Cape Fear

Plot synopsis:
A man (Robert Mitchum) enters a courthouse and asks for Sam Bowden. He watches Sam (Gregory Peck) in a trial, then follows him to his car, re-introducing himself as Max Cady. Max makes vaguely threatening comments as Sam drives off. Later, Max watches Sam and his family bowling, and makes a pass at the waitress. Sam calls police chief Dutton (Martin Balsam) and tells him that Max is being creepy. He explains that Max is an ex-convict who may have a grudge against Sam, and that Sam's family may be at risk. Dutton calls his deputies and tells them to pick up Max for vagrancy. Max cooperates and obviously knows the law, so they release him.The next day, Sam finds their dog, poisoned. Sam suspects Max but cannot prove it. His wife Peggy (Polly Bergen) and daughter Nancy (Lori Martin) are distraught, and Sam explains about Max.Max hires a fiery lawyer, Dave Grafton (Jack Kruschen), who accuses the police of harassing Max. Dutton tells Sam he cannot do anything until Max commits a crime, but advises Sam to hire private detective Charles Sievers. Sievers (Telly Savalas) starts following Max. He calls the police to have Max picked up for lewd vagrancy, but by the time they arrive, Max is gone, and the woman he was with (Barrie Chase) is beaten up. She refuses to help them and leaves town, fearful of Max's revenge. Sievers suggests Sam hire a dock thug, but he refuses.The next day, Sam catches Max leering at his daughter and takes a swing at him. Max doesn't punch back. Coming out from school, Nancy sees Max and flees, eventually running in front of a car. She's ok, but anger builds in Sam, and he gets a gun. Peggy convinces him not to go after Max.Sam meets Max in a bar and tries to pay him off. Max says he prefers "death by a thousand cuts", and turns him down. Sam hires the thugs to beat up Max, but he fights them off. Max calls Sam and tells him that he has the law on his side. Sam and Peggy discuss a plan to use Nancy as bait. San tells Dutton that he will "hide" his family in a boat on the Cape Fear River, then asks for a deputy to help him catch Max.Sam and Deputy Kersek (Page Slattery) stake out the boat. Max arrives and sneaks up on Kersek, killing him. He sets the boat with Peggy on it adrift, and Sam chases after. Nancy calls the sheriff from the dock. Max attacks Peggy, but leaves for Nancy when Sam arrives. Sam and Max fight; Sam shoots Max, and Max begs Sam to finish him off. Sam declines, saying Max will rot in jail. The family leaves together.

Tags: mystery, neo noir, murder, cult, revenge, violence, good versus evil, action, suspenseful, sadist

Review:
Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a happily married lawyer with a teenage daughter, a quiet life and little worries to care for until released convict Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) moves near by seeking for revenge against him.
This surely was one of Mitchum's best appearances in his long film carrier.The 1991 Cape Fear version with Robert de Niro -although a watchable movie- is not as good and thrilling as this one where evil doesn't appear clearly till the end but menace is always there.A very good thriller indeed!.
Mitchum was, if anything, even more powerful in "Cape Fear," possibly because his antagonist this time was the perfectly contrasting Gregory Peck Mitchum played a sex criminal, freed after eight years in prison, who returned to a sleepy little town to terrorize the witness (Gregory Peck) whom he blamed for his conviction The ex-con uttered no threats, used no violence, broke no laws  and the police were therefore helpless But his very presence, the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes as he turned them lazily on Peck's attractive wife and adolescent daughter showed with unmistakable and cumulative menace that he would surely take his revenge Peck planted his wife and daughter on a safely moored houseboat to tempt Mitchum into a trap....
So acclaimed was Robert Mitchum's performance as the amoral, animalistic Max Cady it probably escapes most people's attention that Cape Fear was produced by co-star Gregory Peck.One film before was the one that united star Gregory Peck with director J.
In the remake of Cape Fear which had Nick Nolte as Sam Bowen, Peck's part, and Robert DeNiro as Cady, Both Mitchum and Peck agreed to play some of the minor parts.
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).
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.
There's nothing worse than a con who knows his way around the law,and exploits that knowledge to the hilt.Robert Mitchum does this very expertly in the original and best version of Cape Fear.You want to reach out and strangle him,but he is within the law,so you can't.This is the appeal of this film.It's the fuel that keeps it going from start to finish.Along with Mitchum,we have Gregory Peck as the tormented lawyer who sent Mitchum's character,Max Cady to jail for rape years earlier.
Having studied law while behind bars,Cady's only intent with his gathering of this knowledge,is to torment Sam Bowden(Peck) and his family.It all leads to a classic finish.I truly believe that this film was a precursor to the thriller films of today.It was a sign of things to come in the cinematic world.It was way ahead of it's time.Worthy of note here is Robert Mitchum's ability to improvise almost to the point of becoming his character.The scene where he cracks the egg with his bare hand was not scripted,and the look of surprise on Polly Bergen's face was indeed real.Outstanding film..
The family flee to their houseboat and the killer is finally arrested after he is set up and faces many more years in prison.This is Robert Mitchum at his creepy best, in a role very similar to the one he played in Night Of the Hunter.The lawyer is played by Gregory Peck and the movie also stars Polly Bergen, Martin Balsam and an early role for Telly Savalas (Kojak).The excellent score is by the great Bernard Herrmann (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Psycho).This movie was rather creepy in parts and is a must for any movie fan.Rating: 5 stars out of 5..
Backed up by excellent cameos from Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas and Polly Bergen, Cape Fear also features one of Bernard Herrmann's finest scores, a complete and utter nerve shredder that hangs in the ears long after the film has finished.
Former convict Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) seeks revenge against Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), the man whose testimony sent Cady to prison for eight years.
The music/lighting combo exudes a high level of tension and suspense.Even though Gregory Peck is the film's protagonist, "Cape Fear" really belongs to Mitchum, who gives a very good performance as the villain.
The always reliable Martin Balsam shows up in this film, as he did in "Psycho", with a very credible performance as a good guy cop.With great B&W cinematography, appropriately frenetic "Psycho"-like music, effective plot structure, and a fine performance by Robert Mitchum, "Cape Fear" is a highly suspenseful film..
J. Lee Thompson, recently off an Oscar nomination for 'The Guns of Navarone,' was still very much within his element after a series of British realist dramas that included 'North West Frontier' and 'Tiger Bay.' Robert Mitchum, one of the more underrated strongmen in film history, was physically and temperamentally ideal as Max Cady and Gregory Peck eased into the Sam Bowden mix of family man and protector.
As for Peck, The same year this was released, another very important film in Peck's career came out, and it is perhaps his most famous role: I'm talking about "To Kill a Mockingbird." Once again, he plays a lawyer here, and he really knows how to play the good guy, because, in the end, you want him to win.The story itself is quite scary, but the scariest scene in the movie is when Cady moves in on Nancy towards the end.
Now that I have that off my chest let us begin.The plot consists of a southern lawyer Sam Bowden (Peck) being visited by a felon he helped put away eight years ago, Max Cady (Mitchum).
This psycho-thriller based on John MacDonald novel titled ¨The executioners¨ concerns about Max Cady an ex-con excellently played by Robert Mitchum ,he accuses a Southern advocate,a magnificent Gregory Peck,for his eight years imprisoned and schemes a malevolent vengeance on his wife(Polly Bergen) and daughter(Lori Martin).Peck is helped by the chief Inspector(Martin Balsam) and he hires an astute detective(Telly Savallas)to watch him.Meanwhile Mitchum plays to cat and mouse with his family which is increasingly menaced.The film contains psychological characterization ,grisly triller,tense situations, and is pretty entertaining.It's brilliant,atmospheric and slickly developed,almost a masterpiece.Major asset are the continuous suspense and marvellous acting.
Musical score by the master Bernard Herrmann with a similar style from Hitchcock music films.Sensational black and white cinematography by Sam Leavitt.The motion picture is finely directed by J.Lee Thomson (Guns of Navarone,McKenna's gold),a good filmmaker,though in his final career, he only directed Charles Bronson vehicles(Ten to midnight,Newman law,St Ives).The film was remade by Martin Scorsese,an inferior remake with secondaries appearance by Mitchum,Peck and Martin Balsam.
Webb, Cast:Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, Polly Bergen,Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas.Max Cady(played by Robert Mitchum)has just got out of prison after serving eight years.
There are hints of pedophilia in the way Max Cady leers at the teen age daughter of his enemy; it's done with a lot of class and it's never in your face.Robert Mitchum was an actor of such intelligence that is such a pleasure watch him portray this criminal, intent in doing harm to the man who sent him to jail, as well as to his family.
Mr. Mitchum works with an economy of gestures, but one look at him and the viewer knows what makes this Max Cady ticks.Gregory Peck, on the other hand plays the good guy, but he is boring.
Mitchum is memorable as Max Cady, an ex-con who has never forgiven lawyer Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) for helping to put him behind bars for eight years.
But Mitchum towers over everybody with a performance of pure smarm and menace.The finale is genuinely gripping stuff: it's quite tense and very atmospheric.Famously remade by Martin Scorsese in 1991, with interesting new layers to the story, but an ultimately more over the top nature, with Robert De Niro's version of Cady coming off like a cartoon bogeyman.Eight out of 10..
Big bad Bob. For me, one of the best thrillers you could ever hope to see, Robert Mitchum somehow manages to top the sheer malevolence of his characterisation of the deranged preacher in the classic "Night Of The Hunter" with his portrayal of the vengeful Max Cady out to terrorise the family of the man whose testimony put him in jail, Gregory Peck's straight - arrow attorney at law, Sam Bowden.The difference between the preacher and Cady and what takes Cady's evil to a different level again, is his obvious intent to corrupt Bowden's young daughter as he sees her for the first time painting her parents' boat.
In one of the great closing shots in cinematic history (in my opinion), he stops just short of this as he reclaims his humanity although just how he and his clearly traumatised family come back from this I personally couldn't imagine.Everywhere you look there are fine performances, from Polly Bergen who tries to be her husband's moral compass but who likewise goes all points west the closer Cady gets to her daughter, young Lori Martin is excellent as the terrorised daughter in question, while there are solid characterisations in support by a folically-gifted Telly Savalas as the Bowdens' appointed private detective and Martin Balsam as the supportive police chief with a special nod to the little known Barrie Chase, the bar-room floozy Cady casually picks up and uses / abuses almost as practice for what's to come.
And there's no doubt that the pillar of the film is Robert Mitchum's performance as Max Cady, one of the most unforgettable movie villains (the score comes in second in what makes the film so great).First, since I'm pretty sure most people have watched the Scorsese's version before this one (in a perfect world, my assumption would be wrong, and I promise this is my last parenthesis), I only hope they wouldn't be disappointed by the performance of all the good-hearted members of the Bowden family, all far from being as memorable as the 'Nick Nolte - Jessica Lange - Juliette Lewis' trio  or am I unfair by ignoring the possibility that any actor could have been overshadowed by a Mitchum at the top of his game.
I used to think that Scorsese inserted some subplots involving the Bowdens to depict them as flawed characters, and enrich the content of their family story, in order to elevate the conflict with Cady to a sort of redemption for Sam. I thought Marty exploited his favorite theme again while it was a good way to inject some substance to rather dull characters.In the original version unfortunately, only a good supply of great supporting characters prevented the movie from being a simple cat-and-mouse thriller, with honorable mentions for Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas and even Jack Kruschnen as Cady's lawyer.
He always insists, even childishly brags on the fact that he knows his rights, that he studied Law in prison, and we know damn well, that these are the hardest criminals to get.And even if we know that he would sooner or later get tired of playing cat-and-mouse with the Bowdens, that he's a man of action, and one of the most despicable ones, we're both thrilled by the psychological torture endured by a happy Family whose life become an endless nightmare, and by the imminence of a cruel action that would take its paroxysm in a setting with a very cheerful name "Cape Fear"  film-noir?
The original film, released in 1962 presents the same story but more innocently and less terrifying than the remake, although it's a very good film.J. Lee Thompson's classic brings Robert Mitchum playing the frightening ex-convicted Max Cady on the same scary level of craziness presented in "The Night of the Hunter", except that instead of persecuting innocent children he's looking for revenge against a lawyer (Gregory Peck) and his family, since he was the responsible for his imprisonment for eight years, charged of brutally attacking a woman.
However, and I'm not saying this classic is dated or something but it's very difficult to not see some flaws (leaving the girl behind twice when everyone in the family knows Max is chasing them everywhere) and a lack of more shocking moments, which is the advantage of Marty's remake, who used a stylish and fast editing to create an great impact on viewers and counted with Robert DeNiro's incredible performance as Cady.
MacDonald's novel, "The Executioners." In the same year that he brought Atticus Finch to the screen, Gregory Peck portrays Sam Bowden, a respected attorney with a loving family (Polly Bergen plays his wife, and Lori Martin his young daughter).
The movie is about Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) who is a lawyer who a few years back had put Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) in jail.
Robert Mitchum is excellent as Max Cady and a true scene stealer as the creepy tough guy terrorizing Sam Bowden's family.
Yet, amazingly, it was released in 1962, only adding to the creepiness factor of the overall movie experience (I cannot imagine the reaction of theater- goers to this in the early 60s!).For a basic plot summary, "Cape Fear" tells the story of Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), a just- released prisoner who blames lawyer Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) for his time in the slammer.
Psycho, for instance, was released in 1960.Anyhow, this is a true gem, and there's nothing that I'd like to add to it, or remove.Robert Mitchum was magnificent in Cape Fear: indeed, he gave life to the odd, inscrutable character of Max Cady.
The plot is simple enough: a dangerous ex-convict (Mitchum) moves to a friendly small town in order to terrorize and exact revenge upon the lawyer who put him behind bars for eight years (Peck) and his wife and young daughter.Cape Fear is a straightforward thriller, and let me tell you, is it ever thrilling.
Gregory Peck is the good guy, or hero, in the film, but the viewing audience will be constantly drawn to the truly great performance by Robert Mitchum, as a returning ex-con bent on extracting a path of revenge on Peck and his family.Mitchum plays Max Cady, a drifter who was sent to prison by the work of Sam Bowden, Peck's character.
The music score also grips the film, and each moment builds to the final climax, which takes place in the swampy river area aboard a floating houseboat.Cast-wise, Peck and Mitchum are ably supported by Martin Balsam, Polly Bergen, Jack Krushen, and with hair,sans lollipop Telly Savalas."Cape Fear" rates very high on the list of thrillers, and Mitchum simply conveys evil in every scene he is in.
He's here!" Being a great admirer of Alfred Hitchcock, director Lee Thompson stated that with this intense revenge picture he wanted to infuse as many "Hitchcockian" elements into its story as possible.And, in doing so - The observant viewer will quickly notice that 1962's "Cape Fear" does, in a number of ways, resemble a Hitchcock production with its frequent use of unusual lighting angles, as well as offering the viewer subtle hints, rather than graphic depictions, when it comes to the violence.And, speaking about actor Robert Mitchum - I certainly do give this dude an approving nod for the sinister, despicable and nasty twist that he put on his portrayal of the sadistic Max Cady character.All-in-all - For a b&w picture that is now 53 years old (and for all of the trouble that it came up against with the censor board), I certainly think that "Cape Fear" holds up quite well (and is, at least, worth a view), in the long run..
Well, "The Executioners" became "Cape Fear" and Peck turned out to be right.The story concerns Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), an upstanding lawyer who begins to be harassed by Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), a criminal who he helped to put behind bars eight years earlier.
Robert Mitchum seeks revenge against a witness who helped put him in prison in "Cape Fear," a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Polly Bergen, Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas, Lori Martin and Barrie Chase.
MacDonald's novel "The Executioners", the movie stars Gregory Peck (an actor seemingly incapable of giving a subpar performance) as an upstanding small-town Southern lawyer, Sam Bowden, with a good home and a good family who is met by an ex-con, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum, in one of the actor's many fine stone-cold, don't-give-a-damn roles) that he sent to jail eight years earlier.
Bergen, Martin, and Balsam also score well, as does Telly Savalas as a private investigator who gives Peck some unconventional and unsolicited advice as to how to handle Mitchum.With excellent black-and-white cinematography by Sam Leavitt (PORK CHOP HILL), and a menacing score by Hitchcock's favorite composer Bernard Herrmann, CAPE FEAR is a terror film that holds up to close scrutiny even today, thanks to all the right elements coming together in one truly nerve-wracking package..
Robert Mitchum plays it slow and easy as ex-con Max Cady who was convicted in Baltimore for assault and battery because of assistant D.A Sam Bowden's, Gregory Peck, prosecution that put him behind bars for over eight years.
The original Cape Fear, starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, is a classic suspense, much like the works of Alfred Hitchcock.