Hollywood is not an easy place to make a name for yourself. However, over the years, there have been several iconic roles that, upon watching, often make us wonder why the actors did not receive the recognition they deserved despite their jaw-dropping performances.
There are several such examples to begin with. Remember Orson Welles‘ portrayal of Charles Foster Kane in ‘Citizen Kane‘? Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street‘? What about Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in ‘Taxi Driver‘? The examples are countless, and among them, Robert Mitchum‘s role as Max Cady in ‘Cape Fear‘ often flies below the radar. This is something that even Gregory Peck, an Oscar winner himself and one of the most renowned Golden Age superstars, once admitted.
The Real Reason Gregory Peck Chose Robert Mitchum for ‘Cape Fear’
You see, even four decades after the release of ‘Cape Fear‘ in 1962, a movie that tested Peck both as a producer and an actor, he continued to speak highly of it. In several interviews later in his career, he explained why he chose Mitchum to play the dangerous, deranged ex-convict Max Cady opposite his own character, lawyer Sam Bowden. Peck also later shared how he felt about Mitchum, who famously claimed he “acted Gregory Peck off the screen.”
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After finishing filming ‘The Guns of Navarone,‘ Peck bought the rights to John D. MacDonald’s novel ‘The Executioners,’ before renaming the film ‘Cape Fear.’ He set it up under his own company (Melville Productions) and brought in director J.Lee Thompson to helm the project. Although the director and protagonist were already decided, Mitchum was initially not supposed to play the infamous villain. At first, actors like Telly Savalas were considered for the role of Cady, but Peck wanted someone stronger. He was looking for someone who could make the character more terrifying and intense, someone who could give him a hard battle on-screen in terms of acting.
The Dramatic Story Behind Robert Mitchum’s Casting in ‘Cape Fear’
Peck elaborated on why he wanted Mitchum to star opposite him. He recalled, “I thought of Mitchum because I remembered ‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955). I knew what Bob was capable of doing in a good part.”
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Many don’t know that Mitchum initially turned down the role, as he was tired of working on several films in a row. But Peck and Thompson were so persuasive that they were not willing to take no for an answer. So what did they do to make him agree? They sent flowers and a case of bourbon to his door. Gladly it worked, as Mitchum’s reply is now considered a part of Hollywood legend: “Ok, I have drunk your bourbon. I’m drunk. I’ll do it.“
Gregory Peck’s Honest Response to Mitchum’s Boast
In the end, as we all know now, Peck’s choice paid off. Mitchum made Cady deeply unsettling in the worst possible way, and every time he appeared on screen, he never failed to hold attention. Bernard Herrmann’s music and the black and white cinematography made it even darker. Peck also praised Mitchum’s work by saying, “I thought ‘Cape Fear’ was quite good, quite tight. As for what made it so frightening, that was Bob Mitchum. He was so excellent. He was reptilian and subtle and very threatening.”
But soon, the on-screen animosity turned to real-life tension between the two stars. Peck liked to prepare carefully for his roles, whereas Mitchum relied more on instinct and went with the flow. However, it was not just their different acting styles that led to a real-life heat. It was more of Mitchum’s ignorance and blunt confidence. After the film, he reportedly said in interviews that he had performed better than Peck in every scene.
Peck, however, did not take kindly to that. “I had given him the role and had paid him a terrific amount of money,” he later said. “It was obvious he had the better role. I thought he would understand that, but he apparently thought he acted me off the screen. I didn’t think highly of him for that.“
Even so, he never denied Mitchum’s talent. In private, he sometimes called ‘Cape Fear‘ Mitchum’s film, and said it was one of his best performances. Over time, the film grew in reputation, so much so that Martin Scorsese decided to remake it with Robert De Niro a few years later, with Peck himself appearing in a small role.
For Peck, though, it showed that sometimes the right choice is to work with someone powerful on screen, even if it means they might take the spotlight.
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