The Fugitive

A 1947 film directed by John Ford, adapted from Graham Greene’s novel The Power and the Glory. It follows a hunted Catholic priest in an unnamed Latin American country where public worship is outlawed.

The Power and the Glory: A 1940 novel by Graham Greene about a dissolute Catholic priest pursued during Mexico’s anti-clerical campaigns. Ford’s film adapts Greene’s novel, recasting its Mexican setting as an unnamed country.
Graham Greene: An English novelist and screenwriter whose works often examine faith, moral compromise, and political conflict. Greene wrote the source novel and co-wrote the film’s screenplay.
Cristero War: An armed conflict in Mexico from 1926 to 1929 between the government and Catholic rebels opposing restrictions on the Church. The film’s repression evokes the broader conflict behind Greene’s fictionalized setting.
The Fugitive (1947 film) reception: The critical and commercial response to John Ford’s 1947 film The Fugitive. The film’s poor performance and divided critical response shaped its place in Ford’s career.
Henry Fonda: An American actor known for roles in films including The Grapes of Wrath and 12 Angry Men. Fonda plays the hunted priest whose fear and weakness shape the film’s religious drama.
Anti-clericalism in Mexico: Political movements and policies in Mexico that restricted the power and public role of the Catholic Church. Greene’s novel drew on this history, while the film deliberately leaves its country unnamed.
Catholic persecution in Mexico: State measures in Mexico that curtailed Catholic religious practice, especially during the post-revolutionary period. The ban on worship makes the priest’s continued ministry a crime.
The Grapes of Wrath (film): A 1940 John Ford film adapting John Steinbeck’s novel about a displaced family during the Great Depression. Both films pair social hardship with Ford’s humanist perspective, but differ sharply in style and setting.
Dolores del Río: A Mexican actress who became an international film star in both Hollywood and Mexican cinema. She plays a woman who shelters the priest and confronts the risks of aiding him.
RKO Pictures: An American film studio that produced and distributed films from 1929 to 1959. RKO released the film, a prestige production that departed from its usual commercial genres.

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