Cape Fear (1962)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

John D. MacDonald (novel)
James R. Webb (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 April 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Now, he had only one weapon left - Murder!...To prevent an even more shocking crime!

Plot:

A lawyer's family is stalked by a man he once helped put in jail.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Dog | Small Town | Airport | Police Chief

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Sam Bowden
Robert Mitchum	...	Max Cady
Polly Bergen	...	Peggy Bowden
Lori Martin	...	Nancy Bowden
Martin Balsam	...	Police Chief Mark Dutton
Jack Kruschen	...	Attorney Dave Grafton
Telly Savalas	...	Private Detective Charles Sievers
Barrie Chase	...	Diane Taylor
Paul Comi	...	George Garner
John McKee	...	Officer Marconi
Page Slattery	...	Deputy Kersek
Ward Ramsey	...	Officer Brown
Edward Platt	...	Judge
Will Wright	...	Dr. Pearsall
Joan Staley	...	Waitress
Norma Yost	...	Ticket clerk
Mack Williams	...	Dr. Lowney, Veterinarian
Thomas Newman	...	Lt. Pete Gervasi
Alan Reynolds	...	Attorney Vernon
Herb Armstrong	...	Waiter
Bunny Rhea	...	Pianist
Cindy Carol	...	Betty (as Carol Sydes)
Alan Wells	...	Young blade
Allan Ray	...	Young blade
Paul Levitt	...	Police operator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Elkins	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Joseph Jenkins	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Extra at Bar / Table Extra at Bar (uncredited)
Marion Landers	...	Cross (uncredited)
Bob Noble	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	Man (uncredited)
Josephine Smith	...	Librarian (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Juror (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
John D. MacDonald		(novel "The Executioners")
James R. Webb		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sy Bartlett	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Sam Leavitt		(as Samuel Leavitt)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Art Direction by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert

Costume Design by
Mary Wills

Makeup Department
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist (as Virginia D'Arcy)
Frank Prehoda	....	makeup artist
Thomas Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Corson Jowett	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
John McKee	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Léo L. Fuchs	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Melville-Talbot Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• StraDa Films (2012) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Väinän Filmi (1969) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Egmont Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (2-disc twinpack with Cape Fear '91)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (1997) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Chile:18 | Norway:16 (1962) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:15 | USA:Approved (Certificate #20038) | Finland:(Banned) (1962) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1969) (heavily cut) | Finland:K-16 (1992) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Brazil:16 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Northern California, California, USA

Company:

Melville-Talbot Productions

Trivia:

Director J. Lee Thompson complained at the time that UK censor John Trevelyan had ruined the film by making extensive cuts, and the number of edits suggested ranged from 60 to over 100. Trevelyan later replied that he had made only 15 cuts, totalling around 6 minutes, with edits made to threatening dialogue and assault references, Cady's attack on Peggy, and all shots of him staring longingly at Nancy. All later UK video releases restored the cinema cuts.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Animal sounds heard along the river in the scene where the private detective hands over the suitcase to Mrs Bowden are not those of the local fauna. One can distinctly hear the laughing voice of the kookaburra, a bird found only in Australia.

Quotes:

Max Cady:I got somethin' planned for your wife and kid that they ain't nevah gonna forget. They ain't nevah gonna forget it... and neither will you, Counselor! Nevah!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Daria: Camp Fear (#5.4)" (2001)

More than just creepy

For the first time Hitchcock was decisively beaten at his own game. This is one of the tensest films ever made, and also one of the most perfectly crafted. There are so many things right about it I can afford to concentrate on just two:

(1) Sam Bowden is a firm believer in the sanctity of civil liberties until Cady starts to stalk his family - and he remains a believer even then. He is asked if he really wants the police to have the power to arrest citizens on suspicion alone; and, although his family is in danger, he cannot honestly answer yes. `Cape Fear' is clearly the product of a less bloodthirsty age. But it is the better for it: a clash between deeply held principles and deeply held desires isn't at all interesting unless it really IS a clash - unless the principles are strong enough not to give way at the first breath of wind. And damn it, Bowden is right. The police do NOT have the right to arrest Cady. The potential tragedy is genuine: not something that could be cleaned up if only so-and-so would drop a few pointless scruples.

(2) Robert Mitchum really alarms us. I think it's because his motivations are a little, but not entirely, opaque. When we first see him eyeing Bowden's teen-aged daughter, we don't know exactly what he's thinking any more than Sam does. Is he sexually attracted to her? Does he want to kill her? Rape her? Is he indifferent but just trying to get a rise out of Sam? Indeed: what, exactly, does he want to do to Sam himself? We don't know: and this uncertainty is worse than any precise knowledge.

I doubt I've said enough. `Cape Fear' is riveting from first frame to last. It's well shot, the acting is excellent, and Bernard Herrmann gives us his usual fitting score. It appeals to the intellect as much as to the pit of the stomach. Great stuff.