Were there attempts to censor 1962's Cape Fear?

Were there attempts to censor 1962's Cape Fear? - A Woman with a Clover Design Eyewear

Cape Fear (1962) was not only unusually violent for the time but the fact that the villain (Robert Mitchum) discusses the definitely underage daughter of the Greg Peck character in a sexual manner seems very extreme for the time and I can't think of a film from that era that dealt with these kinds of themes.

Were there any attempt to censor this film?



Best Answer

None that I can find regarding the actual movie*

Cape Fear is noteworthy for two reasons: Robert Mitchum’s iconic performance as terrifying psychopath Max Cady, and the shocking lack of censorship regarding the true nature of Cady’s crimes. In 1962 the walls of the Hays Office, which had presided over movie censorship since the ‘30s, were only beginning to crumble. Cape Fear marked a watershed moment for Hollywood; a few years earlier, it would have been impossible for a movie about a serial rapist and pedophile to exist without serious soft-pedaling, but this film is strikingly honest about Max Cady’s most despicable quality: he is a sexual predator of underage girls.

Source

The only reference to actual censorship is pre-production in that

In the source novel *The Executioners**, by John D. MacDonald, Cady was a soldier court-martialed and convicted on then Lieutenant Bowden's testimony for the brutal rape of a 14-year-old girl. The censors stepped in, banned the use of the word "rape", and stated that depicting Cady as a soldier reflected adversely on U.S. military personnel.[citation needed]

Wikipedia


*There were apparently no censorship issue for the US market but the UK did require some changes before providing a "rating".

Although the word "rape" was entirely removed from the script before shooting, the film still enraged the censors, who worried that "there was a continuous threat of sexual assault on a child." To accept the film, British censors required extensive editing and deleting of specific scenes. After making around 6 minutes of cuts, the film still nearly garnered a British X rating (meaning at the time, "Suitable for those aged 18 and older", not necessarily meaning there was sexually explicit or violent content).




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Which version of Cape Fear is better?

It should be noted both takes on Cape Fear are great with the films being tense, stylish thrillers with some fantastic performances. When it comes to sheer intensity, however, Cape Fear 1991 comes out on top.

What is the message of Cape Fear?

Cape Fear is a story about justice\u2014but not in the way Max sets out for it to be. It's about the perils of false prophets, and the tests we are put through when we contradict the system of morals we set up for ourselves in a post-religious society.

Are there two Cape Fear movies?

The novel has been adapted to the big screen twice as Cape Fear: once in 1962, by J. Lee Thompson, and again in 1991 by the great Martin Scorsese.

Is the movie Cape Fear Based on a true story?

Only the slightest. The 1962 film \u201cCape Fear\u201d (which was remade in 1991 by Martin Scorsese) was based on the 1957 novel \u201cThe Executioners\u201d by John D. MacDonald. The book is set in the fictional town of \u201cNew Essex,\u201d in what appears to be central Florida, where MacDonald was living at the time.



Martian Through Georgia (1962) Original Uncensored Version VS CN Censored Version comparison




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