NOW, HE HAD ONLY ONE WEAPON LEFT – MURDER! … TO PREVENT AN EVEN MORE SHOCKING CRIME!
When I was 15, one of the coolest movies to open in theaters was Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear, a thriller that seemed to have all the ingredients that looked dangerous and alluring to a young teenager. There was sex, an intimidating Robert De Niro and a rape scene that went so far it had people talking about censorship.
When I saw the movie again, after watching the 1962 original, I was more conflicted about Scorsese’s Grand Guignol approach to the story; some of the scenes are borderline too silly. It made me appreciate J. Lee Thompson’s version a little better. Or should I say Gregory Peck’s version?
Sentenced to prison for eight years
On a hot day in Georgia, just outside the court, defense attorney Sam Bowden (Peck) is suddenly approached by a man who identifies himself as Max Cady (Robert Mitchum). It takes a while for Sam to catch up, but Cady was sentenced to prison eight years ago for rape, and Sam was the one who made it happen, after having interrupted Cady’s assault on his victim and then testified against him. Cady is obsessed with revenge and lets Sam know that he’ll stick around in town for a while. Cady starts harassing him and his family, carefully avoiding crossing the line. When his dog is killed, supposedly by Cady, Sam knows that somehow he must put a stop to this.
Finding Cape Fear
Yes, Peck was very much involved in the making of the film, not just landing a paycheck to star in it. His production company bought the rights to the novel ”The Executioners” from Cornel Wilde and was also the one who decided that the film needed a different title. During preproduction, as they were scouting for locations, Peck came across the Cape Fear region. That’s not where the film was ultimately made, but he liked that name. The star had just made The Guns of Navarone together with J. Lee Thompson and appreciated working with the Englishman, who was promptly hired to direct Cape Fear. Thompson was a fan of Hitchcock’s thrillers and wanted a similar look and feel for the movie, hiring several of Hitch’s collaborators, including composer Bernard Herrmann, production designer Robert F. Boyle and editor George Tomasini. Thompson most likely also had his cinematographer Sam Leavitt watch a fair share of Hitchcock thrillers. There are scenes where the lighting choices and camera placements make Cady look like a towering menace; very effective, and so is the suggestion of violence, rather than showing it, also typical of Hitchcock.
Gregory Peck’s role is less showy, but his character has a moral struggle that I’m sure interested the actor.
Cape Fear still ran into trouble with censors in Britain, which is testament to its unsettling, creepy and humid Southern atmosphere, embodied by Mitchum’s performance, a career highlight that surely reminded audiences of another unforgettable villain he played in The Night of the Hunter (1955). He didn’t want to play Cady at first, but was allegedly persuaded after Peck and Thompson sent him a case of bourbon. The thing is of course that he’s perfect for a role like that, confidently bringing animal attraction to a man who easily catches women’s attention even though he has no other interest in them besides physically hurting them. Peck’s role is less showy, but his character has a moral struggle that I’m sure interested the actor: how far can you go to protect your family?
Intense and provocative at the time, the film also has a terrifying score by Herrmann. Adding a very clear Hitchcock vibe, the music reinforces Sam’s desperation and Cady’s menace, as they’re headed for a violent clash on the Cape Fear River in the film’s third act.
Cape Fear 1962-U.S. 106 min. B/W. Directed by J. Lee Thompson. Screenplay: James R. Webb. Novel: John D. MacDonald (”The Executioners”). Cinematography: Sam Leavitt. Music: Bernard Herrmann. Cast: Gregory Peck (Sam Bowden), Robert Mitchum (Max Cady), Polly Bergen (Peggy Bowden), Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, Telly Savalas.
Trivia: Hayley Mills was considered for the role of the daughter. Remade in India in 1984, as Cape Fear (1991) and as a miniseries, Cape Fear (2026).
Last word: “I had to stop filming at one or two points to let things cool down. But I was certainly glad to get it all on camera. Barrie Chase was frightened of [Mitchum]; I know that because she told me so. She admired him, as everyone did. But, you know, he made people frightened.” (Thompson on shooting the rape scene, “Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don’t Care”)