland Murphy, better known by his headline-friendly moniker “Murf the Surf,” was a criminal who pulled off America’s biggest jewelry heist, stealing the Star of India sapphire—among several other valuables—from Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History on Oct. 29, 1964. That swindle attracted national attention and turned Murf into a media darling, abetted by his brashness, good looks, and defiant lack of repentance. He was a beach boy-turned-hoodlum with style and attitude to burn, and his exploits were grand enough to beget a 1975 feature film (Murf the Surf) about his legendary burglary.
‘Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA’ Review: A Dashing Thief’s Darker Side
Up until his death in 2020, Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy remained most famous for the 1964 burglary of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which netted its perpetrators a bagful of precious gems, including the 563-carat Star of India sapphire. It was the kind of story people like to tell. And retell. “I’d kept reading story after story about Murf where there’d be 15 paragraphs about this heist,” says journalist Nate Scott. “And in the 16th paragraph it would be like ‘Oh, and then he was convicted for murder.’”
Critics Survey: The Best Movies of Sundance 2023, According to 367 Critics
This year, the Sundance Film Festival returned in-person events with a vengeance. After two straight mostly virtual editions, the festival got back to almost-normal with packed crowds squeezing into the shuttles and trudging up and down Main Street. The festival also allowed its films, at distributors’ discretion, to screen virtually on its platform for accredited press who were still covering Sundance remotely.
Nicole Newnham’s Gripping, Revelatory Doc Rediscovers a Forgotten Feminist Icon
If, partway through Nicole Newnham’s extraordinary new documentary, you find yourself fighting the urge to do a bit of Googling — just to make sure that Shere Hite was a real person and you are not the victim of some wildly elaborate deepfake prank — don’t be alarmed. Be a little ashamed, perhaps, but not alarmed: You are not alone if you simply can’t stop asking yourself, “How on earth did I not know about this woman before?”
Questlove’s Sly Stone Documentary Lands At Onyx Collective For Hulu Alongside Kris Bowers & Dahi’s ‘Anthem’
Onyx Collective has landed a pair of documentaries including Questlove’s upcoming Sly Stone film. The brand, which airs on Hulu, will air both Questlove’s Untitled Sly Stone documentary and Anthem, which follows composer Kris Bowers and music producer Dahi as they take on a musical journey across the U.S. experimenting to reimagine the National Anthem.
Actress Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly Board Sundance Doc ‘The Disappearance Of Shere Hite’ As EP’s, With Johnson Tapped As Voice Of Famed Sex Researcher
Award-winning actress Dakota Johnson and her producing partner at TeaTime Pictures, Ro Donnelly, have joined The Disappearance of Shere Hite as executive producers ahead of the documentary’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
How the World’s Most Infamous Jewel Thief Turned to Murder
Nearly 60 years ago, a surfer named Jack Murphy pulled off one of the most audacious jewel heists in US history when he and a buddy scaled the American Museum of Natural History, broke through glass, and stole the Star of India sapphire, the DeLong Star ruby, and an assortment of diamonds and emeralds. R.J. Cutler’s new four-part docuseries, Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA, premiering February 5 on MGM+, makes clear that Murphy wasn’t an expert thief. At 27, Murphy was a tanned party boy who simply lucked out with the museum’s unbelievably lax security. It was 1964, and the museum’s alarms had stopped working.
Olivia Newton-John Documentary Is in the Works From R.J. Cutler’s Banner
R.J. Cutler’s production hub This Machine is developing another documentary about a music star — in this case, the late Olivia Newton-John, who died in August 2022.
The feature-length doc will explore Newton-John’s life and work as an iconic entertainer, best-selling music artist, animal rights and environmental activist and health, wellness and plant medicine advocate. This Machine has secured full authorized access to Newton-John’s music and personal archives.
‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ World Premiere At Sundance 2023
Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?
Prime Video, This Machine Launch Documentary About Lee Soo Man, The King Of K-Pop And “Modern-Day Willy Wonka”
Production is underway on Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop, a feature documentary from production company This Machine that will land on Prime Video. Filmmaker Ting Poo, who earned acclaim with her 2021 Prime Video documentary Val about actor Val Kilmer (co-directed with Leo Scott) is helming Lee Soo Man, a “documentary chronicling the enthralling life of a bold visionary whose work put his country on the map, sparked a global movement, and continues to define an era,” as a release put it.
IDA Documentary Awards: “Dear…” Nominated For Best Episodic Series
The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced the nominations for the 38th annual IDA Documentary Awards, which will be held on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios Lot in Los Angeles.
DOC NYC: 40 Under 40
Congratulations to honoree, Trevor Smith. 40 Under 40 celebrates emerging talent in the documentary world, including directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors. This program is co-presented by HBO Documentary Films.
Fist-ever Documentary Centered On Black Beauty
Supermodel and entrepreneur Iman discusses her involvement in the documentary "Supreme Models," the first-ever documentary centered on Black beauty, and the importance of models of color.
Iman makes the case for fashion’s humanity
NEW YORK — From the beginning, modeling was always meant to be a business proposition, not a flight of fancy or a personal indulgence. And so, fashion was a remarkable, lucrative ride for the woman who came to be known simply as Iman: the model whose swan’s neck made a world-weary editor swoon…
Iman Talks Black Excellence in Fashion — and What the Industry Still Needs to Do Better
Iman wants to celebrate the "joy" of the Black model and all the creatives in the fashion industry…
Documentary Inspired By Charles Blow’s Bestseller ‘The Devil You Know’ Coming From HBO Documentary Films And This Machine
Production is underway on a feature documentary from HBO Documentary Films and This Machine inspired by New York Times columnist Charles Blow’s book The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto.
Emmy-Winning Filmmaker R.J. Cutler Signs With WME As He Embarks On Elton John Doc
WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.