Cape Fear (1962)

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

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

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

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Garner
John McKee	...	Officer Marconi
Page Slattery	...	Deputy Kersek
Ward Ramsey	...	Officer Brown
Edward Platt	...	Judge
Will Wright	...	Dr. Pearsall
Joan Staley	...	Waitress

Storyline

Small-town lawyer Sam Bowden's life becomes torturous when Max Cady re-enters his life. Cady went to jail for 8 years after Bowden testified that Cady attacked a young woman. Now that Cady has been released, he begins to terrorize Bowden and his family, particularly targeting Bowden's daughter, Nancy. Initially, Cady uses his newfound knowledge of the law (learned in prison) to annoy the Bowdens, then poisons the family dog... Who's next ?

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | family in jeopardy | small town | stalking | psychopath | 

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Taglines:

What Happens Between Them is an Adventure in the Unusual!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1962 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Executioners

Filming Locations:

Armstrong Junior College, Savannah, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Melville Productions, Talbot Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film contains one of the few instances of a correct depiction of what someone sees when looking through binoculars. In most films, what is shown resembles a sideways figure 8 (i.e. side by side magnified images, one for each eyepiece). But what one really sees is a single round magnified image, the same as what you see when looking into the eyepiece of a telescope.

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Goofs

After Sam and Max have a drink together, Sam gets up to leave. While he is putting money on the table, Max is smoking his cigar but as Sam leaves, Max's cigar has disappeared.

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Quotes

Sam Bowden: [tries to pay Cady to leave town; Cady wants revenge] You shocking degenerate. I've seen the worst - the dregs - but you... you are the lowest. Makes me sick to breathe the same air.
[leaves the bar]

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Connections

Referenced in Macon County Line (1974)

User Reviews

Better than the remake

Martin Scorsese's version of "Cape Fear" had its moments, but overall was something of a chaotic picture. Its "satire" (or lack thereof) didn't really have a point, and its over-the-top visuals seemed to be compensating for a lack of content. It seemed less like Scorsese and more like DePalma.

Thompson's original is better - more scary, more thrilling, more diabolical and realistic. Whereas De Niro's scenery-chewing performance in the remake was almost laughable, Robert Mitchum's spine-tingling turn here as Max Cady is one of the great human movie monsters - he's a demon at spirit, no in physicality.

He seeks revenge on Gregory Peck and his family after Peck puts him away in jail for a few years.

Scorsese's version was more updated and in that sense its general themes were more believable - Cady's psyche was more exposed, his violence exploitative - and the romance between Cady and Sam Bowden's daughter in the original is nonexistent. In fact, the extent of his harm towards her is when he chases her around an empty school.

Still, this is a better version of the movie because it has more strengths than the remake. Visually it's not as impressive but it makes more of an impact as a thriller.