Cape Fear is a 1962 American psychological thriller movie. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson and it was produced by Sy Bartlett. Cape Fear was released on April 12, 1962. It is adapted from the John D. MacDonald novel The Executioners. The movie is about an attorney who along with his family is stalked by a vengeful criminal who he had helped send to jail for rape. A remake of the movie was made by Martin Scorsese and was released in 1991.
The movie got positive reviews from critics. It has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Movie critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said that he liked the "tough, tight script" and the "steady and starkly sinister style" that the movie had to it. He finished his review by saying "this is really one of those shockers that provokes disgust and regret." Cady was ranked as #28 on the American Film Institute's list of top 50 movie villains of all time.