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 whose family is stalked by a 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.