Gregory Peck, Jack Kruschen, Lori Martin

A released convict decides to menace and wreak havoc on the family of his defense lawyer because he is of the firm belief that the latter raliroaded him by not presenting crucial evidence during the t...( read more  read more... )rial.

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82% liked it

4,375 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

20 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: J. Lee Thompson

Release Date: April 18, 1962

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DVD Release Date: September 18, 2001

Stats: 537 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (537)


  • April 27, 2009
    A lawyer finds his family terrorized by a brutal woman hating sociopath who blames him for sending him to jail for 8 years. Gregory Peck was the perfect casting choice as the morally upstanding husband and father who finds he must question his principles when the law fails to pro...( read more)tect them from such a wily and dangerous predator. But it is Mitchum on top form who steals the film and brings a real sense of underlying menace to his character; the scenes he shares with Peck crackle with tension. There's also some strong support from the ever reliable Martin Balsam and Telly Savalas (sporting a full head of hair!) and the family scenes are refreshingly syrup free. With a very memorable score and great showdown featuring a classic closing speech, this is far better than the uncharacteristically crass Martin Scorsese remake.
  • April 30, 2008
    Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum are face to face, pound to pound in this thrilling and terrifying noir with a great score by Bernard Herrmann
  • January 6, 2008
    A creepy film about a released criminal who stalks the lawyer who had him put away. Robert Mitchum is chilling as the scary yet somehow charming Cady, and Gregory Peck plays the lawyer. The scenes where Cady is stalking the lawyer's wife and daughter is particularly unsettling. B...( read more)etter keep the lights on.
  • July 1, 2007
    Certainly wasn't expecting this to that great, seeing as Cape Fear (The remake) is one of my favourite films, but I really enjoyed it.

    It was inevitable to compare the two and I still prefer the newer version, but was very impressed by Robert Mitcham in this, not quite so im...( read more)pressed with Gregory Peck. There were variations in the story, which was good as it meant that it wasn't quite so predictable.
  • June 19, 2007
    bloody creepy! a thriller with as much foreboding as a horror! robert mitchum is one scary dude as the bad guy. holy cow... he is an animal. nothing you can do about him! he's even scaring me now just by thinking about him. there were some very interesting camera movements, shots...( read more) and tricks at points throughout to enhance the mood... and they were even better considering this was done in 1962. the music score was also aptly made for a total nerve jangling experience. scary stuff with a brilliant finale
  • October 25, 2009
    The cast is amazing in this outstanding thriller. Robert Mitchum is at his best and gives one of his finest performances. It is better than the 1991 remake. Great suspense, well edited, great score. It is never slow moving, Excellent.
  • October 21, 2009
    Looks like Hitchcock, sounds like Hitchcock (b.Herrmann) but isn't still great.
  • September 18, 2009
    A great and cruel crime cult classic, better than Scorsese's remake.

    83/100
  • September 8, 2009
    I enjoyed this original and the remake was very well done.
  • August 20, 2009
    good & intense... Gregory Peck & Robert Mitchum were fantastic...

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • zembie
    January 15, 2008
    Some of those plot "writers" really need to get their head out of their asses

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