CAPE FEAR (1962) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Gregory Peck, RARE
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
CAPE FEAR (1962) Original Vintage Movie Poster Daybill, RARE, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen & Martin Balsam, Directed by J. Lee Thompson is in Very Fine Condition. Movie Poster...
CAPE FEAR (1962) Original Vintage Movie Poster Daybill, RARE, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen & Martin Balsam, Directed by J. Lee Thompson is in Very Fine Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This Rare Original Daybill, Movie Poster is presented in Very Fine condition, 2 Daybill Folds as issued, colours are super-bright and highly saturated. Unused. Small amount of foxing on back with couple of spots showing through in white borders on front (see images). This poster would clean and linen back very well and present beautifully.
This original vintage Australian movie poster for Cape Fear (1962) is a collectible piece of classic Hollywood cinema memorabilia, featuring Gregory Peck in a gripping psychological thriller. The Australian daybill format is a distinctive addition to a collection of vintage film advertising, particularly for collectors interested in classic suspense movies, original cinema posters and the work of legendary Hollywood actors. Its colourful presentation makes it an appealing display piece for film enthusiasts, vintage poster collectors and admirers of 1960s cinema.
Movie Synopsis
Cape Fear (1962) is a tense psychological thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen and Martin Balsam. Based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald, the film explores revenge, fear and the vulnerability of a family threatened by a relentless criminal. With its ominous atmosphere and carefully escalating suspense, Cape Fear became one of the most memorable thrillers of its era.
The story centres on Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), a respected lawyer living with his wife, Peggy (Polly Bergen), and their teenage daughter, Nancy (Lori Martin), in a seemingly peaceful American town. Their comfortable existence is shattered when Max Cady (Robert Mitchum), a convicted criminal recently released from prison, arrives in the area. Cady holds Bowden responsible for his imprisonment and is determined to exact revenge on the man he believes helped put him behind bars.
Bowden initially attempts to handle the situation through legal channels, hoping that Cady's threatening behaviour will provide sufficient grounds for police intervention. However, Cady is calculating and manipulative. He operates just within the boundaries of the law, making it difficult for authorities to take decisive action. His persistent intimidation begins to undermine the Bowden family's sense of security, transforming everyday life into an atmosphere of constant anxiety.
As Cady's campaign intensifies, Bowden becomes increasingly desperate to protect his wife and daughter. His professional principles are tested as he considers whether conventional legal methods can stop a man who appears determined to destroy his family. The conflict becomes a battle of intelligence, nerve and moral judgement, with Cady exploiting the limitations of the justice system to maintain his advantage.
Robert Mitchum delivers a particularly chilling performance as Cady, creating a villain whose menace comes as much from his calm confidence as from his capacity for violence. Gregory Peck provides a compelling contrast as Bowden, a principled man forced into increasingly difficult decisions. Their performances give the film its central tension, while Polly Bergen and Martin Balsam contribute to the mounting sense of danger and uncertainty.
The screenplay was written by James R. Webb, with additional uncredited contributions associated with the film's development. The production makes effective use of shadows, unsettling compositions and carefully controlled pacing to sustain suspense. Bernard Herrmann's dramatic musical score adds another layer of tension, reinforcing the sense that danger may be present even during apparently quiet moments.
One of the film's most distinctive elements is its exploration of the conflict between personal responsibility and the law. Rather than relying solely on action, Cape Fear builds its impact through psychological pressure, intimidation and the gradual erosion of the family's peace of mind. Its treatment of revenge and the limits of legal protection helped establish its reputation as a classic thriller.
The 1962 film was later remade by Martin Scorsese in 1991, with Robert De Niro taking the role of Max Cady and Nick Nolte playing Sam Bowden. The original remains notable for Mitchum's unnerving performance and its restrained, suspenseful approach to storytelling. For collectors of original vintage movie posters, classic Hollywood memorabilia and Gregory Peck film collectibles, this Australian daybill represents a tangible connection to a landmark psychological thriller from the early 1960s.
To find out more about Cape Fear (1962) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes.
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).
FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.