My Name is Jason Lockard and as an independent filmmaker…. I love films that are driven by thrills. There is nothing in the world like going on the roller coaster ride of a thriller! Now this month I’m uncovering one of the thriller of thrillers!

We as a society love to be frightened; that’s why tales of the macabre score so high at the box office, even if the stories are less than stellar! While the tales can be terrifying these menacing tales would be nothing without the psychotic characters that drive these films! Whether it's the creepy mama's boy Norman Bates from Hitchcock's classic Psycho, the nightmarish Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs or The sinister “Other Brother” in The "Original" Texas Chainsaw Massacre these character haunt our memories!

In 1962 Universal Pictures released Cape Fear is film adapted from a John D. MacDonald novel entitled The Executioners. The story revolves around a North Carolina attorney Sam Bowden [Gregory Peck] whose family is stalked by a criminal offender Max Cady whom he helped to send to jail. Originally the studio wanted Gregory Peck [who was originally just going to produce the film] to play the villain, but he felt the audience would not accept him as the villain, so he instead took the role of the hero. After Peck’s declining the role of Cady, director J. Lee Thompson had a monumental task on his hands, trying to find the man to play the role of the psychotic Max Cady. His thoughts immediately went to Robert Mitchum because of his performance as Harry Powell in 1955’s Night of the Hunter! After reaching out to Mitchum he declined, so Thompson and Peck sent Mitchum a bottle of bourbon. A couple of days later, Mitchum sent a telegraph to Thompson, which read: "I've had your bourbon. I'm drunk. I'll do it." Robert Mitchum who is known for his roles in classic such as El Dorado, Heaven, Knows Mr. Allison and The Longest Day smashes this role as Max Cady out of the park!

J. Lee Thompson went on to get Polly Bergen to play Sam’s the victimized wife Peggy and he wanted Disney’s princess Hayley Mills [Parent Trap, Pollyanna] to play the daughter, but she was under exclusive contract with Disney and was unable to do so, so the role went to Lori Martin, but she plays the terrified teen to a tee. It was reported that Mitchum was so believable in this roles as Cady that Lori had nightmares for weeks after filming the scenes where she is menaced by Cady at school and when he confronts her in a cabin.

Cape Fear is elegantly shot with unique lighting and the eerie musical score that enhances the film to heights rarely seen in film! Max Cady sent to prison spends his sentence studying law while behind bars, his only intent was to gather knowledge, so he could torment Sam Bowden and his family. Than when he is released from prison after serving his eight year sentence he begins his elaborate plan to seek his revenge and chooses to rape Sam’s wife on their boat. Polly Bergen plays the role of the horrified victim so well you almost feel like screaming for help! It's hard to believe that the scene where Mitchum attacks Polly Bergen's character on the houseboat was almost completely improvised. Before the scene was filmed, the director suddenly told a crew member: "Bring me a dish of eggs!" Mitchum rubbing the eggs on Bergen was not scripted and Bergen's reactions were real. She also suffered back injuries from being knocked around so much. She felt the impact of the "attack" for days.

Cape Fear takes you on a roller coaster ride and the film reaches a fever pitch to the fantastic and thrilling finale! This film was a precursor to the thriller films of today.

Although the film never used the term rape in 1962 the film enraged the censors so much the producers edited the film because of the threat of sexual assault on a child! After 161 edits in the film it still almost receive an X Rating from the Ratings Board! In April 2007, Newsweek selected Robert Mitchum's character Max Cady as one of the ten best villains in cinema history. Cape Fear understandably so received #36 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Moments for its famous scene where Cady attacks Sam's family. Cape Fear remains as one of those films that after you watch it you don't easily shake it from your mind!

While Robert De Niro reprised Mitchum’s role of Cady in Scorsese’s 1991 remake of Cape Fear and did an good job as the eerie Max Cady, Mitchum is the definitive maniacal Max Cady!

So if your in the mood for a suspenseful evening or just want to discover a classic check out Cape Fear! Until next time remember if you want to watch a good film? Go to your local video store or Netflix and check out a classic!

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Moral Rating: Violence and Rape
Audience: Adults
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Length: 107 min.
Released: 1962
Our Rating: A