CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

vincentlynch-moonoi Overall, I think Gregory Peck is a better and more versatile actor than Robert Mitchum. But Mitchum was almost always very good, and here I believe he exceeds Peck. I would go so far as to say that this may be Robert Mitchum's masterpiece.But unlike a painting, a film masterpiece requires the efforts of many, and I must give equal credit to director J. Lee Thompson and screenwriter James Webb. They prepared the canvas and the paints, then Mitchum and Peck painted the picture.Peck as the lawyer-father whose family is threatened by Mitchum was perfect for the role, and plays the role to perfection. But it's Mitchum who steals the show. And what I admire most about this film is the director kept Mitchum's performance realistic and believable, instead of over-the-top, which would be a real temptation in a suspense film like this. And the reason it works better is that Mitchum seems even more calculating when things are kept more psychological than violent. That's not to say there's not violence here, but, for the most part, the suspense builds slowly to a violent (and logical) conclusion.For Mitchum's character, the task is to portray an obsession for revenge. AND Mitchum plays it as if his character knows everything will work out, he just has to plot things out carefully. On the other hand, Peck's character's motivation is the upstanding man having to go dirty to protect his family. He doesn't like it, but it's the only way he can accomplish his goal. Because he plays it deviously smart instead of violent, the role is more creepy.By halfway through the film we all know the outcome. The question is how will it all go down? Upon its release in 1962, this was a controversial film due to its sensationalism. Take the first murder scene by drowning...creepy. And, of course, the film is full of sexual tension as Mitchum stalks Peck's wife (well played by Polly Bergen), and even more so his teen-aged daughter (Lori Martin). And, perhaps I'm wrong, but in the scene where he is preparing to rape Polly Bergen, I could swear Mitchum had significantly more hair on his chest than in several earlier scenes. Very interesting.While I like this general type of suspense film, I would rarely give such a film more than a "7", but on the strength of Mitchum's and Peck's performance, this one gets an "8".

SnoopyStyle Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a southern defense lawyer. Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) gets out of prison after spending over 8 years for an attack on a young woman after Bowden intervened and testified against him. Cady starts harassing Sam, his wife Peggy and young daughter Nancy. Sam's friend police chief Mark Dutton (Martin Balsam) is powerless to stop him. On Mark's suggestion, Sam hires private detective Charlie Sievers (Telly Savalas). He can't get rid of his stalker culminating in a life-and-death struggle.Director J. Lee Thompson is able to bring a Hitchcockian style to the movie. Robert Mitchum is great at being creepy. It's a tense crime drama from start to finish. Gregory Peck is the proper gentleman being pushed to the limits. It has a steady dark tone that is unrelenting with a constant sinister dramatic score.

gavin6942 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.

MattyGibbs I have seen the 1991 remake of this on a number of occasions and so was interested to see how it fared against the original. Whilst not as violent or glossy as the remake this is a superior film due mainly to the acting ability of the cast. Robert Mitchum was a superb actor and genuinely chilling in this as the psychopathic Max Cady who wages war on the man who sent him down. Gregory Peck is a bit wooden but Polly Bergen is good as the mom and I preferred the more vulnerable Lori Martin to Juliette Lewis's 1991 version of the daughter. It's even got Terry Savalas in it for good measure. It is pretty much the same plot as the remake so you will know what's coming but this still manages to be an entertaining and tense ride from start to finish.