Skip to main content
Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 9, 2005
"Counselor, you really stepped on it this time, didn't ya? I don't know what the Bar Association thinks about its members compounding a felony -- but I do know what the law thinks about it. You just put the law in my hands! And I'm gonna BREAK YOUR HEART WITH IT!! Ain't nothin' can stop me! You understand that, don't you?!"
The above words were spoken by a bloodied "Max Cady" in the original (1962) version of "Cape Fear", which is a suspense-filled masterpiece that remains one of my favorite movies of this genre. The film, which was known as "The Executioners" during the actual shooting of the picture (the title of the 1957 John D. MacDonald novel on which the movie was based), first appeared on American theater screens on April 12th, 1962.
That Max Cady is one scary dude! No doubt about that. Portrayed to perfection by 44-year-old Robert Mitchum, Cady is presented with full intensity in "Cape". We get the impression, and rightly so, that Mr. Cady is relentless in his pursuit of "Sam Bowden" and his family. Nothing is going to stop him. And Sam (Gregory Peck) knows this too.
Therefore, drastic measures are needed to fight this awesome menace. Watch and see how it suspensefully unfolds. Many memorable scenes await the viewer here -- scenes that look all the greater thanks to the handsome Anamorphic Widescreen print of the movie that has been encoded onto this DVD. The black-and-white photography looks solid as a rock on this disc.
As the film opens, we see a cigar-smoking Max Cady walking toward the courthouse to meet his "prey" (Bowden). Cady's self-assured gait and somewhat cocky manner, as we watch him leisurely making his way down the street, give us a good indication as to the kind of man Cady is. He leers lustfully at a couple of women who are leaving the courts building; and he shows us his self-absorbed demeanor when he walks right past a woman on a staircase who has just dropped one of the many books she is carrying (without Cady offering even a cursory glance of care or concern). These silent and subtle initial "Cady touches" in the James Webb screenplay provide the audience with a perfect "introduction" to Cady's character.
Bernard Herrmann composed the magnificent music score for the 1962 version of "Cape Fear"; and Mr. Herrmann's mood-enhancing themes greatly add to the atmosphere of the picture (as is always the case with any of his musical arrangements). Yet another stellar effort by Bernard H.
The 1991 remake of "Cape Fear" (starring Robert DeNiro) is very nearly as good as this 1962 original. The remake features additional layers to the already-competent plot that add to the enjoyment of that picture.
However, I think that the original film still outshines the remake. The combination of Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, and Polly Bergen provides this film with a very good trio of actors to build a picture around.
I've always liked Polly Bergen in everything I've ever seen her in -- from her always-delightful and witty appearances on TV's "To Tell The Truth" game show, to this role in "Cape Fear", to her comedy roles as well.
Gregory Peck had a good calendar year of 1962. He made "Cape Fear", plus two other big-name films that same year: "How The West Was Won" and the incomparable "To Kill A Mockingbird". Not a bad year's work for any actor.
Keep an eye peeled for some other fine supporting players dotting the cast of "Cape Fear" -- like Telly Savalas, Martin Balsam, Edward Platt, and Will Wright. For Wright, who was in literally hundreds of TV shows and feature films, "Cape Fear" would mark his last movie appearance. He died on June 19, 1962, very shortly after this movie was filmed.
This excellent "Cape" DVD presentation comes to us via Universal Studios Home Video. The Region 1 (USA) disc was first streeted by Universal on September 18th, 2001. The '91 version of the film came out on DVD the exact same day, too.
This single-sided DVD isn't a "Special Collector's Edition" by name, but some really good bonus supplements adorn the disc nevertheless, including a satisfying Making-Of program, along with the Theatrical Trailer, a Photo Gallery, DVD-ROM features, plus some Cast-&-Crew text-only information and Production Notes.
The behind-the-scenes featurette ("The Making Of Cape Fear") runs for 28 minutes. This mini-documentary contains film clips and contemporary interviews with star Gregory Peck and the film's Director, J. Lee Thompson. These interview segments with Peck and Thompson must have been recorded just shortly before both of these men passed away. Mr. Thompson died on August 30, 2002; and just ten months later we lost the great talent of Mr. Peck (on June 12, 2003 -- which was a terrible month in this regard, with several big-name Hollywood stars slipping away from us during that very same month of June 2003).
The section of the disc labelled "Production Photographs" (the Photo Gallery) is a unique DVD bonus, in that it presents the Photo Gallery in an unusual fashion, with clips from the film mixed in with the still photographs. Portions of the chilling musical score are also utilized as a backdrop to the clips and photos. This "Gallery" of pictures and movie snippets is on a timed track (lasting 4:48), and the remote-control "pause" button has not been locked out, which enables the viewer to freeze any of the images for a longer look at them. Nicely-done bonus.
Some Additional DVD Specs.....................
> Video is 1.85:1 Widescreen (enhanced for 16x9 television monitors).
> Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English only).
> Subtitles in English and Spanish and French.
> Menus are static, silent, and simple.
> Sub-Menus provided for "Scenes", "Bonus Materials", and "Languages".
> Film length is a tad shy of 106 minutes.
> Paper insert is included, with a Scene Index for the 18 chapters on the DVD.
--------------------------------
"Cape Fear" (1962) should certainly keep any first-time watcher on pins and needles; and towards the end of the movie there will be no need for the bulk of your chair at all -- just the "edge" of the seat will be required. The film holds up very nicely the 23rd time it's viewed as well. A 'classic' always does.
The above words were spoken by a bloodied "Max Cady" in the original (1962) version of "Cape Fear", which is a suspense-filled masterpiece that remains one of my favorite movies of this genre. The film, which was known as "The Executioners" during the actual shooting of the picture (the title of the 1957 John D. MacDonald novel on which the movie was based), first appeared on American theater screens on April 12th, 1962.
That Max Cady is one scary dude! No doubt about that. Portrayed to perfection by 44-year-old Robert Mitchum, Cady is presented with full intensity in "Cape". We get the impression, and rightly so, that Mr. Cady is relentless in his pursuit of "Sam Bowden" and his family. Nothing is going to stop him. And Sam (Gregory Peck) knows this too.
Therefore, drastic measures are needed to fight this awesome menace. Watch and see how it suspensefully unfolds. Many memorable scenes await the viewer here -- scenes that look all the greater thanks to the handsome Anamorphic Widescreen print of the movie that has been encoded onto this DVD. The black-and-white photography looks solid as a rock on this disc.
As the film opens, we see a cigar-smoking Max Cady walking toward the courthouse to meet his "prey" (Bowden). Cady's self-assured gait and somewhat cocky manner, as we watch him leisurely making his way down the street, give us a good indication as to the kind of man Cady is. He leers lustfully at a couple of women who are leaving the courts building; and he shows us his self-absorbed demeanor when he walks right past a woman on a staircase who has just dropped one of the many books she is carrying (without Cady offering even a cursory glance of care or concern). These silent and subtle initial "Cady touches" in the James Webb screenplay provide the audience with a perfect "introduction" to Cady's character.
Bernard Herrmann composed the magnificent music score for the 1962 version of "Cape Fear"; and Mr. Herrmann's mood-enhancing themes greatly add to the atmosphere of the picture (as is always the case with any of his musical arrangements). Yet another stellar effort by Bernard H.
The 1991 remake of "Cape Fear" (starring Robert DeNiro) is very nearly as good as this 1962 original. The remake features additional layers to the already-competent plot that add to the enjoyment of that picture.
However, I think that the original film still outshines the remake. The combination of Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, and Polly Bergen provides this film with a very good trio of actors to build a picture around.
I've always liked Polly Bergen in everything I've ever seen her in -- from her always-delightful and witty appearances on TV's "To Tell The Truth" game show, to this role in "Cape Fear", to her comedy roles as well.
Gregory Peck had a good calendar year of 1962. He made "Cape Fear", plus two other big-name films that same year: "How The West Was Won" and the incomparable "To Kill A Mockingbird". Not a bad year's work for any actor.
Keep an eye peeled for some other fine supporting players dotting the cast of "Cape Fear" -- like Telly Savalas, Martin Balsam, Edward Platt, and Will Wright. For Wright, who was in literally hundreds of TV shows and feature films, "Cape Fear" would mark his last movie appearance. He died on June 19, 1962, very shortly after this movie was filmed.
This excellent "Cape" DVD presentation comes to us via Universal Studios Home Video. The Region 1 (USA) disc was first streeted by Universal on September 18th, 2001. The '91 version of the film came out on DVD the exact same day, too.
This single-sided DVD isn't a "Special Collector's Edition" by name, but some really good bonus supplements adorn the disc nevertheless, including a satisfying Making-Of program, along with the Theatrical Trailer, a Photo Gallery, DVD-ROM features, plus some Cast-&-Crew text-only information and Production Notes.
The behind-the-scenes featurette ("The Making Of Cape Fear") runs for 28 minutes. This mini-documentary contains film clips and contemporary interviews with star Gregory Peck and the film's Director, J. Lee Thompson. These interview segments with Peck and Thompson must have been recorded just shortly before both of these men passed away. Mr. Thompson died on August 30, 2002; and just ten months later we lost the great talent of Mr. Peck (on June 12, 2003 -- which was a terrible month in this regard, with several big-name Hollywood stars slipping away from us during that very same month of June 2003).
The section of the disc labelled "Production Photographs" (the Photo Gallery) is a unique DVD bonus, in that it presents the Photo Gallery in an unusual fashion, with clips from the film mixed in with the still photographs. Portions of the chilling musical score are also utilized as a backdrop to the clips and photos. This "Gallery" of pictures and movie snippets is on a timed track (lasting 4:48), and the remote-control "pause" button has not been locked out, which enables the viewer to freeze any of the images for a longer look at them. Nicely-done bonus.
Some Additional DVD Specs.....................
> Video is 1.85:1 Widescreen (enhanced for 16x9 television monitors).
> Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English only).
> Subtitles in English and Spanish and French.
> Menus are static, silent, and simple.
> Sub-Menus provided for "Scenes", "Bonus Materials", and "Languages".
> Film length is a tad shy of 106 minutes.
> Paper insert is included, with a Scene Index for the 18 chapters on the DVD.
--------------------------------
"Cape Fear" (1962) should certainly keep any first-time watcher on pins and needles; and towards the end of the movie there will be no need for the bulk of your chair at all -- just the "edge" of the seat will be required. The film holds up very nicely the 23rd time it's viewed as well. A 'classic' always does.
