"A lawyer's family is stalked by a man he once helped put in jail." That was this very website's official synopsis for the film. And guess what. There really isn't a whole lot past the very written down narrative on screen.There is the fact a lot of scenes, perhaps three to four maybe five are totally unrealistic and help install a feeling of fictional cinematic experience rather than the atmosphere of poignant vivid suspense-driven thriller film than this Gregory Peck starring production promotes itself as being.There is a feeling of inevitability and predictability in how the developments occur, and this from the start to the very end.It holds up alright besides those points, but makes for too thick and unsubtle a viewing overall, and that can't be overlooked.

The scariest thing there is is the unpredictable, the unknown. I'm getting political for a second because I am beginning to see this as an eventuality for our country in the coming year. All that aside, in his role as Max Candy, Robert Mitchum becomes about as Satanic as one can be. He is always out there. Because he commits no specific acts, Gregory Peck's character cannot do anything. The police are forced to be on Cady's side. He becomes the persecuted. As time goes on the family constantly under surveillance and threat. It's not what happens; it's what is going to happen to them. These are common people who don't have the means to protect themselves. Mitchum's very appearance is threatening, a kind of smiling, "you don't know what I'm thinking" kind of monster. This is great casting. Peck plays the everyman. His daughter is pretty and the target of unnamed threats. Polly Bergen is the maternal one. A really scary film.

A lawyer (Gregory Peck)'s family is stalked by a man (Robert Mitchum) he once helped put in jail.This may be one of the greatest thrillers of all time. And why not? You have Mitchum, who is great at playing dark and evil characters. This one is by far his darkest and most evil. And then you have Gregory Peck, who is best known for playing upstanding citizens, most notably Atticus Finch. So seeing him as the hero is easy.And then you have a story that goes above and beyond. This was 1962, and movies were relatively tame by the standards of today (2015). But not this one. Threats of murder, blackmail, rape... this is a vicious movie that is legitimately scary, and not in the campy way that a lot of early thrillers now are.

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