Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

HotToastyRag Cape Fear would have been the perfect film to release after To Kill a Mockingbird. In this one, Gregory Peck plays a successful and honorable lawyer, but one of the men he prosecuted and helped put in jail seeks revenge after his release. As it was, Cape Fear was released in April 1962, and the film that won Greg his Oscar was released Christmas of that year. You might want to rent both of them for a Peck-fest weekend, but depending on your point of view, either one could be watched first.If you liked Robert Mitchum's frightening performance in Night of the Hunter, you'll love him in this. And if you like Gregory Peck in roles with lots of integrity, you'll find no obstacle in rooting for him and his family in Cape Fear. If you like both those actors, it's a shoe-in that you'll enjoy this scary flick, even if you end up watching it from behind a pillow.This is a pretty spooky flick, especially because Mitchum is so charming. The charming bad guys are the worst, because part of you really wants to root for them—until they do something really bad, that is. And if you watch Robert Mitchum movies, you know he can be very bad when he wants to be! Cape Fear is a very dark thriller, even by today's standards, but it's far less gruesome than the 1991 remake. If you prefer your scary movies to be a little on the tamer side, I suggest you stick with 1962's Cape Fear and leave the remake to the pros.Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, it's pretty scary and a little creepy, so I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

alexanderdavies-99382 This version of "Cape Fear" is vastly superior to the repellent 1991 film. The latter had to resort to displaying violence of the more horrendous kind in order to be noticed. This 1962 classic has opted for a more subtle, incisive approach and the film succeeds brilliantly. The dialogue, the suggestion of the evil things that Max Cady threatens to do, the direction and the acting all combine to make "Cape Fear" a disturbing and hard-hitting film. Robert Mitchum makes for a superb Max Cady - the way he watches every move of the lawyer he blames for having Cady serve 8 years in prison, the way Cady uses the law to his own advantage so as not to incriminate himself, enjoying all the misery and intimidation he unleashes upon his victims. Gregory Peck is well cast as the lawyer in question, eventually having to resort to dirty means in order to protect himself and his family. One of the most shocking scenes in "Cape Fear," is when the police find the young lady in her bedroom after Robert Mitchum has assaulted her. The very moment her face is turned in the direction of the viewers, Bernard Herrman's highly effective music score is suddenly used to heighten the scene's suspense. The rest of the scene is left to ones imagination as she recalls in part, what that evil man said to her....... J. Lee Thompson did a great job of directing the film by using low lighting and arched camera angles. Quite a daring film to make back in the early 1960s when Conservatism was rife in the United States. The sort of content to be found in "Cape Fear" would have caused some concern for the American Film Censors I would wager.

TheLittleSongbird Comparisons with this and the 1991 Martin Scorsese film are inevitable. Both are worth watching in their own way, but am of the general consensus that the 1962 film is superior.Scorsese's film may be slicker, bigger and with more character complexities and expansive themes. However, the 1962 film while more subtle in comparison is more chilling, more tense and more suspenseful with the much better portrayal of Max Cady. A brilliant film in all respects, and a near-masterpiece.The cinematography is eerily stark yet also beautiful, while there is clever use of light and shadows that enhances the suitably uncomfortable atmosphere and the sets handsome but also atmospheric. Bernard Hermann, responsible for penning some of the all-time great film scores ('Vertigo' and 'Psycho' being big examples), provides a score that's sometimes lush but often unsettlingly haunting that increasingly adds to the growing and intensifying dread deftly.'Cape Fear's' script is taut and thoughtful, while the story is a master class of the gripping, genuinely shocking and the tension-laden, showing that one doesn't need violence and swearing to make an impression. Not just the nail-biting stalking scenes, but also the bowling alley scene that shows wonderfully how sadistic a character Cady is and especially the ending that still sends up chills up the spine and a brilliant mix of sexual tension and knuckle quivering. The cracking of an egg touch is improvisation at its finest.J. Lee Thompson directs adroitly, especially in the use of light and shadow and how effectively he allows the tension and suspense to mount up. A good cast helps which the film has. Robert Mitchum's performance has been praised for very good reason, but it is easy to overlook everybody else. Found myself appreciating Gregory Peck's quietly confident and subtly heroic performance (that contrasts very well with Mitchum's Cady), and while Polly Bergen and Lori Martin don't have as much to do in roles that are nowhere near as meaty (the film's sole weak spot to me actually) but they still fare well regardless, Bergen being especially powerful at the end.It is Mitchum's film all the way though. Even when smooth and subtle, Mitchum disappears into the role and gives one of the most sadistic, downright scary and memorably vicious human monsters on film.All in all, a brilliant film that just falls shy of being a masterpiece. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Wuchak The original 1962 version of "Cape Fear" is the same basic story as Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake with slight changes: Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) gets out of prison after over 8 years and proceeds to harass Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) and his family (Polly Bergen and Lori Martin) because Bowden was instrumental in Cady's conviction. Telly Savalas (with hair) appears as the private detective that Bowden hires.While I prefer the 1991 version because it's more modern and compelling, not to mention in color, this version is worthwhile if you like the stars and can handle the style of old black & white movies. Peck is stalwart as the protagonist, as always.Mitchum plays Max Cady subtler than De Niro and he's just not as fascinating. De Niro's Cady steals the show and could've even been the protagonist if Scorsese had the gonads to take the movie in a completely different direction whereas Mitchum's Cady is mainly just annoying, until the last act, that is. As written and performed, De Niro's Cady has more dimension and mystique. In the first act he's almost the hero and you find yourself sorta rooting for him, at least until he turns decidedly diabolic. This isn't to say that Mitchum's Cady isn't effective; he's just outshined by De Niro's version.Barrie Chase plays a "party girl" that Cady (Mitchum) picks up at a bar. She's obviously infected by the "bad boy syndrome" in light of her statement to Cady (paraphrased): "I like you… (because) you're an animal – coarse, lustful and barbaric." Isn't that just so true to life? One highlight of the film is petite Lori Martin as Bowden's adorable daughter, Nancy. She was 14 during filming and wholly precious. Her last film was the trashy 1968 biker flick "The Angry Breed" wherein she was 20. After that, she only did a few more TV gigs before bowing out of acting altogether.Whereas the 1991 film is drama/thriller that morphs into almost slasher horror, this version is decidedly a drama with thriller elements. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as – like me – you like dramas and are prepped for such a picture. Unfortunately, the film seems padded as many scenes are unnecessarily long and could've been cut in half, not to mention the black & white photography limits its appeal.The film runs 105 minutes and was shot in Savannah, Georgia, and Ladd's Marina (near Stockton), CA.GRADE: B