The Fugitive (1947)

Anti--Catholic and anti-cleric policies in the Mexican state of Tabasco lead the revolutionary government to persecute the state's last remaining priest.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screenplay), Graham Greene (novel)

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Dolores del Rio, Pedro Armendáriz

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Fonda	...	A Fugitive
Dolores del Rio	...	An Indian Woman (as Dolores Del Rio)
Pedro Armendáriz	...	A Lieutenant of Police (as Pedro Armendariz)
J. Carrol Naish	...	A Police Informer
Leo Carrillo	...	A Chief of Police
Ward Bond	...	El Gringo
Robert Armstrong	...	A Sergeant of Police
John Qualen	...	A Refugee Doctor
Fortunio Bonanova	...	The Governor's Cousin
Chris-Pin Martin	...	An Organ-Grinder (as Cris-Pin Martin)
Miguel Inclán	...	A Hostage (as Miguel Inclan)
Fernando Fernández	...	A Singer (as Fernando Fernandez)

Storyline

Based of the Graham Greene novel about a revolutionary priest in Central America. A priest who is The Fugitive is trying to getaway from the authorities who have denounced Christianity and want anyone linked to it dead. The Fugitive finds shelter with an Indian Woman (The Woman), a faithful parishioner, who gives the priest directions to Puerto Grande, where he could then board a ship and sail to freedom in America. On his journey to Puerto Grande, he meets up with a man who says he will protect him. In reality, he is the Police Informer and once The Fugitive realizes this, he is back on the run, but the Police Informer is never far behind along with the authorities.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | fugitive | police | indian | mexican | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Mexico USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

El fugitivo

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures, Argosy Pictures, Productora Mex. Desconcida

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mel Ferrer's first film.

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Quotes

A Refugee Doctor: Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. A man is entitled to a little pride.
A Fugitive: Not in my profession.

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Connections

Featured in John Ford (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie"
("The Dying Cowboy") (uncredited)
American folk ballad based on an older sea song (1932)
Variation heard as theme for the Gringo (Ward Bond)

User Reviews

Visually extraordinary but desperately disappointing

I've not had much luck catching up on the John Ford films I haven't seen this year, and The Fugitive is yet another in this year's run of terrible disappointments.

Visually the most strikingly beautiful of his career, it's also a horrible mawkish wail of unconvincing public piety that constantly feels like he's trying to buy his way into heaven. As if bowdlerizing the point out of Graham Greene's source material to make a plaster saint of his hero wasn't bad enough, Henry Fonda's mostly dreadful performance is the final nail in the coffin. Ford always managed to get the very least out of Fonda, and here Hank's clearly plain embarrassed by the part, proving woefully ineffective as he fails to make much of an impression for far too much of the running time. With all traces of character removed from the role, leaving him with nothing to work with, it's not until the last couple of reels that he actually becomes a remotely credible character instead of a poorly drawn walking religious icon – "Hey, look everybody, I'm suffering for your sins just like Christ!" Until then, it's up to Pedro Armendariz to hold the fort as the policeman who has replaced religion with a new faith, politics, although even his missionary faith in atheism is somewhat undermined here by Fonda's nameless priest being a sober believer rather than the drunken fallen angel of the novel. Along with Ward Bond's Gringo bank robber (bizarrely introduced with the theme from Stagecoach!), he's one of the few people Fonda encounters on his journey to martyrdom you can actually care about or believe in. Certainly Dolores Del Rio's Madonna/Whore figure is so horribly idealised that it feels like being beaten up by a posse of boxing nuns every time she appears in 'God-light.' There are a few good scenes and a strong ending, but the horrible overindulgence of much of the film – like the endless treacle of the opening baptisms – is almost enough to make the Pope convert to Judaism. Compared to this, The Passion looks subtle. Beautiful shots of horses riding, though.