Mary Burns, Fugitive

Mary Burns, Fugitive

Year: 1935

Runtime: 84 mins

Language: English

Director: William K. Howard

Drama

“I didn’t know he was a killer!” A young woman who owns a coffee shop falls for a handsome young customer, unaware that he is a gangster.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

Set in the mid-1930s United States, during the Great Depression when crime and media shaped public life. Small-town America is tense, with police hunts, trials, and newspapers playing a central role in fear and justice. The era’s social constraints and opportunities shape Mary’s choices, leading to a fight for freedom and a new life.

Location

Oklahoma, Utah, Canada

The story moves from a roadside coffee shop in rural Oklahoma to Utah's small towns and hospital settings, with a temporary stop in Canada as Babe pursues his escape. The Oklahoma coffee shop anchors Mary’s world, while Utah provides tense backdrops for hospital life and a secluded lakeside retreat where Mary and Barton’s relationship develops. The changing locations drive the tension between crime, pursuit, and the possibility of a fresh start.

☕ Coffee shop setting 🏞️ Rural towns 🧭 Crime drama backdrop

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

Main Characters – Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935)

Meet the key characters of Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mary Burns (Sylvia Sidney)

Mary Burns runs a roadside coffee shop near a rural town and becomes entangled with Babe Wilson, a gangster. After Babe’s betrayal and her wrongful arrest, she endures prison and escape, showing resilience under pressure. Her arc culminates in a lawful, loving future with Barton Powell as she rebuilds her life after her record is expunged.

💖 Protagonist 🧭 Redemption 🌿 Resilience

Babe Wilson (Alan Baxter)

Babe Wilson is a swaggering gangster who uses Mary’s affection to further his crimes. He plans to flee to Canada with stolen loot and eliminates any witness who might testify against him. When police close in, he murders his partner to avoid testimony and escapes, only to be killed by Mary in the end.

💣 Villain 🗡️ Crime 🌀 Manipulation

Barton Powell (Melvyn Douglas)

Barton Powell is a famous explorer and writer recovering from snow blindness. He forms a deep bond with Mary after she cares for him, and his return to sight coincides with their growing romance. He proposes and supports Mary as she seeks a new, honest life away from crime.

🗺️ Explorer 👁️ Sight 💕 Romance

Detective Harper (Wallace Ford)

Detective Harper leads Babe’s manhunt, coordinating undercover stings and stakeouts. He is instrumental in bringing Mary into safe contact with Barton and in the pursuit that culminates in Babe’s confrontation. He ensures that Mary’s record is cleared, allowing her to marry Barton.

🕵️ Detective 🔎 Pursuit ⚖️ Law enforcement

Goldie Gordon (Pert Kelton)

Goldie Gordon is a fellow inmate who appears to aid the police but is secretly playing both sides to survive. She collaborates with the authorities to lure Babe out, using Mary as part of the plan. Her actions reveal the complexity of loyalties in a dangerous world.

🕊️ Double life 💼 Covert cooperation 🧭 Survival

Spike (Brian Donlevy)

Spike is Babe’s accomplice who participates in the gang’s schemes and poses a constant danger to Mary. His presence heightens the film’s tension as the pursuit and confrontations escalate.

🗡️ Henchman 🔪 Violence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

Major Themes – Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935)

Explore the central themes of Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔎 Crime & Justice

Mary’s story revolves around pursuit, arrest, and the thin line between guilt and innocence. The film tracks the manhunt for Babe, Mary’s wrongful conviction, and the eventual exoneration that restores her standing. The era’s imperfect justice system is a constant backdrop as crime is resolved through action and law.

💞 Love & Redemption

A romance with Barton Powell provides Mary a path toward redemption and a new beginning. Their connection deepens as he regains his sight and proposes, offering a hopeful future away from crime’s shadows. Love acts as a catalyst for Mary to choose truth and rebuild her life with honesty.

💪 Resilience & Agency

Mary evolves from a passive participant to an assertive survivor who makes difficult decisions. She endures imprisonment, escapes, and a dangerous pursuit, ultimately taking decisive action to confront Babe. Supported by the police and Barton, she attains a new life built on autonomy and courage.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:22

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Wrongfully Accused Movies like Mary Burns, Fugitive

Innocent characters racing against time to clear their names while evading capture.If you enjoyed the high-stakes flight from injustice in Mary Burns, Fugitive, explore these other movies about characters wrongfully accused. These films feature similar themes of desperate fugitives on the run, intense confrontations, and gripping races for redemption and the truth.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with an inciting incident that wrongly frames the protagonist. The core of the story is a tense cat-and-mouse game involving both law enforcement and often the real criminals. The journey is one of survival and investigation from the outside, culminating in a final confrontation or discovery that leads to exoneration.

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Gripping journeys through dark criminal underworlds that ultimately find the light.For viewers who liked the heavy emotional weight yet ultimately happy conclusion of Mary Burns, Fugitive, this section highlights similar intense crime stories. These movies balance dark themes of gangster violence and wrongful imprisonment with a narrative that leads to redemption and a positive resolution.

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Narrative Summary

The pattern involves an ordinary character being pulled into a dangerous criminal world, suffering significant trauma or loss, and then engaging in a struggle for survival and freedom. The conflict is typically resolved through a final, decisive confrontation, after which the protagonist escapes the darkness and is rewarded with safety, love, or vindication, creating a clear arc from innocence through trauma to hope.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their distinctive emotional blend: they are unafraid of high intensity and heavy themes but are committed to providing a hopeful, satisfying conclusion. This creates a specific viewing experience that is gripping without being bleak, offering a sense of catharsis and emotional release.

Unlock the Full Story of Mary Burns, Fugitive

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Mary Burns, Fugitive Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Mary Burns, Fugitive, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Mary Burns, Fugitive Summary

Mary Burns, Fugitive Timeline

Track the full timeline of Mary Burns, Fugitive with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Mary Burns, Fugitive Timeline

Mary Burns, Fugitive Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Mary Burns, Fugitive that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Mary Burns, Fugitive Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Mary Burns, Fugitive

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