Cape Fear (1962)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

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

Release Date:

1962 (Norway)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Original Masterpiece Of Revenge, Confrontation And Murder!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Dog | Rape | Bowling | Backwoods

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

Also Known As:

The Executioners (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Melville-Talbot Productions

Trivia:

The trailer and radio spots are narrated by Universal regular, Jeff Morrow.

Goofs:

Continuity: The launch in which the Bowden family travels to the houseboat has a full windshield. Later, when Sam leaves by himself, only the windshield's frame is present; the glass is gone.

Quotes:

Diane Taylor: [Diane is cuddling with Max as he is driving] Why are we going this way?
Max Cady: Better scenery.
Diane Taylor: What would you know about scenery? Or beauty? Or any of the things that really make life worth living? You're just an animal: coarse, lustful, barbaric.
Max Cady: Keep right on talkin', honey. I like it when you run me down like that.
Diane Taylor: Max Cady, what I like about you is... you're rock bottom. I wouldn't expect you to understand this, but it's a great comfort for a girl to know she could not possibly sink any lower.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003) (TV)

Stick With This One: The Original

Boy, this shows that you can still make a scary movie without a lot of blood, profanity and whatever. Hollywood didn't learn that, however, featuring all of it less than a decade after this was made. The Martin Scorcese re-make of this movie is exactly what I'm talking about.

This original Cape Fear was legitimately scary, thanks to the performance of Robert Mitchum, who doesn't need to resort to the f-word to be a tough, sick and really an evil character as he stalks Gregory Peck and his wife (Polly Bergen) and daughter (Lori Martin).

Bergan and Martin are two women I don't see too much in films which is too bad. They did a lot more TV work than movies. Another thing you don't see much anymore - a nice, sympathetic policeman - was also portrayed in here nicely by Martin Balsam.

The ending has some holes in it, to be sure, but overall it offers a good 106- minute suspense story.