The Fugitive from Chicago

Werner Dux, a gambler and heir to the Dux-Werke car empire, ends up jailed in Chicago after a shooting. He learns his father has died, leaving the firm without a clear leader since his young cousin Steffie cannot take charge yet. Werner asks his engineer friend Michael Nissen to step in and manage the company from behind bars. Michael agrees and reshapes the business, enforcing tighter reliability standards and renegotiating supplier deals. He even stages a motorcycle reliability test that stretches from Istanbul to Rome to Barcelona, a publicity driven project that lands a sizable international order and buys the company time. The arrangement creates a delicate balance between legality and deception as the men tread carefully around Werner's possible return. Colorful sets and a car culture atmosphere color the background as the two men juggle production pressures, personal risk, and the prospect of exposure. The film blends suspense with light humor and a melodramatic romance vibe, keeping the audience guessing about loyalties.

Directed by Johannes Meyer, The Fugitive from Chicago arrived in 1934 as a German crime adventure with comedy and romance elements. It features Gustav Fröhlich as Michael and Luise Ullrich as Steffie, supported by a sturdy ensemble.

Reception at the time noted the film's brisk pace and its blending of corporate intrigue with personal loyalties. Themes include deception as a business tool, the pressures of leadership, and the ethical lines crossed to keep a family empire afloat. Several critics highlight the performances and the film's balance of light humor with tense moments.

This title captures a slice of 1930s German cinema when cross continental plots and industrial ambition were fashionable backdrops. It hasn't become a staple in pop culture, but it offers a lens on prewar attitudes toward business, technology, and legitimacy.

Box office data for The Fugitive from Chicago isn't widely documented, and there are no well known grosses reported. The film is discussed more for its cast and its place in 1930s cinema than for earnings.