The Making of The Fugitive was a Sh*t Show

Chasing Harrison Ford without a script is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Fugitive, from nearly every actor making up all their lines to VFX artists barred from talking about their effects work.
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In the entertainment world, there are millions of dollars on the line and troubled productions are bound to happen. Whether it's big egos, bigger budgets, or just plain bad luck, we are going behind-the-scenes on these disastrous, never ending, and sometimes dangerous productions. From the creators of WTF Happened To This Movie?, It Was A Sh*t Show is a video essay/documentary/podcast series looking at some of your favorite films and tv shows, and why they were such a nightmare to make.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Historic Ratings of ABC's The Fugitive
01:19 - Arnold Kopelson Attempts Adaption
02:25 - Walter Hill and Alec Baldwin
03:25 - David Twohy Lays the Groundwork
04:34 - Jeb Stuart Helps Land Harrison Ford
05:54 - Andrew Davis' Under Siege
06:38 - Picking Chicago & Tommy Lee Jones
08:01 - Adding Julianne Moore & Michael Chapman
08:52 - ...and Cutting Julianne Moore
09:38 - Faking a Train Wreck
11:25 - Making a Trailer Before a Movie
12:17 - Ford Limps Throughout
13:24 - The Cast's Big Budget Improv
15:31 - Jones Refuses to Shoot
16:22 - Crashing the St. Patrick's Day Parade
17:10 - Finally Coming Up with a Finale
18:04 - R.I.P. Richard Jordan
18:44 - Editing the Film in 10 Weeks
19:48 - The Fugitive Releases August 6, 1993
21:05 - We Just Want Good Movies!
Sources:
AFI: bit.ly/45M1jI2
AV Club: bit.ly/44ACFJp
Befores & Afters: bit.ly/3RcmMGd
Boston Herald: bit.ly/3sjzmZJ
Chicago Tribune: bit.ly/3qIx5H7
Empire: bit.ly/45JAc0p
The Hollywood Interview: bit.ly/3sBvqne
I Am Rogue: bit.ly/3qWBkio
LA Times: bit.ly/45lVrWi
LA Times: bit.ly/3sqq9z7
The Last Action Heroes: bit.ly/3ssdag9
Mandatory: bit.ly/3R3dDzw
Orlando Sentinel: bit.ly/45Mommf
Rolling Stone: bit.ly/3Pj76zq
Featured Footage:
48 Hrs. (1982)
The Addams Family (1991)
Air (2023)
Aliens (1986)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Barbie (2023)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
BlackBerry (2023)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
The Arrival (1996)*
Deadpool (2016)
Die Hard (1988)
Dragnet (1987)
Extreme Prejudice (1987)*
Fantastic Four (2005)
Fearless (1993)
Flamin' Hot (2023)
The Fugitive (1993)*
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
The Italian Job (2003)
Jaws (1975)
John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Justice League (2017)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The Mosquito Coast (1986)
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Oppenheimer (2023)
Patriot Games (1992)
Platoon (1986)
Porky's (1981)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Raging Bull (1980)
Red Heat (1988)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Scrubs (2001-2010)
Streets of Fire (1984)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Tetris (2023)
Under Siege (1992)
The Warriors (1979)
Wayne's World (1992)
Witness (1985)
*and special features
The Inside Pitch: bit.ly/451Lk7V
Jake’s Takes: bit.ly/3sXkNLI
People: bit.ly/3Pr6XZB
Web of Stories: bit.ly/46nb1Ro
Music:
James Newton Howard - The Fugitive original soundtrack
Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme
#itwasashtshow #thefugitive #harrisonford

[@gregorygilmer1402]

Wow, one of the best youtube movie breakdowns around. So engaging. Great narration. Cool editing. I was hooked. I want more. SUBSCRIBED!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Well, we got more!

[@tonyrivaszarate6689]

It was a shit show

[@serf6355]

Give us another little known tidbit @gregory

[@DaleDillard-dn4mz]

​@@ItWasAShtShowwho did the music at the end. The little keyboard part. Love it.

[@patrickmullane30]

I was one of the 16 assistant editors on The Fugitive. You brought up so many memories I forgot about. Thanks. It was a wild ride.❤

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Oh wow! Thanks for watching! Gotta ask, how was that time? Was it as crazy as Davis and Kopelson say it was?

[@geoff3103]

MASSIVE OT getting ready for that release date! Sounds like you guys slept at the lot for a few months. Eat at that taco bell across the street? congrats on that oscar win! Great movie.

[@DrewHollisAuthor]

I'm curious: AVID was released in late '92/early 93 - was there no talk of using such a platform, or was the technology not quite "there" yet?

[@mchelvantx]

Thank you! Everyone in the theater applauded at the end of the movie, very rare from my experience.

[@europeanssocialclub]

The only scene I can remember that didn't really seem to fit in the plot was when the one marshal was sulking over the loud gunshot going by his ear. Seemed like a scene unrelated to the overall story. Anyway, epic movie!

[@martijn_yt]

You watch the movie and think: 'Great script, very well written, beautiful natural dialog, very nice pacing, great tension arc, and a very satisfying ending. They really thought this one and put a lot of effort in it' ...and then you see this video 😂

[@maxpax7389]

It's stunning that Back to the Future and The Fugitive were hard to film and were perfect at the end

[@dopeytripod]

great editors make magic

[@jcjcviews]

My mom loved the show THE FUGITIVE. (The story of a black person's life.) Also, my mom had a special place in her heart for doctors. She was a nurse, after all.

[@manuelr.s6328]

I feel exactly the same!!!

[@Ryrynz2000]

Diamonds are made under pressure

[@cattysplat]

"70% of the dialog was improvised." Somehow I think this is what made The Fugitive such a great film, you get to see the essence of these actors for themselves!

[@MeDecade]

All the actors who played the Marshals worked beautifully together. They had such a great chemistry. You'd think they'd been working together for many years.

[@joelellis7035]

I wondered how the writers were able to put together such kitschy banter. Turns out, they didn't.

[@ttintagel]

Sometimes when I'm directing a play I'll have a rehearsal where all the actors have to paraphrase their lines in their own words. It can really work to make sure everybody completely understands what they're saying.

[@JamesBond-ke5tp]

All the little quips from the Marshals were my favorite parts. So funny that it was all off the cuff. They also did a good job of casting them. The chemistry was great.

[@mikepastor.k6233]

​@MeDecade wish they made a 3rd film together and Newman wasn't killed in U.S. Marshalls.

[@XOXOX007]

Worked on the post crew - arrived on The Lot late May, introduced to a few people and then handed a stack of about 14 vhs tapes. Checked into my to my hotel and watched an almost 4 hour cut of The Fugitive. It was awesome. Always wish Andy could put out a Director’s Cut showing that beast. A few fairly substantial subplots were cut that were only winked at in order to make the 2 hour runtime. Post was massive and lots of great people worked with only one weekend of break. Outstanding experience. The thrill of later watching it in a theater and when the audience was on it’s feet cheering as the train crashed... to have contributed to making something so powerful is amazing ....getting goosebumps writing this.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Amazing! How much were you sleeping those days? Haha

[@HarlowGlobetrotter]

i was a 14 year old British kid in New York City for the first time and went with my Mum to the movies to watch The Fugitive. when people openly cheered at the train crashing, something the British would never do, it changed my concept of movies completely. movies weren't to be watched - they were to be experienced. i still remember the feeling of shock i had when people started clapping and screaming at a movie. i know now that the only way this is possible is when people actually care about the characters, and it's very easy to root for a guy in the situation Richard Kimble was in. but The Fugitive will always be a top 5 movie for me precisely because even though it's great anyway, watching it in some New York City movie theatre added so much to it.

[@hanshatwig9334]

P​@@HarlowGlobetrotter

[@gbonkers666]

4 hours!!??? That would be awesome!!!!

[@kpsk8031]

Demanding a love interest for Kimble while he is mourning his murdered wife must be in the Top3 of "Dumbest studio mandates of all time".

[@robrick9361]

Gotta make sure he has a case of the not-gays. 2 hours of one man chasing another man, audiences might start wondering......

[@JasonPerryman]

I always thought that idea was bang out of line. An absolute NO from me. Apparently they did film the Julianne Moore scenes which I was always interested in seeing as I like the actress. She became big anyway so I'm sure she was ok in the long run with the logical decision to cut her scenes.

[@kpsk8031]

@@JasonPerryman Without any love interest scenes, Moore's character is more convincing: She judges Kimble positively in the dialogue with Gerard because Kimble saved a patient's life as a professional, not because Kimble was her love interest.

[@JasonPerryman]

@@kpsk8031 Yes certainly, they both get to see Kimble as the good man that he is as they both observe this fact without judgement. It's good that it puts Gerard one notch closer to believing Kimble is innocent, but also I found interesting between the Doctor and the Marshall here is that there was a nice bit of chemistry between them and I thought they could have been a good match themselves.

[@stephengordon8594]

Julianne Moore's part was cut to almost nothing... and it still was a break-out role for her.

[@hawnick7234]

This blows my mind because the movie is SO good. Props to the actors for coming up with fantastic dialogue on the fly.

[@MrDogfish83]

I find that I always prefer movies with decent amounts of adlib (then again doing ad lib takes and choosing the best ones like will ferrell's method get old). No matter how good actors are, dialogue is usually written without subtle natural elements to it, which my mind notices and takes me out of the movie. With adlib, it seems more natural.

[@chrisklecker]

I always wonder why the dialog seemed so "pure" and authentic. That is you actually believe that each character was unique as if someone else wrote each of the character's lines. Now I see that each character just wrote their lines themselves and that's why the chemistry seems so solid.

[@invisiblekid99]

So true. It's like the actors knew the characters better than the script (such that it was) and what is seriously lacking in today, FAITH was given to the people actually making the film.

[@kirkalex5257]

Keep in mind, allowing actors to create their own dialogue can also destroy a movie.

[@aussiewanderer6304]

​@@kirkalex5257Year 1 (Jack Black and Michael Cera) is a prime example. They basically just let the actors ad lib and most of the scenes just go too long. It could have been a great movie if they'd shortened lots of the scenes.

[@chrisklecker]

@@aussiewanderer6304Another one is Ghostbusters 2016. You need the director to also know what the "plan" is. Without a plan, adlibbing does destroy a movie.

[@pawacoteng]

You also got real pros like Tommy Lee Jones and Joey Pants.

[@tswrench]

As a screenwriter, I've always felt that when a good movie is made, it's really nothing short of a miracle. I loved this movie after paying to see it twice when it was released--and I love it even more now after having seen the miracle unfold throughout the making of it.

[@Minotaur_]

I can't believe this had a troubled production. This looks like a perfect movie, which had a solid plan

[@simonkevnorris]

My sentiments exactly. I have it on Blu-Ray and will watch it again.

[@albietide]

They had the right cast and crew to pull it off!

[@ajs96350]

It's one of those when you see it on, you just watch it.

[@OrhallaZander]

I thought it was actually ok?

[@johnsemanick3290]

I agree

[@MrHam0117]

The Fugitive is such a rewatchable movie. Might not be the greatest movie ever, but it’s certainly one of the most entertaining.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Ford does a great role. TLJ and the supporting cast 🎭 did a great job. Mostly the USMS Marshals. A lot were local Chicago IL working actors, TV actors.

[@shootinputin6332]

That's all it has to be. I watch it at least 2-3 times a year.

[@SnoopyReads]

The fact it lost best picture to "Schindler's List" a movie mostly forgotten today, is a tragedy much worse than the Hallofcost

[@TheTreherne]

⁠@@SnoopyReadsSchindlers list isn’t mostly forgotten about. It’s seen as one of the best films of all time.

[@aarondavis8943]

Like a lot of thrillers from that era, it's not Citizen Kane but it's really enjoyable to watch and rewatch. Mind you I'm not a nostalgia guy; I love tons of later films. But I do have a soft spot for this particular era and type of film. Along Came a Spider, Presumed Innocent...that kind of stuff. If I don't want to feel depressed but I'm also not in the mood for a comedy, this stuff works.

[@HartleySan]

This is amazing. I would have never guessed. The people pursuing Harrison Ford making up almost all of that dialogue is absolutely amazing. I love this movie even more now.

[@zachariahtollison4640]

It's amazing to know the US Marshal scenes are all improvised. Those actors have such unique personalities and Tommy Lee Jones hits homeruns with his dialogue. Their repertoire is so good growing up watching this movie they always felt like they stepped in from another TV show that has run for seasons. I can not believe it was THAT unscripted.

[@ScottFairley]

The improvised dialogue, especially among the Marshals, is really what makes the movie so memorable. It'd still be good with more paint-by-numbers writing, but those scenes with the Marshals are actually entertaining as a result rather than just filling time between chase/action scenes. 10/10 film. Will drop everything to finish it if I ever catch it on TV.

[@phoebexxlouise]

I feel like this style of writing is what TV crime shows have been trying to emulate all along, not knowing it wasn't scripted

[@markdaniels7174]

Oops, just posted the same thing before seeing this. Totally agree: the improvised banter among the marshals gives them personality and makes us like them. We liked TLJ right to an Oscar.

[@mad6andchili]

“I don’t care.” Is one of the best lines in movie history.

[@pawacoteng]

Very underrated aspect of The Fugitive - the score. Absolute gem.

[@SagaciousFrank]

Absolutely agree, brilliant soundtrack from beginning to end.

[@kevincampbell5785]

Agree, excellent music score.

[@invisiblekid99]

Yeah, you hear it and love it but also don't notice it which is also so important.

[@user-pq2mu5xc2x]

Exactly what was gonna say.. James Newton Howard! I still have it both physically and stuck in my head 30 years later.

[@firenze5555]

This film is SO classic - I'm so glad that they pushed ahead and got it made. The one-armed man played by Andreas Katsulas and the doctor played by Jeroen Krabbé did a fantastic acting jobs, too.

[@duanehall2213]

Danny. Aiello. Woulda. Been. GREAT. as the 1. Armed. Man. As. Well

[@BelowMeGoggle]

Katsulas is a GOAT, we lost him too soon. He was amazing as G'Kar on Babylon 5. Also had good roles on Star Trek TNG. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3_Eqp6cqdFomLs

[@jerseysowndjmartini6767]

Andreas Katsulas = Tomalok from Star Trek TNG

[@SpudSpudoni]

The shining achievement of The Fugitive is in its incredibly authentic banter between the US Marshalls. They feel real and the dialogue does a lot to break the tension and make you care for the characters. Ad-libing that dialogue makes sense, but its absolutely incredible that the actors were in a position to essentially create their own characters on the spot and roll with that through shooting.

[@anilachar323]

30 years ago, a friend and I would watch this movie twice in the same theater, over two consecutive days! One of the slowly dying genre of analogue action movies, where the script, tight direction, freezing Chicago grey weather and totally believable actors made it an instant hit, and still has a repeat watchable factor!

[@squamish4244]

So-called analog action films - they are all made on digital now unless you're Christopher Nolan, but I know what you mean - are much less common than they used to be, but that's not because there isn't a demand for these kinds of movies, but not enough of a demand compared to the monster-budgeted MCU films etc. For now, anyway.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

@@squamish4244 thing is now there's only massive huge blockbuster budget films, or miniscule indie budget. Plus the asylum b-movie shlock that is overwhelming the action movie genre, e.g. all the Bruce Willis Steven Seagal films that are made on nothing, that have shit barely functioning scripts, only made to create the thumbnail for people to click on because of the famous action star. B-movies in the 80s were more fun to watch because they were at least creative. Now b-movies are just algorithm clickbait. I think a lot of people have said, we need mid-budget movies back. I feel like action thrillers rarely exist nowadays, either a movie is a full blown psychological/crime thriller, or action, no longer the sort of smart action films because they don't sell at box office anymore. Its our fault as audiences too, we've been so conditioned for only going to the theatre for blockbuster spectacles that any decent film nowadays usually flops anyways, either on limited release, or for not being worth the ticket of admission because its not a spectacle. The strikes and implosion of big studio flops can change that.

[@squamish4244]

@@ithecastic It depends. 90% of the digital effects in LOTR have held up amazingly well. Of course, a lot of creativity went into that, like models etc. So that LOTR looks better than The Hobbit from a decade later.

[@benjaminfenty8745]

I never would've guessed The Fugitive had such a troubled production. The final product was a really good action movie with excellent performances. Great video my dude! 👍

[@panagea2007]

You have to wonder, do all movies go through this process...my guess is, more than we realize.

[@jasonscottjenkins]

The original Star Wars was saved during the editing process.

[@syphon583]

Hearing that the majority of the lines from the marshal characters were improvised makes complete sense. Their banter throughout the film is one of it's strengths and really helps to break up the more stressful parts of the story.

[@alanhindle3149]

There's folks on KZbin making videos called "I eat a £1000 hotdog!!!", in which all they do is eat a hotdog while saying "Wow, I'm eating an expensive hotdog!" and 243 million people will devote fifteen minutes of their life to watch. Those videos make thousands, even millions of dollars. This channel makes interesting, informative, actually entertaining documentaries for a fraction of the audience and royalties. There's no justice.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

#JusticeforShitShow!

[@easongt]

Do you have a link to the hotdog video? I'd kinda like to watch that...

[@alanhindle3149]

@@easongt There are so many. Hotdogs, steaks, ice cream, tacos, all of them usually covered in gold foil. Just search youtube for "I ate most expensive" to get started.

[@w.paxton5022]

Great! Now I want a hot dog...albeit a cheap one.

[@Rekuzan]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the price tag. I know gourmet food is uber expensive, but 1000 Euros? That's like 1200 USD for a ******* hotdog! All I'm saying is, at that price, someone better have died while making it, like a Death Clock! Not that I cheer on people dying while doing their craft, but at THAT price....

[@domracki]

Such tight and effective writing. The video flew by in what felt like 3 minutes. Great work!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Great to hear! I’m always worried these drag on.

[@maxmeier532]

IIRC they did it similarly for Breaking Bad. They wrote themselves into a corner and then figured out, how to get out of it. Most famously the scene where Jesse and Walt are stuck in the RV on the scrap yard with Hank outside.

[@pablosonic892]

Or 22. A sitcom length!

[@arthurpietrogarcia1057]

@@maxmeier532 I Think he was talking about the Video's writing but sill applies.

[@purplefood1]

@@maxmeier532 Kind of a shitty writing style though

[@orwellianson]

One of my favorite films of all time. Everything was perfect, from the casting, the music, the locations- everything. 🖤🦇

[@AnubisDark]

The Fugitive is a timeless movie. I probably watched it like 10 times in my life and i could watch it again now. Everything works in the movie. The pacing is perfect. As a high school teacher, i use it once for an exam and every teenagers loved it.

[@leapintothewild]

Um... if you're going to mention you're a teacher, you might want to proofread that last phrase. 😆

[@AnubisDark]

Not in an english place 😉​@@leapintothewild

[@tonyruba3175]

One of my favorite movies of all time! Great story, great character actors, and great cinematography! One of the few movies I never get tired of watching…

[@tsims7638]

I love these ‘how thing came together behind the scenes’ videos so freakin much

[@jospenner9503]

I'm so glad to know a lot of the lines were improvised. They were absolutely hilarious and timeless.

[@mindyschocolate]

“I don’t care!” 🤣

[@jospenner9503]

@@mindyschocolate "I didn't kill my wife."

[@supernothing77]

Tommy Lee Jones killed it!

[@edbrewington3]

The Fugitive was one of my favorite movies. I did not know they didn't have a script, but they sure proved that making it up as you go was absolutely entertaining.

[@bigstackD]

Great upload full of interesting information I didn’t even know about, this is one of my favourite films and watching this I couldn’t look away at any time! thanks for this upload 👊🏻😁🇦🇺🍻🍻

[@busyrand]

Back in the day I absolutely loved this film also. I remember my father sitting down to watch it with me. Dad was a very busy man who ran thirty clinics in the Chicago area for the Board of Health. He and my mother pointed out locations they were familiar with in the movie. It was super fun to watch this thriller unfold with my hometown as the stage for the drama.

[@bensneb360]

Since the fugitive was originally a TV show, with his count as a “sh*t show based on a hit show”… it’s catchy title lol

[@yourmommashouse]

With his count?

[@panelsandbars1529]

Wonderful work as always, but that closing speech? Couldn’t have said it better.

[@xxechoesxx420]

Wait! This is an actual video?!? Not podcast snippets? Omg. Omg. Omg. Something strange is going on!

[@davidjames579]

At a time when people are meh about going to theaters and chance it on streaming, Hollywood needs this message more than ever. Don't release until it's just right, excite people about going to the theater and telling their friends.

[@pawacoteng]

But... the entire movie sort of flies in the face of the premise of the speech. The Fugitive ended up great BECAUSE it was a shit show. The pressure turned this turd into a diamond.

[@davidjames579]

​@@pawacoteng To put it another way, everyone was fighting against a looming, fixed release date, but they still found a way to make it the best version it could ever be. That's the takeaway- make it right and don't release a half-baked film, even when you have the excuse of limited time.

[@adamdesanti6713]

A shitshow that ended a smashing success. I had absolutely no idea it was created under such constraints. A testament to the talent involved.

[@delaware137]

In the Operating Room scene, Harrison Ford enters and is greeted by the surgeon, played by Jim McKinsey MD. Ford and McKinsey knew each other, as Ford had observed McKinsey and Dr. Bruce Gewertz, both vascular surgeons, to research the part. In the movie, McKinsey greets Ford by calling him "Harrison" instead of the character's name, "Richard," and they left it in the final cut. Listen carefully, and you can catch McKinsey's flubbed line.

[@Crunchy_Punch]

The Fugitive is among my top five films, and I have seen it more times than I count, but I had no idea about the rushed production, or on-set issues. I wonder how many more of my beloved films have similar behind the scenes stories.

[@miker.9138]

Wow, that idea about Gerard beating his wife and the hiring the hitman sounds awful.

[@dsolosan]

I saw this at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. After the bus/train crash scene, everyone cheered and applauded. I miss seeing movies that get the audience pumped up like that.

[@SeanSchwifty]

Wow! I worked w/ Pat as another one of the assistant editors & I can completely concur-An absolute “wild ride”.. Pat seemed to be totally in his element though & seemed to always get through our work w/ plenty of time for “networking” 😂 Good times, indeed..I most definitely miss those days.

[@maryhaley2723]

True story: I saw this opening night in East Hampton NY. In the theater was Stephen Spielberg and family. He was walking out behind me at the end and said it was one of the best films he had ever seen, and wished he had directed it.

[@hajilee4539]

I'm split on believing this or not. But if it is true, that is super cool!

[@davidjames579]

Spielberg got his revenge when Schindler's List beat it to Best Picture Oscar.

[@duanehall2213]

WOW....thats. Quite a. Complement. Coming. Fro. HIM !.....Woulda. been a. Whole. Different. Film. If he. Did ....Interesting

[@philstrachan]

It's one of my favourite movies because it just doesn't let up. I watch it probably once a year and am not sick of it. I think it all fits together really well but I could imagine it would have been a nightmare to make.

[@chunellemariavictoriaespan8752]

At least technical nightmare and no drama between actors😂... The drama happened with the higher ups😂😂

[@philstrachan]

@chunellemariavictoriaespan8752 true, although Ford is a notorious pain in the bum to work with. 🤣

[@HilliIndustries]

In the ending of your video I had tears in my eyes. That is exactly what we audiences think and need. You´re absolutely right!

[@Autotrope]

I loved watching this. This is one of my favourite films of all time and this was very well compiled.

[@hendrsb33]

I'm so glad the "love interest" angle didn't happen. 🙄But I'm also glad the US Marshall actors were allowed to improvise dialogue. That upped the stakes of the movie's resolution because I was rooting for them too... not to prosecute Kimble, but to be smart enough to follow evidence that vindicated him. If only Corporate would stay out of the way of Creative.

[@cattysplat]

It really makes them feel like real working people rather than side character set dressing, making the world far more believable.

[@BitsofJoshua]

As much as I love any moment Julianne Moore is on any screen, I agree-- that would've been awful!

[@aarondavis8943]

The idea of not getting a resolution to the innocent man accused of killing his wife within the same movie is insane. It may have worked for an old serial but for a movie thriller, that marshal don't hunt.

[@PatrickDKing]

I liked this movie as a kid and still do to this day. I'd never have imagined or thought that is was so fly by the moment.

[@Jay-O_Carlow]

The VERY First time I've ever seen Your Channel or a Video by you. I Have to say i am Honestly Blown Away at how much detail & Hard Work & Amazing little details but the music & editing and everything that go's along with this , Finding out every thing & what went on on set often stay's on set I'm a Huge Movie buff,, And was born in the last 80's so Late to mid 90's and early to mid 2000's were my golden years of cinema So watching this was fucking Mint you really Aced it You got your self a New Fan & subbed & I hit that bell.. Going to check out more now and look forward to any new work you put Out

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it so!

[@Bobolash]

Great work as always! Made me appreciate the acting skills of Tommy Lee Jones again even tough he seems to be the grumpiest man alive.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Right?!

[@judywright4241]

Sounds like Jones had his match in grumpy with Ford😆

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

He had a string of big successes already with Lonesome Dove, JFK, Under Seige and then this one. It was a great career resurrection after falling off in the 80s

[@kilgoretrout321]

grumpiness is endearing when it's for a good reason

[@naysayer1238]

@@kilgoretrout321 Exactly, being at a freaking awards show.

[@seanmcdougall9497]

You know what... thanks for making this video man. Over the years I've read how much of a "miracle" movie "The Fugitive" was and not too many people have talked about it. Also Michael Chapman was a cameraman on "Jaws" so he knows a disaster production when he see's it (may he rest in peace).

[@ItWasAShtShow]

You’re welcome!

[@christopherpulliam8873]

I still watch this movie every couple of years or so. One of my favorites of all time. Thanks for your hard work!

[@greg6191]

Your videos are really fantastic, I’m so pleased when there’s a new one. They take longer than a lot of other channels I watch but good lord is it worth it!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Glad you're enjoying! Sorry about the time in between. These take a lot of work and they don't pay the bills.

[@sameersadh6717]

@@ItWasAShtShow You should try getting sponsorship for your sh*t show series I'm sure many companies would be willing to pay for it .

[@andrewgonzalez6208]

This Fugitive video is The Fugitive of Fugitive videos

[@davidjames579]

@@ItWasAShtShow You guys do an amazing thing, considering these are made around Day Jobs.

[@c.moriarty1178]

@@ItWasAShtShow Don't apologize. We KZbinrs don't care when a video comes out. We just want good content

[@JosephGalyeanCaptainJSSG]

This channel keeps getting better and better. I’ll never forget watching this movie as a kid with my dad. Thanks for another great episode!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

You’re welcome!

[@lewissaundersguitar]

This was one of my favourites growing up. The train crash absolutely blew my tiny mind, I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. More importantly, the moral questions it stimulated as a young lad were surprisingly valuable. It revealed the human side of law enforcement and the jobs impact on each of them due to the wandering moral implications of their actions.

[@LionelGeek]

Exellent work on this. Thank you! I had no idea about all the production troubles. This makes me want to watch the movie again!

[@TheLingo56]

Fun fact, this movie is getting a 4k release in a month! The trailer for it actually also came out today!

[@davidjames579]

Oh wow! I've been hoping. The best we've had so far is the Blu-Ray.

[@evanwakelin7944]

This has been one of my favourite movies for the longest time. After all the times watching it, I cannot believe it was such a rushed mess. It's proof that art, and creativity really thrive in chaos.

[@PeterShankmanOfficial]

What an incredible overview. One of my favorite movies, with such a great soundtrack. Thank you for letting me relive this film - It's been a while since I've seen it! Much appreciated!

[@StudentLoanJustice]

Glad to find this channel. Good Stuff, well researched, and I appreciate the words of wisdom at the end!!

[@meatpockets]

I’ve seen this movie so many times while flipping tv through channels and couldn’t stop watching it.

[@taint_misbehavin]

This is a great example of how you can't make a perfect movie by trying. You can't just "churn out" a perfect script, or just "hire" a genius cinematographer, etc. It needs to be an artistic collaboration, where you take chances, adapt in real time, and allow everyone involved to enhance the production. Take the lemons and turn them into lemonade; oh, we're out of lemons? Time to make limeade.

[@BaseStation]

Fantastic, video! Concise, well-written, fascinating, and informative. I thought, for sure, your title was clickbait, but you made your case! You convinced me. I need to rewatch The Fugitive now.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you! Glad you took the chance to watch it.

[@Uneedskill]

Great video! It's such an excellent movie with a compelling plot and a stellar cast. Glad to see some behind the scenes on it.

[@davidjames579]

Jane Lynch's character was also intended as a possible love interest. While it's nice to think of Kimble finding happiness again, and I think the finished film does have a good job of hinting he might end up with Lynch, it's all about a time and place for everything. Interestingly Julianne Moore's character being cut down was done so late, that her billing in the opening credits still reflects her original larger part (she wasn't a star at the time so it wasn't a power move).

[@leightnite3056]

Frickin' Love this flick! Thanks for covering it, hard to believe they pulled it off! It's awesome to know that all those great lines were improv and they let good actors act!

[@TonyLovell]

This was amazingly well put together. Thanks!

[@oshea41]

One of my favorites. Well made video! Will look for more.

[@AlexCBrandon]

Really, really well put together mix of retrospective and documentary. Saw this with my dad in theaters. When we saw the trailer by the time Tommy Lee Jones said “Doctor Richard Kimball” in his hunt speech my dad said the name at the exact same time because he was a fan of the show. It was a cool moment for me as a kid.

[@chasehedges6775]

As someone who was born in 2001, I think 90s movies are awesome

[@wet-read]

Good! Older movies are better. Even older than 90s as well. I can give good recommendations...

[@chasehedges6775]

@@wet-read 💯👍

[@marremarrang2306]

I haven't seen your channel or videos before, just came across this one actually. I just had to mention: Big thumbs up for mentioning your sources (in the description) of the materials used for making this video, plus the "timeline chapters" that you made to make it easier to find specific parts. This is way too often Not the case when I'm looking up certain topics on KZbin in general, and I'm sick of it. Keep up the work, and I hope people will appreciate this as much as I do!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you. Glad you notice the little things.

[@christopherpulliam8873]

Spectacular video, Sir! Thank you for the superb effort!

[@joshwilson6388]

This film is a prime example of the importance of the recent writer's strike. Having the script writer on set during the entirety of filming was a saving grace that prevented this from being an absolute (if you'll excuse the pun) train wreck

[@ironhelix306]

Importance of good writers. Which are a unicorn in Hollywood these days. Most of the writers are overpaid hacks who got the job because they follow the right ideology instead of actually having talent.

[@anjetto1]

Absolutely

[@josephfisher426]

Depends on the usefulness of the scriptwriter... I would want a restraining order on a lot of current scriptwriters: take the 30 pieces of silver for the fake quipping and go away!

[@anjetto1]

@@josephfisher426 cool, an anti Jewish phrase out of nowhere.

[@josephfisher426]

@@anjetto1 Is it anti-Jewish in Prince of Thieves when it is delivered to the evil cardinal just before he is shoved out the window?

[@cedricduyongco]

Fugitive was a good movie. And now knowing that it had lots of adlibs from the actors makes me even appreciate their performances even more. The final output is really a testament to the skill of all the people involved in the movie. They dont make movies like they used to. Now, there are lots of movies with bigger budgets but are really unwatchable.

[@cattysplat]

Because they are sequels and franchises that are guaranteed viewers regardless of quality because of the name. Conservative movie making has been an awful era to live through.

[@antedos]

I'm so happy I found this channel, amazing content.

[@majinblood6133]

I love 70's,80's films but Hwood truly reached their pinnacle in the early 90's. Time has proven that.

[@capoman1]

Yes. It's sad, cause now movies really suck and are all superhero movies or rely on silly effects. I have to scour the 90s and 2000s for good movies.

[@ButtrNut32]

loved everything about this, but goddamn if that last part hits. i just want a good all encompassing story

[@montecarloss305]

Dang, what a core movie memory from my early teens. Remember seeing this in the theater and countless times on video. I had no idea about the ad-libbing, but in that chaos, what depth of characters were revealed!

[@simbamasaku1]

Wow thank you for such an awesome video. Learnt so much

[@scottishzombie]

Love these episodes you put together. Movie trivia and B-H-S stuff is so fascinating to me.

[@jackslater8595]

This is an EXCELLENT indepth look at this movie, I'd love it if you were to one of these videos on Rise of the planet of the apes, similar to your one on Batman Begins.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Good idea. LOVE that trilogy but I’ll have to look into the troubles it had.

[@Not_so_greatScott]

My favorite movie. Saw it opening day. Seen it so many times since. The definition of rewatchable.

[@78zappaf]

This was a great film. Saw it when it came out. The audience reacted well, I thought the dialogue was really natural, who knew it was all improvised! Thank you for making this, really interesting hearing all the problems it had.

[@DLWalkerActor]

I love that you used John Mulaney's comedy about the ball room. I howled with laughter! :-) Nice work JeniRae.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Rae doesn’t edit these. But I’ll take the compliment!

[@DLWalkerActor]

@@ItWasAShtShow how in the world do you get these clips to match so perfectly with your narration? Do you just keyword the crap our of all the clips? So when you say "sitting" you can find somewhere with Kimball sitting in a chair? Or did you watch the movie and make notes with timecode of each scene and what's in it? I haven't edited a doc in a dozen years, and I'm just amazed how you match everything up.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

@@DLWalkerActor Haha, thanks! If anything it's a photographic memory. Very little note taking takes place. And while I'm skimming the movie for a particular moment, only to see an actor point/grin/sit/whatever, and I remember that I have a line somewhere else that needs that on-the-nose footage. It is very deliberate on my part. I watched a very famous KZbinr start talking about a certain character and that character wasn't even on screen. To me, that's the bare minimum of what I would expect, and they failed miserably.

[@justinpaul3110]

This was shocking to watch. I can't believe they pulled this off so wonderfully!

[@MikeyB110]

Great video, bro, my first time peeping your channel out, and this was very insightful and put together very A1

[@dwade6322]

Normally i dont last through 20 min plus long vid's on movies,but this was thoroughly enjoyable 👍

[@kresimirzvonko]

Man, how I love your videos! I am so happy when you release video about stuff that I like. Keep up the good work.

[@chasehedges6775]

Glad I found this content, honestly

[@eastflames55]

This is just gonna make me enjoy the movie even more!! It's great that you gave your audience an inside look at how some of these movies were made. So thank you.

[@hensonlaura]

I appreciate your common sense & wonder how on earth did you dig up the research on this? Great job! I'm hooked; new subscriber 😻

[@mdturnerinoz]

Loved this! Thanks! My wife and I have watched this every year since it came to DVD!

[@manuelmuller1990]

I love this episodes so much I'd wish I had one every week. Please keep em coming! Great talent here.

[@jackabalas]

Another fantastic video, your great work is very much appreciated.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Glad it’s noticed!

[@CornDogSeven]

This was a great video. Well done and captivating!

[@sdweston8]

This video is well done and informative, and it makes me want to see The Fugitive again, in a new light.

[@JamesWjRose]

..and again, thanks. Always a joy to watch. I will say I enjoy your podcast versions better. The interaction between all three of you is great. This are terrific too, and very informative, eg: the real/fake train... I never knew that. Anyway, thanks again. Have a wonderful day

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Fantastic to hear! Glad you enjoy the podcast.

[@brendencellan6576]

The Fugitive is inspired from a true story back in 1954. The Guy was named Dr. Sam Sheppard. Buzzfeed unsolved did a great vid on the real life case a few years ago.

[@paulzammataro7185]

Not according to IMDB.

[@mattgibel3784]

It is correct. Sam Shepard from Bay Village inspired original fugitive show.

[@h0tel1]

Your final comments at the end of this video are so on point!!

[@michaelt2974]

A wonderful video. I loved it. Thanks.

[@ThePwig]

These types of movies are so well-loved partially because they were forced to edit it down to precisely what is needed to tell the story. It isn't a complicated formula.

[@Sharkbaby424]

HELLS YES!! Dropping a Sh*t Show while I’m at work is the best because it always kills time like a one-armed man!

[@TheRealShedLife]

Just found this and sub'd. Amazing for a single writer, narrator, and editor. You're going places, man.

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

Subbed for that final comment to the studios. Your message needs to be heard by the industry, and internalized.

[@obsidian00]

I love this movie...dropped during my Senior year of high school. The boys and went to see it mainly because a lot of my friend's parents worked at the GLOCK factory here in Smyrna, Ga and they were excited for the movie because GLOCKS were going to be "featured" in it. Not only that but it's the movie that introduced me to Julianne Moore and I have been in love ever since!