Fugitive, The

Synopsis
In this near-perfect suspense movie adapted from the popular 1960s television series that starred David Janssen, renowned vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) has been falsely accused and convicted--on circumstantial evidence--of his wife's (Sela Ward) murder. While Kimble is being transported to prison, another convict stabs an inattentive guard, causing a massive wreck. Kimble escapes but is hunted by tough U.S. marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). The fugitive from injustice attempts to set the record straight: He transforms himself into a jack-of-all-trades and a man of a thousand faces in a desperate attempt to uncover the truth about his wife's murder and track down the real killer. Spectacular special effects and a pulse-pounding performance by Ford turned Andrew Davis's thrilling film into a blockbuster at the box office, leading to a sequel, U.S. MARSHALS.

Production Notes
The FUGITIVE TV series ran from 1963 to 1967. It wasn't until the conclusion of the series in 1967 that Barry Morse's Lieutenant Gerard realized he had been chasing the wrong man.
The $2 million "dam fall," as it has aptly been called by director Andrew Davis, took two days to film and was shot by static and aerial cameras. The shot was designed and plotted by stunt coordinator Terry Leonard. The stunt was filmed at the Cheoah Dam in North Carolina. The section of tunnel that opens above the dam was removed from Chicago and placed above the dam so as to give the illusion that it had an outlet directly over top of the dam. Warner Bros. had to pay Alcoa, the dam's operators, a large fee for using the property. The Harrison Ford look-alike dummies were also expensive, ranging in price from $7,000 to $12,000 apiece. Ford apparently didn't want to have stuntmen perform in his place, so he agreed to be in the water for the survival shot that comes after the jump. There were two navy SEALs on the set as consultants.

The film's Richard Kimble was originally a fugitive fleeing Wisconsin but the film producer had to make a change when they discovered that Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty.

The final episode of THE FUGITIVE series was watched by more people than any single episode of a regular series in the history of television at the time.

The film took in $183 million at the box office.

Reviews
"...A smashing success, a juggernaut of an action-adventure saga that owes nothing to the past....Acted to steely perfection by [Ford and Jones]..." (New York Times)

"...A spectacular thriller..." - Recommended (Premiere)

"For dynamite suspense loaded with thrills and wicked fun, you can't beat THE FUGITIVE..." (Rolling Stone)

"...A giant toy-train entertainment with all stops pulled out. A consummate nail-biter that never lags, it leaves you breathless from the chase yet anxious for the next bit of mayhem or clever plot twist..." (Variety)

"...A tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes something more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him..." (Chicago Sun-Times)

"Nominated for three Academy Awards, THE FUGITIVE is one of the most exciting and thrilling action movies ever made." (Widescreen Review)