Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), his wife Peggy (Polly Bergen), and their 14-year-old daughter Nancy (Lori Martin) are stalked and threatened by Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), an ex-con whom Sam helped send to prison.
Cape Fear is based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by American author John D. MacDonald (1916-1986). The novel was adapted for the movie by James R. Webb. A remake, also titled Cape Fear (1991), was released in 1991.
Cape Fear is a reference to the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. The Bowdens have a houseboat on the river, which is where their final showdown with Cady takes place. Also, the use of the word "fear" foreshadows what Candy will do to Sam Bosch and his family.
Sam was a witness to Cady beating a girl in a parking lot in Baltimore about eight years earlier. Cady holds Sam responsible for testifying against him and sending him to prison.
One day back in town, and Cady was already stalking them, planning to somehow get even.
Marilyn (the dog) was poisoned with strychnine, a neurotoxin once commonly used in rat poison. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and usually results in asphyxia due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
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- How long is Cape Fear?1 hour and 46 minutes
- When was Cape Fear released?June 15, 1962
- What is the IMDb rating of Cape Fear?7.7 out of 10
- Who stars in Cape Fear?
- Who wrote Cape Fear?
- Who directed Cape Fear?
- Who was the composer for Cape Fear?
- Who was the producer of Cape Fear?
- Who was the cinematographer for Cape Fear?
- Who was the editor of Cape Fear?
- Who are the characters in Cape Fear?Sam Bowden, Max Cady, Leigh Bowden, Danielle Bowden, Police Chief Mark Dutton, Private Detective Charles Sievers, and Diane Taylor
- What is the plot of Cape Fear?A lawyer's family is stalked by a man he once helped put in jail.
- What was the budget for Cape Fear?$3 million
- What is Cape Fear rated?Passed
- What genre is Cape Fear?Drama and Thriller
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