Cape Fear (1962) – Transcript

Cape Fear (1962)
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Screenplay: James R. Webb
Based on: The Executioners by John D. MacDonald
Release date: June 15, 1962
Stars: Gregory Peck (Sam Bowden), Robert Mitchum (Max Cady), Polly Bergen (Peggy Bowden), Lori Martin (Nancy Bowden), Martin Balsam (Mark Dutton), Jack Kruschen (Dave Grafton), Telly Savalas (Charlie Sievers), Barrie Chase (Diane Taylor), Paul Comi (Garner), Page Slattery (Deputy Kersek), Will Wright (Dr. Pearsell).

Plot: In Southeast Georgia, Max Cady is released from prison after serving an eight-year sentence for rape. He promptly tracks down Sam Bowden, an attorney whom he holds personally responsible for his conviction because Bowden interrupted his attack and testified against him. Cady begins to stalk and subtly threaten Bowden’s family, including his wife, Peggy, and 14-year-old daughter, Nancy. He kills the family dog, though Bowden cannot prove that Cady did it. Police chief Mark Dutton has his officers harass Cady, but when Cady retains an attorney and threatens to sue the department, he tells Bowden that nothing more can be done without proof of a crime.

Bowden hires private investigator Charlie Sievers, who tracks down a girl named Diane Taylor whom Cady had raped and beaten. Fearing public humiliation, Taylor refuses Bowden’s plea to file charges against Cady and skips town. While Nancy is waiting in a car one day, Cady appears and frightens her; Nancy runs into traffic and is nearly killed. After failing to bribe Cady to leave town, Bowden hires three men to beat Cady, but the latter turns the tables and forces one of the men to confess Bowden’s actions to the police. Cady’s attorney has Bowden’s law license suspended and applies to have him disbarred.

Fearing for Peggy’s and Nancy’s safety, Bowden takes them to their houseboat and cabin in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. He then pretends to fly to Atlanta for his disbarment hearing, while Sievers lures Cady to the boat where Bowden is waiting in secret with a gun and a county deputy, Kersek. Cady sneaks undetected onto the riverbed and drowns Kersek. Eluding Bowden and setting the houseboat adrift down the current, Cady assaults Peggy and draws Bowden in to save her before jumping ashore to rape Nancy. Bowden realizes what has happened and also swims ashore.

The two men engage in a final fight on the riverbank. Bowden manages to retrieve his gun, which he had dropped, and shoots Cady, wounding and incapacitating him. Cady tells Bowden to “go ahead” and kill him, but Bowden decides to do what Cady earlier told him would be unbearable — put him in prison for the rest of his life, to “count the years, the months, the hours until the day you rot.” In the morning light, the Bowden family are together on a boat, heading safely downriver with police.

* * *

Transcript

Note for Students & Writers: This transcript is archived here for educational purposes, critical analysis, and screenwriting study. All rights belong to the original creators.

Hey, daddy, where does Sam Bowden hang out?

In there, sir.

Court is about over, I think.

SAM: Oh, no, Your Honor.

This would make the third adjournment of this case always due to the illness of some defense witness.

Now, granted that this witness is ill, the defense still has 11 important witnesses able to testify while the plaintiff has but one.

I submit that 11 against one should be enough.

No matter how sickly and decrepit those 11 happen to be.

(JURORS CHUCKLE)

Opposing counsel will please come closer to the bench so that we can discuss this more privately.

Now, Sam, you know this courtroom gets like an oven.

You want a hostile jury on your hands?

Let’s put it over till fall and everybody’ll be happy.

Everybody except my client.

He has money due, and he’s badly in need of it.

More important, my chief witness is quite an old man.

He might not be alive next fall.

JUDGE: Motion for adjournment is denied.

Since it is now after 4:00, this trial will resume Monday morning.

Thank you.

Hello, counselor. Remember me?

Baltimore.

Eight years, four months and 13 days ago.

Becoming any clearer now, counselor?

Cady. Max Cady.

Good. I wouldn’t wanna think you’d forgotten me.

What do you want?

You didn’t remember me right off, did you?

Well, I guess I’ve changed a little.

Where I’ve been, if you don’t change, they’re real disappointed.

You haven’t changed a bit. And you know something?

That’s just the way I wanted it.

I wanted you to be just the way you were the last time I saw you.

All right, you’ve seen me. What’s the rest?

No rest. Just wanted to give you the word.

Just wanted you to get the picture, that’s all.

Give me the keys.

Why not?

Now let me get this straight.

You’re not still blaming me for what you did?

(LAUGHING)

You still don’t get the picture, do you, counselor?

Well, I can see this is gonna take a little time. A lot of time.

Hey, look at that, would ya?

Look at that wiggle.

Maybe she thinks we don’t know that’s on purpose, but we’ve seen a thing or two, haven’t we, counselor?

You ought to be an expert on such things, counselor.

I hear you got ya a good-lookin’ wife and a daughter who’s gonna be just like her.

Give my love to the family, counselor. Be seein’ you.

(DOG BARKING)

Well, anyway, you’re 10 minutes late.

It’s a mistake to teach women how to tell time.

They always use it against you.

Please don’t be long, Dad.

I asked Betty to bowl with us.

Betty? Isn’t that that “utterly rancid little thing” that you detest with every fiber of your being?

That was last week. This week they’re inseparable.

(EXCLAIMING)

Think I’ll just sit here and keep score.

Cheat.

Beer.

Okay.

Here you go.

You’re kind of fast on your feet, ain’t you?

Oh, you have to be around here.

That, that ring mean anything?

Yeah, it means plenty.

Does that mean anything?

(LAUGHS)

NANCY: Dad, you’re slipping.

Usually, you would have said the pin moved.

It did.

Nice shot.

Don’t mind me, counselor.

I’m just getting a gander at the rest of your family.

Yeah, you’re a lucky man.

Did you see my strike, Daddy?

Did you? Oh.

Police Department.

Chief Dutton, please.

Chief Dutton? He’s probably left, but I’ll try.

(RINGING)

Chief Dutton.

Mark, Sam Bowden.

Well, hello, Sam.

Mind if I drop over for a minute this evening?

Not at all, Sam. You know the house.

Yes, I know it. Thanks, Mark.

Right.

What’s on your mind, Sam?

There’s an ex-convict in town, name of Max Cady.

Thanks.

I think he’s starting a war of nerves with me.

I hope it’s only that.

Has he threatened you?

No, nothing that would hold in court.

You have to know him to feel the threat.

He stopped me this afternoon after court and he showed up again this evening at the bowling center.

He followed me.

Well, why?

I was up in Baltimore about eight years ago, on a case.

One night, I was walking back to my hotel quite late.

I heard a kind of a commotion in the rear of a dark parking lot.

It sounded like someone whimpering.

I ran over.

A girl was being attacked.

I grappled with the man, she suddenly got her breath back and started screaming at the top of her voice.

When he saw the police, he went completely berserk.

Put the girl in the hospital for over a month.

And that was Max Cady.

Later on, I had to go back up and appear against him as a witness.

You feel sure that he blames you personally?

That was perfectly clear at the trial.

I thought it was strange when he showed up here this afternoon, but I wasn’t really worried until I saw him at the bowling center.

It was the way he looked at my family.

All ex-cons are required to register on arrival in a new town.

Sergeant, this is Dutton.

There’s an ex-con named Max Cady.

Hold on. How do you spell that, Sam?

C-ADY.

C-ADY. Has he registered here in the last few days?

Chances are he hasn’t done it.

We can run him out of town on that.

Thanks, Sergeant. Hold on. He’s smart. Registered yesterday.

What address did he give?

I see. Switch me to Lieutenant Gervasi.

The address is over at the dock area.

It sounds like he’s short of dough.

We can get him on vagrancy.

Pete? Pete, I want a pickup on Max Cady.

Registration has the description.

Fine. You call me back, you hear?

Thanks, Mark.

My family’s home alone. I better be going.

You have a dog, don’t you, Sam?

She couldn’t bite through a donut, but she’s a good barker.

That’s good enough. I’ll call you when they pick him up.

I hope I haven’t put you to all this trouble for nothing.

Well, Sam, I hope it is for nothing.

Good night.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

You’re Max Cady?

Well, I could be. What’s your problem?

We wanna talk to you outside.

You start reachin’ for those, you better call for the riot squad, man.

I don’t mind a little talk, I just don’t like being pawed, you know.

I’ll come back for the change later.

I’m gonna give you just one hour to get rid of your friends.

Are you trying to pick me up?

Yes.

Yeah.

Now you know I’m not drunk. But I’m a cooperative guy.

Here. See that card? John W. Moss, M. D.

If you wanna give me an intoxication test, bring that gentleman down here.

I didn’t spend eight years in the can studying law for nothin’.

I’ve got a legal right to be examined by my own physician, or didn’t you boys know that?

Well, never mind. You’ll be sober enough when you leave here anyway.

Thank you.

Come on in.

Well, well, well.

We seem to be seeing quite a bit of each other today.

Let’s strip down to your shorts, Cady.

Right.

I suppose you thought I was going to object to a strip search, didn’t you, Chief?

No, siree, not me.

Like I said, I’m a cooperative guy.

Hey, you better check that shirt.

I got a couple of jolts of horse stashed under the collar.

Let’s make with the pants.

Comin’ up. Comin’ up, Chief.

What are you doin’ in our town?

Well, they told me it was a pleasant climate, plenty of boatin’ on the river, a lot of fine, stand-up citizens like our friend here, the counselor.

I figured it may be just the place for me.

How much money have you got?

Well, here’s my wallet. Why don’t you check for yourself, Chief?

$7.

Well, now, that’s just not enough, Cady.

I’m charging you with vagrancy unless you’re 100 miles away from here by morning.

Would you look just a little harder, please, Chief, sir?

Little black bank book in there. Read what that says.

This one? That’s it.

Well, $5,400. Where’d you get it?

You notice it’s in a bank right here and deposited this very day.

You saw that, didn’t you, Chief, sir?

I asked you where you got it, boy!

Well, now, that could be my business, couldn’t it?

Would you advise me to answer a question like that, counselor?

You’d be wise to answer it.

That’s the kind of advice I like because, like I said, I’m a cooperative guy.

Now, you check with the escrow officer in the First National Bank in Baltimore, Maryland, and he’d be happy to tell you exactly where that money come from.

Anything?

OFFICER: Nothing, Chief.

Come on, Sam.

“Come on, Sam”?

(CHUCKLES)

Y’all kind of friendly, ain’t you?

Nice, tight little corporation.

“Mark, old buddy, I don’t like that man’s face.

“Throw him out of town.”

“Why, certainly, Sam. Anything to oblige you.”

Well, I’m gonna tell you something, mister.

You’re gonna be old and gray before I ever leave this town.

I’ll give you a warning.

Stay off my property.

Day or night.

(LAUGHING)

(DOG BARKING)

(RINGS)

Hello.

Sorry I couldn’t phone you sooner, but I was out on a case.

Anyway, I got hold of the escrow officer out at his home early.

Cady sold the old family farm for $5,900, net.

He’s in the clear, Sam.

When are you going to release him?

I’ve already done it.

A couple of hours ago.

Hold on, Mark. What’s going on with Marilyn?

I don’t know. I can’t see her in the bushes.

Where’s your mother?

In the kitchen, I think.

You still there, Sam?

Yes, Mark.

Just remember that there are legal ways to convince Mr. Cady that this can be a pretty poor place to live in.

We’ll do all we can.

I don’t have to tell you to keep your eyes open.

You can bank on that.

Thanks, Mark.

(MARILYN WHIMPERING)

Marilyn stopped barking. Maybe she caught a rabbit.

You know that Marilyn never caught a rabbit in her life.

If she did, do you suppose she’d eat it?

She doesn’t know that rabbits are to eat.

Sam! Sam! Sam!

Sam, come quick!

It’s Marilyn! She’s having a fit!

Get the car started.

(WHIMPERING)

Dad, what’s the matter with her?

Dad, what’s the matter? What’s the matter, Marilyn?

Oh, Dad, what’s the matter?

Open the door. I’ll get in the back.

You get in the front.

Maybe we better not take her.

She can’t stay here.

Ten-to-one it was strychnine, Sam.

You couldn’t have saved her if you’d been twice as quick.

To me, it’s the same as murdering a human.

It’s a shame Nancy had to see it.

She was meant to see it.

Well, thanks, Doctor.

Don’t let Daddy see you like this.

But this is when I always feed her.

I’d like to speak to both of you.

I’m not telling you this to frighten you, but I want you to be careful and I think you’re old enough to be told why.

Eight years ago, I was a witness against a man, and he was sent to prison.

And the thing is he’s out now and blames me for his conviction.

He’s the one that poisoned Marilyn.

Maybe. But there’s no proof of that.

But you know he did.

Thinking isn’t knowing. Just be careful.

This is a big man.

He has dark hair. He smokes cigars and usually wears a Panama hat.

I’ll get you a police photograph of him.

Until we have this thing under control, I want you never to leave this house or the school grounds, except in your mother’s car.

There’s nothing to worry about as long as you’re careful.

The police are going to keep a very close watch on the house and the chances are that he’s just trying to scare us anyway.

PEGGY: A man like that doesn’t deserve civil rights.

SAM: ‘Cause you know, you can’t put a man in jail for what he might do.

And thank heaven for that.

PEGGY: Do you think we should go away for a while?

Take Nancy out of school?

SAM: I did think of that.

But Cady can afford to go anyplace we can go.

PEGGY: What are we going to do about that man?

SAM: I don’t know yet. I know one thing.

We mustn’t let him frighten us.

That’ll be just playing his game.

Sam?

(GASPS)

(EXHALES)

(DOOR CLOSES)

What are you doing down here?

I was hungry, and I heard Dad.

Where is he?

He’s talking to a policeman.

Probably just drove along the alley and tossed the meat out.

Hmm.

Well, thanks for coming by.

You bet. Good night. Good night.

Sam. Don’t you ever do that to me again.

SAM: What were your physical findings, Dr. Pearsall?

PEARSALL: Physical findings were a one-inch shortening of the left leg.

SAM: And the X-ray?

PEARSALL: The X-ray revealed that though the fracture healed, there was marked indication of degenerative joint disease.

And by “degenerative joint disease” you mean arthritis?

Yes.

And what was your diagnosis?

Diagnosis was hip fracture with destruction of the joint surfaces, which caused the pain and restriction of motion.

You then performed surgery upon the plaintiff?

Yes.

I have a model here, which should make the operation easy for the jury to understand.

What is it?

Chief Dutton wants to see you in his office.

Right now? Right now.

Your Honor, may I be excused for a few minutes?

Mr. Garner will continue the questioning.

Permission granted.

Keep him on as long as you can. The jury likes him.

DUTTON: Oh, yes. Yes, it is clear to me.

That’s fine if you wanna handle it that way.

All right, then you tell the county it’s their case, that’s all.

Sam, I’m sorry to pull you out like this, but this could be serious, for both of us.

Your friend Cady turned up with Dave Grafton.

Oh, that’s it.

Well, he got himself the right man.

Not for us.

You know what he’s like. He’s one of these ardent types.

You slap a cigarette out of some hoodlum’s mouth, five minutes later, he’s down in the mayor’s office yelling police brutality, rallying the bleeding heart squad.

Hello, Dave.

Good morning, Sam.

Say, I hope you haven’t come down here to dispute me on any technicalities.

No, I’m here as a citizen, not as a lawyer.

Don’t worry about technicalities.

Thank you, very kindly.

First, let me say that my client does not wanna make any trouble.

He merely wants to put an end to this persecution.

What persecution is this?

Well, I believe your records will show the following.

Detention in jail last Friday night.

Oh, I agree that you were technically within your rights.

I merely mention this as the beginning of a pattern.

What pattern?

Oh, I intend to establish this pattern.

On Saturday, Mr. Cady’s room was searched, his car was searched.

Did he protest the search?

During this time, my client was made to feel he was suspected of poisoning a dog.

A truly despicable act, causing serious damage to his reputation!

Now hold on right there.

I can guarantee you that none of my officers mentioned this to anyone but Cady.

Perhaps.

But people do become curious when a citizen’s room is searched by the police.

Now, on Monday, my client was picked up and interrogated by the police on suspicion of armed robbery.

On Tuesday, my client was forced to stand in a lineup on suspicion of purse-snatching.

This constant attention by the police caused his landlady to ask him to vacate the premises.

He was forced to find other, more expensive lodgings.

All right, what are you getting at? What’s the point?

Don’t the police have a right to interrogate a suspect anymore?

Sam, you know, if anybody had told me a week ago that you were capable of a remark like that…

Let me continue with the pattern.

On Wednesday, he was picked up twice.

First on suspicion of burglary, second on suspicion of grand theft auto.

His new landlord become aware of this, in some manner, and, again, Mr. Cady was forced to move.

His present lodgings are squalid and uncomfortable.

Well, today is Thursday. You must be about finished.

For the moment, yes.

Then what is this pattern you’re talking about?

Well, I’m sure that Mr. Bowden here is still enough of a lawyer to see it.

My client is an ex-convict.

He’s been constantly harassed by the police, subjected to extreme mental cruelty and public degradation.

He’s even been denied an adequate place to live.

To be very blunt, gentlemen, my client has been thoroughly rousted!

And isn’t it also a fact that with manpower as short as you say it is, that officers are assigned day and night to guarding the premises of one private individual who happens to be a personal friend of yours?

This without any evidence of danger!

You’re referring to my house.

Yes, I am!

Then I ask, who furnished you with that information?

Well, I think you will find that this is a matter of common knowledge in the department.

Grafton, I want you to listen to this.

I don’t owe Sam Bowden any special favors nor do I give any.

In each 24 hours, there’s been less than two hours devoted to guarding his house and I’m prepared to substantiate that!

Now are you finished?

That depends, gentlemen.

It depends wholly on the treatment that my client receives from now on.

Come, Mr. Cady.

Gentlemen.

I’ll see you around, counselor.

Well, now you can see why I wanted you to hear this, Sam.

I can’t do anything more without an overt act.

Like a neat little murder?

You show me a law that prevents crime.

All we can do is act after the fact.

You remember the Hoffman murder?

Before she was killed, Mrs. Hoffman came up here week after week telling us that her husband was gonna do it, and I believed it.

But I couldn’t arrest a man for something that might be in his mind.

That’s dictatorship.

Now, Sam, you’re a citizen.

Would you want it any other way?

What am I supposed to do?

Pull up the drawbridge? Sit home with a loaded gun?

Have the groceries dropped in by airlift?

That’s kind of an artificial way to live, wouldn’t you say?

Sam, I’m going to make a humiliating suggestion.

And it’s humiliating for me.

You hire yourself a private detective.

Now, that’s all you can do. You get Charlie Sievers.

Now, if anybody can dig up something we can act on, he can.

A private detective?

That’s right.

Mark, I’m not gonna go into the “I am a taxpayer” routine, but is that the best you can do?

You’re telling me to go hire protection?

That’s a hell of a note, isn’t it?

Either we have too many laws or not enough.

Why are we going this way?

Better scenery.

What would you know about scenery or beauty or any of the things that really make life worth living?

You’re just an animal.

Coarse, lustful, barbaric.

Keep right on talkin’, honey. I like it when you run me down like that.

Max Cady, what I like about you is you’re rock bottom.

I wouldn’t expect you to understand this, but it’s a great comfort for a girl to know she could not possibly sink any lower.

Yeah. Come on, tell me some more about that time when you were

Queen of the Veiled Prophet’s Ball.

OPERATOR: Yes? Operator, Police Department.

Police Department. Give me Sergeant Elkins.

This is Sergeant Elkins.

Hello, Mike. This is Charlie Sievers.

I’m at the corner of Sherman and DeSoto.

Now, if you want something on Max Cady, he’s up in a room with a girl who just blew into town a few days ago.

Diane Taylor. He’s in the room with her now.

2041 Sherman.

She’s over 18, but you can still get him for lewd vagrancy.

That’s the room. Second floor.

Open up! Open up!

There’s a back door open here and an outside stairway.

Something kind of weird’s happened to her.

I can’t get her to spill a thing.

Maybe you can.

Miss Taylor?

You’re probably hurt worse than you realize.

Would you like me to get a doctor?

Mmm-hmm.

My name is Charlie Sievers. I’m a private detective, and I can help you.

No need to take a beating like this lying down.

A man like that has no right to walk around free.

You’ve got the law on your side. Why not use it?

Now, no one blames you for being afraid of Max Cady.

This one’s different, and you know it.

He beat you up tonight. He’ll probably do it again tomorrow night.

He might even kill you.

Let me take you down to the homicide bureau.

I’ll show you photographs of girls who got mixed up with men like Cady, and, Miss Taylor, it’ll make you sick.

But you’ll realize how lucky you are to be alive.

Now, why not protect yourself?

Hello?

Could you send a taxicab promptly to the corner of Sherman and DeSoto?

I want to go to the bus station.

Right. Quick, please.

Well, leave town if you have to and, as I said, no one will blame you.

But before you go, would you help us put this man away?

All you have to do is come down to police headquarters and sign a complaint.

Won’t you do that?

If not for your sake, for somebody else’s?

Protect myself?

Nobody can protect themselves against a man like that.

I’m scared.

You can’t help me.

But I can!

Now, you file an assault charge, and Cady’ll get six months in jail.

Six months. And after that?

When he walked out of this room, he said…

He said to consider this only a sample.

From my limited knowledge of human nature, Max Cady isn’t a man who makes idle threats.

Anyway, you said you weren’t a policeman.

What do you want?

I have a client. Mr. Bowden. Mr. Sam Bowden.

Cady has threatened his wife and his daughter.

Never mind the reasons.

Mr. Bowden is worried, and I can’t blame him.

You know Cady.

You believe that I could ever, ever, in my whole life, step up and repeat to another living soul what that man…

What he did?

What about my family?

I’m someone’s daughter, too.

What about the newspapers in my hometown?

Do you think I could bear to have them read about…

I’m afraid I got you down here for nothin’.

She won’t talk, and she’s leavin’ town on the next bus.

This is Mr. Bowden.

Once more, before it’s too late, would you reconsider?

I’m sorry. Really, I’m sorry.

So what do we do next?

Well, drop tailing him. You’re wasting your money.

He expected to be covered.

And any time he wants to shake loose, he’ll figure a way.

Then what do you suggest?

Change his mind.

Get in touch with a guy named Jepson.

Alex Jepson.

He’s got some rough friends along the waterfront.

And for the right price…

Are you kidding?

I can’t consider that.

Okay, so you’re a lawyer, and you believe in due process.

But it’s your family, not mine.

A type like that is an animal, so you’ve got to fight him like an animal.

That’s my advice.

When can we have one like that?

It’s on our fiscal program for the year 1980.

What’s “fiscal”?

That’s what we haven’t got.

I’ve been looking for an excuse to quit this.

I’ve finally found it. I forgot to buy new paper plates and cups.

Mother, you did that on purpose.

You can’t convict me on mere suspicion.

If one rat can leave this ship, why not two?

Here, you take over for a minute.

Now, where are you going?

I have to get some more thinner from Tony.

Well, if we’re a family of rats, I might as well leave, too.

No. You represent a giant stride in evolution.

And don’t drip any of that on the deck.

Hey, Nancy, ahoy!

Ahoy! Ahoy! Coming to the picnic?

Yes, if we ever get started.

Okay. We’ll go waterskiing, okay?

Okay.

What are you doing here?

Why, I’m just drinkin’ this beer, counselor.

Do it someplace else.

So the man sells me a beer, and I figure maybe I might rent me a boat.

Now, just how many laws you got against that, counselor?

Look, Cady, maybe you can get away with dog poisoning, beating up on a little drifter like Diane Taylor.

Don’t push your luck with me.

Say, she’s gettin’ to be…

Gettin’ to be almost as juicy as your wife, ain’t she?

(CADY LAUGHS)

You rotten…

(GRUNTING)

You’re not gonna push me into anything, counselor.

Now, you just had your innings.

I’ll make my stroke later.

I guess you saw that, didn’t you?

Never laid a hand on him.

Just standing here minding my own business, a man walks right up and starts beatin’ the…

How about that?

That’s him, isn’t it?

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

(PANTING)

(DOOR CREAKING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

No! No! No! No!

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

(WHIMPERING)

(SCREAMS)

(TIRES SCREECH)

(SCREAMS)

She just ran out in front of me!

What happened? Nancy, darling, are you all right?

She ran right into me!

Mom! I saw him!

I saw that man! Darling, please.

He chased me! Oh, darling!

He chased me into the school, and I couldn’t get away!

It’s all right, darling. It’s all right.

I tried to get away!

He’s here! He’s here, Mama!

Please, darling. Please. He’s here!

How is she?

She’s only bruised.

The doctor gave her a sedative.

I’m sorry, Sam. I thought the store would only take a second.

Sam! Are you out of your mind?

But, Sam, he didn’t do anything to her!

He didn’t hurt her!

Fine. I’ll wait until he does.

Will you please listen!

It’ll be murder. You know that.

Do you want to ruin all of us?

Isn’t that exactly what he wants?

In the name of heaven, pay him off, buy him off, give him some money and he’ll go away, but don’t do this to us.

If you get into that car, I’ll call the police.

You won’t get halfway into town before they pick you up.

(CAR ENGINE STARTS)

Get me the police.

Please, hurry.

Could I speak to Chief Dutton?

Mrs. Bowden.

Bowden. Mrs. Sam Bowden.

Yes, it’s urgent. It’s very urgent.

Will you please hurry?

Hello, Mark. I’m sorry. It’s a false alarm.

Everything’s all right.

No, no.

I’ll talk to you later. Right. Goodbye.

(PIANO MUSIC PLAYING)

(SIGHS)

CADY: You’re sweatin’ a little, huh, counselor? Well, I know how it is. I sweat, too. For eight solid years, I sweat. You gonna buy me a drink?

SAM: Waiter?

CADY: That’ll be double, waiter. 12-year-old. My rich cousin here says nothing’s too good for ol’ Max.

SAM: How much do you want, Cady?

CADY: How’s that again?

SAM: You heard me. I said, “How much do you want?”

CADY: (CHUCKLES) Counselor, you gotta forgive me. I’m a little slow till after my first drink. I assume we’re talkin’ about dough. Is that right?

SAM: That’s right.

CADY: Well, that certainly is heart warmin’. A poor ex-convict comes to a new town lookin’ for a fresh start and one of the leading citizens steps right up and offers him financial help. That’s enough to renew your faith in human nature. (CHUCKLING) It sure is.
Hey, buster. You got some salted peanuts, salted in the shell?

WAITER: Not in the shell.

CADY: Okay, forget it. I see I’m gonna have to educate this town.

SAM: Come on. Let’s have the answer.

CADY: That takes a little figurin’, counselor. What do you reckon eight lost years is worth? You reckon a court could fix a value on that?

SAM: Stick to the point. How much?

CADY: That’s too simple. I like to put values on things. Like the value of eight years, the value of a family. Interesting calculations, wouldn’t you say, counselor? You’re right to pass that stuff up. A man told me it was bad for you.
Hey, buster, my friend would like to buy me another drink.

SAM: $10,000 now and another $10,000 over the next two years, providing you keep out of the state.

CADY: Suppose I come back after the money runs out?

SAM: I’ll give you a simple answer to that one. I’ll kill you off.

CADY: Well, let me see, 20 grand, that’s less than $3,000 per for my eight years. Counselor, I don’t believe you’ve heard of the Minimum Wage Act. Now, just for fun, let’s go back to talkin’ about values, the value of a family. You probably didn’t even know I had a family, did you? One wife and one kid. That’s what I had when you sent me up. She dumped me. Never even visited. I signed the divorce papers.

SAM: What did you expect?

CADY: Oh, no, it wasn’t that. It was the prison rap that she couldn’t take. She couldn’t stand the disgrace. And that was your doing, counselor, not my doing! She married a plumber. They wound up with a litter of kids. My own kid doesn’t even know me. So when I got out, I went to visit her. The plumber was off plumbin’ someplace and the kids were all in school. She picked up a poker, tried to hit me over the head with it. I took it away from her and calmed her down. She crawled in the car. I took her to a little spot about 50 miles down the road.

SAM: Why tell me all this?

CADY: Because I want to tell you all this. That night, I made her call up the plumber and tell him she was takin’ a little vacation from him and the kids. Then I made her sit down and write me a love note askin’ me to invite her on a second honeymoon. She dated it and signed it. I made her write a lot of dirty words. Then I occupied her time for three days. You beginning to get the picture, counselor?

SAM: I’m getting it.

CADY: Mmm. Good. Then I told her that if she ever blew the whistle on me, I was gonna mail a photostat of that note to the plumber. I pumped another quart of whiskey into her, threw away her dress, threw away her shoes and gave her a fair chance to work her way home.

SAM: Charming story. What is it supposed to prove?

CADY: (SIGHS) Counselor, for a bright fellow you sure are slow gettin’ the picture sometimes. You see, I burned for eight years. And now I’ve got what you might call “peace of mind” about my dear, darlin’ wife.

SAM: So, no deal.

CADY: You’re gettin’ warm, counselor. You know, when I was in the bucket, all I could think about was bustin’ out and killin’ somebody. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands, slow. Every single night for seven years, I killed that man. And on the eighth year, I said, “Oh, no. That’s too easy. That’s too fast.” You know the Chinese death of a thousand cuts? First they cut off a little toe, then a piece of your finger, piece of your ear, your nose, and I liked that better.

SAM: By the little toe, I’m to understand “child.” That’s it, isn’t it?

CADY: Now that’s your train of thought, counselor, not mine.

SAM: My train of thought. You shocking degenerate. I’ve seen the worst, the dregs, but, you, you are the lowest. It makes me sick to breathe the same air.

CADY: (CHUCKLES) Hey, buster. I believe my cousin left me enough to buy me another blast.

This is no war of nerves. He won’t be bought off.

It’s Nancy he’s after.

And he’ll get to her sooner or later unless I change his mind.

I just won’t believe it.

I… I just can’t.

You said yourself he’s too clever to take chances.

How could he even touch her without taking a chance?

What would you do if she were attacked? Have him arrested?

How can you ask such a thing?

Of course! What’s the matter with you?

Would you have him tried? Pull him into court?

Naturally, he’d deny the whole thing.

That means that Nancy would have to testify.

You’ve never watched a child testify in such a case.

Thank God you haven’t.

It’s…

It’s the clinical reports and the questions and the detailed answers that she’d have to give.

She’d have to give them, all right, because he’d deny it, and we’d have to prove his guilt.

A beast like that, who’d believe him?

No one. No one at all!

But that wouldn’t spare her the questions.

And Cady knows that.

He knows that we’d never put her through an ordeal like that.

There’s got to be something we can do. There just has to be.

There is.

(GRUNTING)

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Hello. Hello.

Well, is this Mrs. Bowden?

Yeah, I knew it was. I just wanted to hear your voice again.

You know something?

For eight years I dreamed about a chick with a voice like that just whisperin’ in my ear, real close.

Don’t. Don’t.

Sayin’, “Baby.”

Sam!

(CADY LAUGHING)

Shut up, you!

Counselor, you really stepped on it this time, didn’t you?

I don’t know what the Bar Association thinks about its members compounding a felony, but I do know what the law thinks about it.

You just put the law in my hands and I’m gonna break your heart with it.

Ain’t nothin’ can stop me.

You understand that, don’t you?

That house and that car and that wife and kid, they ain’t worth nothin’ to you now.

Now you listen to me. You asked for this.

You asked for it, and if you don’t get out of…

You’re wrong, man.

I’m gonna show you what it’s like to be wrong.

Speakin’ about your wife and kid, I got a little caper planned for them.

Remember the story I told you about my old lady?

That was just laughs, counselor. That was kid stuff.

I got something planned for your wife and kid that they ain’t never gonna forget.

They ain’t never gonna forget it, and neither will you, counselor. Never.

You’ll never forget it.

I can’t believe we’re standing here talking about…

About killing a man.

There’s still a few “ifs,” “ands” and “buts” about it.

I can’t go into this alone. I’ll have to have help.

Of course, he wouldn’t fall for it here.

He knows we’re too much on our guard.

But if he got the idea that we thought she was safely hidden away someplace.

She?

You can’t be talking about Nancy.

Don’t worry.

I won’t go into this until it’s airtight.

I won’t make a move that will put her in any danger.

That won’t stop the terror of it. She’s only a child.

And what about the terror if he catches her really alone?

Sam. Good morning, Dave.

Sleep well last night?

Well enough.

You needn’t bother to open that.

You’ve tried your last case in this state.

Your three hired hands landed in the hospital last night.

One of them thought he was gonna die, and he talked.

The judge wants to see you.

Good. I want to see him, too.

He’s gonna tell you I’m instituting disbarment proceedings against you.

You didn’t waste much time, did you?

I’m just getting started, Sam.

The committee on ethics is meeting up at the State Capitol right now.

They work real fast.

You better have your story ready to tell ’em by tomorrow.

You don’t think the committee will wait to see if I’m convicted of anything?

The committee is only interested in keeping the legal profession beyond reproach.

After what happened last night

I’m gonna be real interested to see how you answer to that one.

Good morning, George.

Good morning, Sam.

I only came down this morning to tell you that I have to turn the case over to you.

I’ll break the news to the judge.

Have you gone out of your mind?

You’ve come to the wrong man, Sam.

Dave Grafton was in here not 10 minutes ago.

You haven’t got a leg to stand on.

Jepson’s in there right now being interrogated.

And if he talks, I’m gonna have to arrest you before you leave the building.

If I’m arrested, who’s gonna protect my family? You?

That’s below the belt, Sam. Grafton’s watchin’ every move I make.

The only answer to Dave Grafton, the ethics committee and all the rest of it is to show Cady up for what he is.

You can’t do it with a stakeout! Cady’s too smart for that!

But I’ve got it carefully worked out.

Now there’s a houseboat.

It’s up on the Cape Fear River.

It has a shore cabin, a telephone.

It’s isolated, hard to find.

The perfect place to hide my family.

No place is perfect!

Do you expect Cady to believe that you’d leave your family alone anywhere?

That’s the one thing that had me stumped.

And this morning, Grafton handed me the answer on a platter.

He’s forcing me to fly to Atlanta tomorrow to appear before this committee.

And you can bet that his friend, Mr. Cady, will be tailing me clear to the airport.

But the moment I get to Atlanta, I’ll hire a car and cut across to the coast.

I’ll get a boat at Hennessey’s Landing.

In a few hours, I’ll be at the houseboat with Peggy and Nancy, and Cady will think that I’m sweating it out in Atlanta.

The next step is to lure him up there when we’re ready for him.

That’s your department, too.

He knows you’re tied in with the case.

He’ll follow you when you leave town if you make it look right.

He steps ashore and you shoot him, is that it?

That’s about it.

You can’t shoot a man for simple trespass. Not anymore.

Cady’s built up too good a case against you.

It’ll be more than simple trespass.

But I won’t wait until he wipes the blood off his hands either.

Now hold on. Just hold on.

I’ve listened. Now, you listen.

You’re gonna do a foolish thing without help, and you’re gonna need lots of it.

Now, I can’t help you if I wanted to.

That’s county territory.

Mark, you know the sheriff.

Are you gonna stand on ceremony at a time like this?

All you have to do is pick up the telephone!

And do what? Ask for half a dozen deputies to help a man that I should be arresting?

I don’t want half a dozen deputies.

That would be a sure way of tipping off Cady and Grafton.

It’d be all over town in no time.

One is all I can risk. One is all I’m asking for.

Do I get him?

Well, this time next week, I may be back poundin’ a beat.

We should’ve gone to the left of this island, about a mile back.

Are we gonna be completely marooned?

I mean, no visitors at all?

You didn’t say anything to Betty?

I didn’t say anything to a soul. Honest.

Well, have a nice voyage to nowhere.

I’ll see you in a day or two.

Don’t get lost on the way home.

Do you think she’ll be able to stand all this shattering peace and quiet?

Don’t you worry about Nancy.

That’s pioneer stock.

Cast off.

MAN: (ON PA) Flight 403 for Atlanta now boarding at Gate 3.

Attention, please. Passengers for Atlanta, Flight 403 now boarding at Gate 3.

Say, I have a brief here for Sam Bowden.

Samuel Bowden. Yes, sir.

Was he on that Flight 403?

Yes, sir, he was.

(SIGHS)

Now I don’t know whether to mail it to him or not.

You don’t have any idea when he’ll be back, do you?

Let’s see.

He did make a return reservation, sir.

6:00 p.m. On Thursday.

Well, then I guess special delivery will get it to him all right.

Thank you. You’re welcome.

(SOLEMN MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC STOPS PLAYING)

It’s just a log bumping.

No, not that. Listen.

(ENGINE REVVING IN DISTANCE)

It’s a boat.

There are bound to be boats.

We didn’t hear any last night.

It’s coming closer.

(ENGINE STOPS RUNNING)

(WATER SPLASHING)

(GASPS)

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Peg! Nancy!

It’s Daddy!

Oh, darling, thank God it’s you!

Oh, Daddy!

This is Mr. Kersek, of the sheriff’s office.

How do you do? Hello. Come on in.

Don’t you think it’s about time you were getting ready for bed?

Where am I going to sleep?

Here, with your mother. Mr. Kersek and I will sleep on shore.

Won’t you have some more coffee, Mr. Kersek?

Don’t mind if I do.

Will you excuse us for a few minutes?

Sure thing.

So far so good.

We’re all here.

Cady thinks I’m in Atlanta.

You can still say no if you want to, Peg.

Nothing will start unless I call Charlie Sievers.

Call him.

I tailed him until he spotted me, Mr. Bowden.

Then he checked to see your car was home and Mrs. Bowden’s car was gone.

Looked at the mail in the box, but didn’t take any.

Then he tried the boat basin.

Tony told him your boat hadn’t been out all week.

But for the rest, well, I guess we’ve missed so far.

Because if he’s been tailing me, I haven’t been able to spot him.

I still think he will.

You’re the only lead he has.

Start things moving tomorrow.

Right.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Yes?

Looks like we’re striking out.

I’m on 257, about halfway to Cross’ Landing and absolutely no sign of him.

Do you want me to keep comin’ or go back and try it again?

Could he have switched cars?

Sure, he could have switched cars, but I’ve been keeping my eye on the drivers.

What do you say?

If he hasn’t been following you at all, trying it again won’t work either.

Come ahead.

Okay.

7-0.

Temporarily. Only temporarily.

All them islands look alike. Just follow this and you can’t miss it.

Okay. Thanks.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

You’re gonna die without a mark on you.

Just got too big for your pants.

(BOAT CREAKING)

Kersek!

Nancy! Nancy!

Tell the operator to call the sheriff’s office!

Send some men out here fast!

Oh, now, come on.

You ain’t that scared.

You come right down to it, what is there to be scared of?

Now, look, you’re not a foolish man. You’re very clever.

You never make mistakes. You don’t take chances.

If you touch me, you’ll go back to prison for life.

You want to make a little bet on that?

But you will! I’m not like Nancy!

I’m not afraid to testify! I swear it!

You got to believe me! I’m not afraid!

And you’re a lawyer’s wife?

Don’t you understand?

That with consent, there ain’t no charges against me.

Now, look, I want you to hear this.

It’s gonna save a lot of messin’ around.

Look!

I was gonna go for Nancy, but I can always make it with Nancy.

You know, next week, next month.

Wait a minute now.

You proposition me.

You, instead of Nancy, and I’ll agree never to see you again. All right?

Listen. Unless of course you want it.

And that’s how you give your consent.

That’s not consent, it’s blackmail!

(GROANS) (GRUNTS)

Reasons don’t make any difference. You look that up.

And as far as blackmail is concerned, you only think I’m going after Nancy.

Come over here!

You’re just playing it safe.

Now, your husband is gonna appreciate your noble gesture.

But he ain’t never gonna forget it!

No! No!

Please! Please!

Please! Please! Please! Please!

So, all in all, I don’t think…

I don’t think you’re gonna…

You’re gonna say too much about this, are ya?

You’re not gonna talk about it, are ya?

Are you?

(PANTING)

(PEGGY GROANING)

Peggy?

Peggy.

No! No!

(SOBBING)

It’s Nancy! He only wanted to get you away from her!

It’s Nancy! It’s Nancy!

Operator!

He’s here. He’s here!

(PANTING)

(SIGHS)

(EXHALES)

(SCREAMING)

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(EXCLAIMS)

Nancy, get out of here. Run and hide.

Run and hide! Run!

Hide! Hide! Run! Hide!

(TWIGS SNAPPING)

(GROANS)

Go ahead.

Go ahead. I just don’t give a damn.

No. No!

That would be letting you off too easy, too fast.

Your words. Do you remember?

Well, I do!

Oh, no.

We’re gonna take good care of you.

We’re gonna nurse you back to health.

And you’re strong, Cady.

You’re gonna live a long life in a cage.

That’s where you belong.

And that’s where you’re going.

And this time, for life!

Bang your head against the walls!

Count the years, the months, the hours until the day you rot.