Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993)
Vitals
Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, fugitive and former vascular surgeon determined to clear his name
Chicago, Spring 1993
Film: The Fugitive
Release Date: August 6, 1993
Director: Andrew Davis
Costume Designer: Aggie Guerard Rodgers
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Chicago’s famous celebrations with its parade and green-dyed river hosted a major setpiece midway through the 1993 thriller The Fugitive, adapted from the 1960s TV show of the same name.
As in the show, the titular fugitive is Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), a man wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder who takes the opportunity to escape after his conviction and works a series of odd jobs while desperately trying to clear his name and find the one-armed man who actually killed his wife. The film reimagines Dr. Kimble’s police pursuer as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his experienced team of deputies, who manage to track Richard to Chicago based on the sounds of an el train’s PA system in the background of a tapped call to his lawyer.
Dr. Kimble’s hunt leads him to Cook County Hospital, where he falsifies a job on the custodial staff so he can more intently search the prosthetics records for a one-armed man. He finds a promising lead in the form of an incarcerated armed robber (“one-armed man, armed robbery… that’s funny,” quips one of Gerard’s deputies), but quickly realizes this wasn’t the man he was looking for. Unfortunately, the marshals had closed in on the same lead and Dr. Kimble once again comes face-to-face with Gerard, resulting in a desperate chase out through the courthouse and into the crowds of the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
“If they can dye this river green, why can’t they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year?” asks Deputy U.S. Marshal Bobby Biggs (Daniel Roebuck), one of the more sarcastic members of Gerard’s team.
While Jeb Stuart and David Twohy’s screenplay only states that “… Kimble has disappeared into the parade celebrations outside. Blending in with the marchers,” Chicago-born director Andrew Davis took the opportunity to highlight his native city’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities by obtaining permission to film during the actual parade, with camera operator Robert Ulland’s Steadicam capturing Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones’ cat-and-mouse pursuit through the sea of green.
Of what Peter Sobczynski described for RogerEbert.com as “a largely improvised affair,” Joshua Meyer observed for Slash Film that this technique “put Ford in a position, much like the wanted man he was playing, where he was trying to go unrecognized in the parade crowd.”
What’d He Wear?
For his transient life on the lam that brings him to Chicago, Richard Kimble smartly dresses in hardy, inconspicuous casual layers that befit his cover job as a hospital janitor and—as luck would have it—chromatically fit in when he’s forced to high-tail it through the green-dressed revelers of a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
With his limited funds and storage, Richard made a wise investment with the M-1951 fishtail parka he wears for his arrival in Chicago—likely purchased from a military surplus store, back when this was a relatively affordable option. First authorized by the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, this parka offers Richard an understated appearance, water resistance, and versatility regarding situation (as it can be effectively dressed up or down) and climate (as the cold-weather linings can be easily removed in warmer weather.)
Made from a wind-resistant cotton sateen in the same shade of olive-green used on contemporary OG-107 work fatigues, the thigh-length outerwear became known as the “fishtail parka” for its extended tail with its short vent resembling a fish mouth, with a cord extending from each side that can be tied around the front of the wearer’s legs to protect them from heavy winds.
With a roomy fit to allow for wear over uniforms and with liners as needed, the coat’s double-secure closure consists of a straight front zip and seven snaps—all covered by the cotton shell placket to prevent rust. Like many military jackets, the shoulders are rigged with epaulets and the waist cinches with an internal draw-cord. The set-in sleeves are finished with short straps at the cuff that fasten to a large single brown 4-hole button. Slanted low-slung chest pockets at hand level are covered with button-down flaps.
These versatile parkas were designed to be adapted for various conditions, with a hood tightened with drawstrings that could be rigged with a fur-trimmed flannel lining. Dr. Kimble’s parka foregoes this hood liner, though he does benefit from the warmth of the beige wool piled body liner that buttons in place.
You can read more about the history and development of fishtail parkas, including the M-1951, from Heddels. Interested shoppers can also peruse the selections at the appropriately named outlet FishtailParkas.com.
Note the parka’s buttoned-in removable liner.
Under his fishtail parka, Dr. Kimble wears the intermediate layer of a navy blue zip-up hoodie, likely made from cotton or a cotton/polyester blend and styled with two half-kangaroo pockets that have slanted openings.
“Kimble, his hair now black, and wearing a new pair of Wranglers, hooded sweatshirt and a duffle coat,” described Jeb Stuart and David Twohy’s intended disguise for Kimble’s return to Chicago. The duffle coat was evidently swapped for the fishtail parka and the Wranglers wouldn’t appear until his next wardrobe change (with a tweed jacket and tie), but the hoodie remained part of costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers’s execution.
A different kind of surgery than he’s used to practicing, Dr. Kimble uses his skills of precision cutting to fashion his new false identity as Cook County Hospital maintenance engineer Desmondo Jose Ruiz.
Dr. Kimble initially wears the parka and hoodie with a plain white cotton crew-neck undershirt and light khaki cotton trousers. Fashioned like most off-the-rack khakis, flat-front slacks have belt loops, side pockets, button-through back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms.
Gerard finds Kimble’s discarded khakis as they inspect his rented basement apartment.
Once Dr. Kimble steals and modifies Desmondo Jose Ruiz’s hospital ID, he next sets out to acquire a work uniform to match the Cook County Hospital janitorial staff. The uniform consists of a Dickies-style work shirt and pants, both in matching shades of teal-green.
Likely made from polyester or a polyester/cotton-blend, the twill long-sleeved work shirt consists of a convertible collar, plain button-up front, single-button cuffs, and two patch-style chest pockets each covered with a gently pointed flap that closes through a single button.
The matching cotton flat-front trousers have wide belt loops (with the exception of a slimmer, standard-width loop in the center of the back), side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms. Richard holds them up with a plain black web belt that closes through a silver-toned box-style buckle.
The dissonance between this stranger’s apparent medical knowledge and maintenance uniform raises the suspicions of Dr. Anne Eastman (Julianne Moore), who later confirms to Gerard that Dr. Kimble’s bold decision to change a child’s emergency treatment saved the patient’s life.
Dr. Kimble debuts the all-black leather K-Swiss Classic sneakers that he would continue wearing with white ribbed cotton tube socks through the finale. Touted as the first all-leather tennis shoe, the Classic has remained K-Swiss’ flagship model since the brand’s launch in 1966 by Swiss brothers Art and Ernie Brunner. Through four generations (including the current VN iteration), the K-Swiss Classic has retained the same design of its three-piece toe construction, herringbone “brick” outsole tread, and D-ring lacing system—each ring aligned to one of the five diagonal stripes running along each side of the uppers.
The distinctive shield indented on the bottom of each sole clearly identify Dr. Kimble’s black leather tennis shoes as K-Swiss.
Escaping from the courthouse, Dr. Kimble takes the opportunity to lose himself among the St. Patrick’s Day revelers by pulling a green derby hat from a trash can and stepping into the parade. Covered in a cheap Kelly green felt and trimmed with a gleaming gold band and edges, the bowler is hardly high-quality headgear—more a costume-oriented party hat—but it gives him enough luck o’ the Irish that he’s able to escape detection for yet another day.
Unfortunately, Dr. Kimble sacrifices his M-1951 fishtail parka in exchange for an temporary extension of his freedom. The cheap green derby hat is hardly a worthy consolation prize.
How to Get the Look
Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993)
Fate—or perhaps the luck o’ the Irish—was on Dr. Richard Kimble’s side when he arrived in Chicago wearing a secondhand green parka and purchased a green work shirt and trousers as a disguise, only for the viridescent gear to help him better fit in while losing his pursuers amidst a sea of green-clad revelers crowding Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
- Olive-green cotton sateen M-1951 fishtail parka with drawstring-corded hood, seven-snap/straight-zip closure, slanted side pockets (with button-down flaps), shoulder straps/epaulets, 1-button cuffs, drawstring-cinched waist, and “fishtail” hem with storm-cords
- Navy cotton zip-up hoodie with hand pockets
- White cotton crew-neck short-sleeve T-shirt/undershirt
- Teal-green polyester-blend twill long-sleeved work shirt with convertible collar, plain button-up front, two single-button flapped chest pockets, and button cuffs
- Teal-green cotton twill flat-front work pants with wide belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
- Black web belt with silver-toned box-style buckle
- Black leather K-Swiss Classic sneakers
- White ribbed cotton tube socks
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie.
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