Alan Robert Murray, a two-time Oscar-winning sound editor who worked on more than 100 films, including 32 directed by Clint Eastwood, died on February 24, 2021, at the age of 66. His death was announced by his longtime collaborator, Clint Eastwood, who called him a “lovely man” and a “gifted artist.” The cause of Murray’s death was not disclosed.
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A Career Spanning Four Decades
Murray began his career in the 1970s at Paramount, where he was mentored by Howard Beals, who worked with filmmakers from Cecil B. DeMille to Francis Ford Coppola. He had been based at Warner Bros. Sound since 1979.
Murray worked on a variety of genres and styles, from action and thriller to comedy and drama. Some of his notable credits include The Warriors (1979), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Fatal Attraction (1987), Die Hard 2 (1990), New Jack City (1991), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), The Legend of Zorro (2005) and A Star Is Born (2018).
He also helped Bradley Cooper get through his directorial debut on A Star Is Born after meeting the actor on American Sniper.
A Longtime Collaboration with Clint Eastwood
Murray’s most frequent and fruitful partnership was with Clint Eastwood, whom he met on Escape From Alcatraz (1979). He worked on 32 films directed by Eastwood, from Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004) to Sully (2016) and Richard Jewell (2019).
Murray won two Oscars for his work on Eastwood’s films: Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) and American Sniper (2014). He also received Oscar nominations for Space Cowboys (2000) and Flags of Our Fathers (2006).
Murray said that Eastwood “has always been one who lets the artists bring what they can to the table. He gives you specific notes but lets you create on your own. And he respects the artists on his crew.”
A Record-Setting Sound Editor
Murray set a sound editing record with his 10th career Academy Award nomination, for Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019). He shared the nomination with Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and David Bach.
His first two Oscar nominations came for his contributions to Richard Donner’s Ladyhawke (1985) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).
He also received Oscar nominations for Chuck Russell’s Eraser (1996) and Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario (2015).
He was also nominated for seven BAFTA Awards, four Golden Reel Awards and two Cinema Audio Society Awards.
A Family Man and a Mentor
Murray is survived by his wife, Debbie, and three children, Blu Murray, Kevin R.W. Murray and Hailey Murray, all three of whom work in the film industry.
Blu Murray is an editor who worked with his father on Sully and American Sniper. Kevin R.W. Murray is a sound editor who also collaborated with his father on several films. Hailey Murray is an actress who appeared in American Sniper.
Murray was also a mentor to many sound editors who learned from his experience and expertise. He was known for his generosity, kindness and passion for his craft.
He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues in the film industry.
