The Fugitive - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of The Fugitive or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to The Fugitive

[jessie]

Walter Hill wanted to direct, with Nick Nolte starring, but Nolte reportedly said he was tired with action movies, and too old.

[gabriel]

When Gerard announces to Sheriff Rawlins that he's taking over the investigation, Rawlins sarcastically calls Gerard "Wyatt Earp". The famed gunfighter and lawman was appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal after the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

[wallace]

Devlin-McGregor Pharmaceutical is the same name as a company involved in a lawsuit on Boston Legal.

[nicholas]

Kimble's apartment is modeled after that of an actual doctor Harrison Ford and Andrew Davis met in a Chicago bar shortly before filming. Ford felt that the doctor, somewhat eccentric and reclusive, was exactly how he wanted to portray Kimble and sent the art department to see his apartment. The doctor was also treated to a drink by Ford.

[gerald]

The producers wanted Gerard's office high above the city to emphasise his authority.

[elmer]

The parade chase was improvised, but Harrison Ford did get permission to walk with the Plumbers' Union. "We didn't stage anything. I just inserted myself in the middle of the parade."

[nicholas]

At the start of the film, the various flashbacks to the murder do not show the one-armed man. They leave open the possibility that the doctor is indeed guilty (unlike in the television series on which the film is based). Only after the doctor escapes do you see flashbacks confirming his version as true.

[wesley]

Michael Douglas was considered for the role of Richard Kimble in the film's early pre-production stages. He worked on Falling Down (1993), which was produced by Arnold Kopelson and scored by James Newton Howard as well. He also worked with Andrew Davis and Arnold Kopelson on A Perfect Murder (1998).

[chris]

Alec Baldwin was first choice to play Dr. Richard Kimble. When he dropped out, Andy Garcia was considered for the role, but later worked with Andrew Davis on Steal Big Steal Little (1995). Harrison Ford had previously played a role that was first offered to Baldwin, in Patriot Games (1992), which happened to be the role of Jack Ryan.

[maureen]

Kimble tells his lawyer he is in St. Louis, on the phone at an El station. When Renfro is discussing the El train with Sam Gerard and colleagues, he states that St. Louis doesn't have an El. This movie was released one week after St. Louis' light rail system, the MetroLink, first began operation. However, the St. Louis train is not elevated.

[tamara]

Andreas Katsulas once said he was glad he didn't watch The Fugitive (1963) as a child, "I would have been much too afraid of the one-armed man. He was a scary guy."

[jeffrey]

The idea to film in Chicago was Andrew Davis's. The studio gave him their blessing and left him alone for the duration of the shoot.

[liam]

Filming began before the script was completed.

[bernice]

Joe Pantoliano (Cosmo Renfro) and Neil Flynn (Transit Cop) also appeared in "Baby's Day Out" (1994), with Flynn playing a Chicago cop in both films.

[willard]

Harrison Ford had never seen a single episode of the television series The Fugitive (1963), upon which the film was based.

[violet]

Both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones improvised many of their scenes.

[wesley]

As of 2017, holds the record with the biggest number of film editors nominated for the Oscar with a total of six editors. Usually, one or two (three tops) are nominated.

[norma]

The character of Cosmo Renfro was supposed to die in the finale of the film. However, Joe Pantoliano successfully lobbied for his character to be spared so that he may appear in a potential sequel. Pantoliano indeed got to reprise the role of Renfro in the sequel U.S. Marshals (1998). A similar request by Sela Ward to have her character beaten into a coma instead of being killed, however, was not honored.

[cameron]

A lot of the film's dialogue is improvised. Jeb Stuart was the final credited writer on the film and was on set during production making up new scenes as needed.