Cape Fear (1962 film)/Trivia

• Playing Against Type: Both Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, but more so Peck, who played a scumbag lawyer far removed from the actor's morally upstanding men he made a career of portraying.
  • Barrie Chase, a dancer who was primarily known for appearing alongside Fred Astaire in several TV specials, plays rape victim Diane in the original film.
• Enforced Method Acting: Inadvertently done, possibly. Disappointed because he couldn't get Hayley Mills for the role of Nancy, the director gave Lori Martin a hard time during filming, which probably resulted in her nailing every scene as the terrified, vulnerable girl.
• Throw It In: The scene with the egg was added by the director on the day of filming. Bergen's reactions to Mitchum rubbing the eggs on her was real. And the parts where he drags her through the house? That happened because several doors wouldn't open and he had to force his way through in order to keep the scene going (too bad it resulted in her incurring some genuine injuries as well).
• What Could Have Been: The director wanted Haley Mills for the part of Nancy.