Eddie Murphy Turned Down Rush Hour To Make One Of His Biggest Flops

Over 40 years since he came blazing out of nowhere to save "Saturday Night Live," we are still howling at the explosive comedic brilliance of Eddie Murphy . He was still a kid when he made his big-screen debut in Walter Hill's masterful two-hander "48 Hrs.," and became the biggest star in Hollywood two years later when "Beverly Hills Cop" turned out to be the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time (which, adjusted for inflation, it still is). Every time Murphy stepped in front of a camera, audiences were prepared to laugh themselves silly, so it was somewhat disconcerting when he downshifted to third gear and gave us just funny enough throwaways like "The Golden Child," "Beverly Hills Cop II" and "Harlem Nights" (a film of true ambition that became a big-budget burden for the star,