 In addition to "Ballet mécanique", Murphy is best remembered for "St. Louis Blues" (1929) with Bessie Smith and Jimmy Mordecai, "Black and Tan" (1929) with Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, "Confessions of a Co-Ed" (1931), "The Sport Parade" (1932) with Joel McCrea, and "The Emperor Jones" (1933), starring Paul Robeson.In 1932, Murphy helped introduce the Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros to prominent people in the Los Angeles community.To show his gratitude, Siqueiros painted a mural on a wall in Murphy's Pacific Palisades home.