Harrison Ford is one of the most talented and respected actors in Hollywood. Having starred in some of the most well-known franchises of all time, he has injected himself into the very bones of the film industry as a whole. If there was a film that starred him in some or the other role, there was a high likelihood that it was a hit.
However, there was one movie of his that ended up becoming quite underrated, getting lost in the flashing lights of his filmography. One that got multiple Oscar nominations. Ford’s 1993 movie, The Fugitive was iconic to say the least, being an excellently told story about a man who was wrongfully accused of killing his wife.
There is one scene in the movie that was extremely iconic and memorable; where Dr. Richard Kimble runs away from Samuel Gerard by disappearing in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It would seem, however, that the scene was not scripted and was actually real.
The Parade In The Fugitive Was Real
During the iconic parade scene, Richard Kimble’s character is trying to outrun U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, who is trying to catch him for the murder of his wife. Harrison Ford’s character needs to get out of there as fast as he can so that he can find the real murderers. So, he is seen running through the crowd of the parade, trying not to be disruptive and catch attention to himself.
During an interview with USA Today, the director of The Fugitive, Andrew Davis, talked about this moment which is one of the most important moments in his 1993 movie. Speaking about the parade sequence, he revealed that the entire thing was done at the moment during a real-life parade for St. Patrick’s Day.
“We just did it documentary-style, grabbing what we could from the actual parade,” said Davis.
This would mean that everyone in the crowd was not actors and were real people who were taking part in a real parade. One would assume this fact to make filming a nightmare, considering Harrison Ford was on set. However, it was someone else who was attracting attention.
No One Recognized Harrison Ford
When The Fugitive came out, Harrison Ford had already established himself as one of the most well-known actors at the time. Blade Runner was a hit, and Raiders of the Lost Ark was causing a revolution.
With this in mind, one would assume that Ford filming in a crowd full of people would catch far too much attention. However, it was U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard’s actor who was catching all the attention.
“It wasn’t Indiana Jones walking in the parade. The way Ford was dressed, many people didn’t recognize him,” said Davis. “Tommy Lee Jones, who was jumping around, had just starred in ‘Under Siege’ and was much more noticeable.” He went on, “That moment was without a cut,” Davis added. “It was fantastic.”
Ford was in an attire that left him difficult to recognize. On the other hand, Tommy Lee Jones had just started out in Under Seige and was becoming the talk of the town. This made many immediately take notice of him, drawing a crowd around him. It is safe to say that this was an outcome that Ford did not expect.
