A physically powerful man, Gregory Peck was known to do a majority of his own fight scenes, rarely using body or stunt doubles.
A physically powerful man, Gregory Peck was known to do a majority of his own fight scenes, rarely using body or stunt doubles.
Robert Mitchum, his on-screen opponent in "Cape Fear" (1962), said that Peck once accidentally punched him for real during their final fight scene in the movie. He recalled feeling the impact of the punch for days afterwards and said, "I don't feel sorry for anyone dumb enough who picks a fight with him."
Peck, who produced the film, didn't like the original novel's title "The Executioners." When thinking of a new title, he decided that movies named after places tended to be very successful, so he looked at a map of the U.S. until he happened upon Cape Fear in North Carolina.
At first, Mitchum didn't want to do the film but finally relented after Peck and director J. Lee Thompson delivered a case of bourbon to his home. His reply was, "Okay, I've drunk your bourbon. I'm drunk. I'll do it."
Peck later said regarding Mitchum, "I had given him the role and had paid him a terrific amount of money. 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."
The financial failure of "Cape Fear" ended Gregory Peck's company, Melville Productions.
Peck, Martin Balsam (who played police chief Dalton) and Mitchum appear in the 1991 remake of the film, Peck as Cady's lawyer, Balsam as a judge, and Mitchum as a police lieutenant who suggests that Bowden use alternative means to get Cady to leave town.
Happy Birthday, Gregory Peck!
Comments
Post a Comment