Cape Fear (1962): Robert Mitchum’s Straw Hat and Striped Tee as Max Cady

Robert Mitchum as Max Cady in Cape Fear (1962) Vitals Robert Mitchum as Max Cady, psychopathic ex-convict Southeast Georgia, Summer 1962 Film: Cape Fear Release Date: June 15, 1962 Director: J. Lee Thompson Costume Designer: Mary Wills WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background With the latest adaptation of Cape Fear earning strong reviews on Apple TV+, let’s look back to the release of the original film sixty-four years ago today on June 15, 1962. Adapted from John D. MacDonald’s suspense novel The Executioners, the first Cape Fear stars Gregory Peck as Southern attorney Sam Bowden and Robert Mitchum in a chilling performance as Max Cady, a psychotic ex-convict who, upon his release after serving eight years for sexual assault, sets out to exact revenge on the man he believes responsible for his incarceration. Director J. Lee Thompson cited Alfred Hitchcock as a major influence on Cape Fear, which was photographed in black-and-white to heighten its atmosphere of dread and suspense. Much of…