Customer Reviews

Fugitive: Fear in a Desert City [VHS]

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The first episode of THE FUGITIVE, FEAR IN A DESERT CITY, established what was to be a successful formula for the next four seasons. Doctor Richard Kimble is accused of his wife's murder. He knows that a one-armed man is the culprit, but can't prove it. He is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to die in the electric chair. On route to the death house, he escapes from Lieutenant Philip Gerard, who then spends much of the next four years chasing a doctor who is similarly chasing his quarry. At the start of this initial episode, the sonorous narration of William Conrad informs the audience of this background information. Kimble, who now calls himself Jim Lincoln, rides a bus into Tucson, Arizona, and finds work as a bartender. He strikes up a relation with Monica Welles, played by Vera Miles, only to find that his anonymity is threatened when her rich but crazy ex-husband stalks her and wonders at the temerity of a drifter to dare date the ex-wife of a local powerful and influential citizen. The plot revolves around Kimble's helping Monica to escape from her ex.
This episode established the basic persona of pursuer and pursued. Kimble is the good doctor yanked out of his comfortable life, with the audience wondering whether he can regain that life. Barry Morse as Lt.Gerard is the policeman who trails him with a monomania that does not become clearer until future episodes. It is David Janssen's tremendous acting that made this show a monster hit. His interpretation of Richard Kimble suggests a controlled fear that is never absent. Kimble simply cannot permit himself the luxury of a relationship. When he does, the result is often to expose him to danger. Every time, I saw Kimble impacting on others, I knew that I was seeing how one bright but faceless man kept his hopes up to reclaim a life that I knew one day would return. This was a terrific first episode that hooked an audience for four more years.

What an auspicious beginning for a TV classic! Richard
Kimble (David Janssen) takes up in Tucson, AZ where he becomes a bartender. He befriends and courts a nightclub singer (Vera Miles) who is married to a mean, abusive husband (Brian Keith). Keith is splendid as the possessive,
drunken Ed Welles with the friends and the funds to deflect criticism.

Kimble tries to lay low and avoid any attention which would attract the police and ultimately, Lt. Gerard, played by Barry Morse. Welles alerts the police about Kimble and an investigation ensues. Kimble is genuinely shaken afterwards in a manner which sets the tone for the entire series. Kimble decides to leave Tucson after confessing
to Welles wife, leading to a final confrontation with the enraged husband.

Gerard makes a brief appearance and Kimble talks about
the trial to Welles wife. These issues would be covered in later episodes. The pilot has a rare ongoing narration of Kimble's mindset by William Conrad.

This episode - and others to follow - depict a Janssen who
occasionally seems ill at ease and self conscious in front of the camera. At times he even underdelivers lines. If was as if Janssen was unsure of himself and his abilities. He had no reason to be. For Janssen and this show were about to become an enduring fixture on the television landscape. Check it out and you'll see why this series had many imitations but one indelible premise.

This episode beings it all. We see Doctor Richard Kimble step off the bus to Tucson, Arizona just six months after the fated train crash. He stays at a hotel and gets a job at the Branded Barhouse as a bartender where he befriends a pianist woman who is abused by her husband played by Brian Keith. Keith comes into the bar regualry for his scotch and soda and gets into arguments with Kimble also know in this episode as James Lincoln. Don't want to tell you more because you have to see this classic episode. This episode is great because this is the first episode of the best series of all time. You can find an actor as serious as David Janssen anymore. This episode is a must for series collectors.

Look the original Fugitive show was very one dimensional. Jaansen (sp?) in fact just had very little acting ability and so many viewers confused his limited acting range (and often drunken, self-absorbed state) for real deep characterization on and in the part of a man on the run from the law. This series at large was uneven as you can check jumptheshark.com for proof of how disjointed the eps often were. This series also made it into a film flubs book for it's uneven way it mentioned (and changed) in several eps how exactly Dr. Kimball's wife was killed. I agree, however, Brian Keith was a good guest star on The Fugitive as was beauty queen Vera Miles.