Cape Fear (1962) — Screenplay
A lawyer who testified against a violent criminal faces a relentless campaign of psychological terror as the ex-convict returns to torment his family without breaking the law.
- Written by
- John D. MacDonald, James R. Webb
- Genre
- Drama, Thriller
- Length
- 114 pages
This taut thriller is a masterclass in building suspense through character-driven menace rather than overt action. Study how the screenplay structures the antagonist's cat-and-mouse tactics, gradually escalating the threat while maintaining legal plausibility. The dialogue crackles with subtext, revealing the protagonist's moral dilemma and the antagonist's chilling intellect, making it a compelling study in conflict and tension.
Read the full Cape Fear (1962) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study John D. MacDonald, James R. Webb’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.