Editing Murphy's Romance (section)

==Production==
Columbia did not want to make the picture at all because it had no "sex or violence" in it. However, Columbia agreed because of the success of ''[[Norma Rae]]'' (1979), with the same star (Field), director, and screenwriting team ([[Harriet Frank Jr.]] and [[Irving Ravetch]]), and with Field's new production company Fogwood Films producing. Columbia then wanted [[Marlon Brando]], or someone with "greater box-office allure", to play the part of Murphy. Field and Ritt fought Columbia  to cast Garner, whom then studio viewed at that point as primarily a television actor, despite having enjoyed a flourishing film career in the 1950s and 60s and having co-starred in the box-office hit ''[[Victor Victoria|Victor/Victoria]]'' in 1982.<ref>Cameron, Julia. "Garner Fits Romantic Role, Not Hollywood Pigeonhole."''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', January 19, 1986.</ref><ref>Rosenthal, Phil. "Garner Remains TV's Class Act."''[[Daily News of Los Angeles]]'', February 6, 1994.</ref><ref>Sachs, Lloyd. "Sally Field says what she means—'Murphy's Romance' star is not just another perky face." ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', January 19, 1986. Retrieved: 2008-08-03</ref><ref>Laurence, Robert P. "Garner doesn't go by the book in role in 'Breathing Lessons'." ''[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]'', February 6, 1994.</ref>

When Ritt gave the [[Max Schott]] story to Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch, the same married screenplay team that worked on ''[[Hud (1963 film)|Hud]]'' (1963) with Ritt and [[Paul Newman]], they wanted Newman to be in ''Murphy's Romance''. Field had worked successfully with Newman in 1981's ''[[Absence of Malice]]'', but Newman declined the project, and Garner was the only other actor that Ritt and Field had asked.<ref name=LumenickL-TR-1985-01-17>[[Lou Lumenick|Lumenick, Lou]]. "For Sally Field, A Two-Sided Romance." ''[[The Record (Bergen County)|The Record]]'', January 17, 1986. Retrieved: 2008-08-03</ref>

Part of the deal from the studio, which at that time was owned by [[The Coca-Cola Company]], included an eight-line sequence of Field and Garner saying the word "Coke", and having Coke products and signs appear prominently in the film.<ref>Baltake, Joe. "The Packaging of Hollywood of Advertising", ''[[Sacramento Bee]]''. May 13, 1990.</ref><ref>"Blowing Smoke - They've Coma a Long Way, Baby, In pushing Cigarettes on Screen",  ''[[Sacramento Bee]]'', January 14, 1996. Retrieved: 2008-08-03</ref>

On the A&E television program [[Biography (TV series)|''Biography'']] of Garner, "James Garner: Hollywood Maverick", Field reported that her on-screen kiss with Garner was the best cinematic kiss she had experienced.<ref name=A&E-Biography-JGHM>Nelson, Ted. - "James Garner: Hollywood Maverick." - ''A&E Biography''. - October 2, 2000. - New York, NY: A & E Home Video. - {{ISBN|978-0-7670-3361-9}}</ref>

Filming took place on location in [[Florence, Arizona]], and the town's preserved Main Street appears throughout the movie.<ref name=IMDb-Location>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089643/locations Filming locations for ''Murphy's Romance'']. - [[IMDb]]</ref>

The film was scheduled for general release during the weekend for 1985 Christmas Day, but Columbia moved it to the weekends of January 17 and January 31, 1986, to avoid competing with the holiday lineup of films. It did a limited, selected, release for the film on December 25, 1985, so that it would qualify for that year's [[Academy Awards]].<ref name=LumenickL-TR-1985-01-17 />

The screenplay is very different from the [[Max Schott]] novella. In the Schott story, Murphy and Emma stay just platonic friends. Murphy marries someone else, and then tries to find Emma a suitable husband.<ref name="LumenickL-TR-1985-01-17" />

The film was one of the final titles to be released on the now defunct [[CED Videodisc]] format in 1986.