Editing Cape Fear (1962 film) (section)

== Legacy ==
Although it makes no acknowledgement of ''Cape Fear'', the episode "The Force of Evil" from the 1977 [[NBC]] television series ''[[Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected]]'' uses virtually the same plot, merely introducing an additional supernatural element to the released prisoner.<ref name="muir">[http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2008/03/cult-tv-flashback-54-quinn-martins.html John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: CULT TV FLASHBACK # 54: Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977)]</ref><ref name="horror">[https://books.google.com/books?id=yxpDUAFrwfwC&pg=PT126 Muir, John Kenneth, ''Terror Television: American Series 1970-1999'', Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001.] {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3884-6}}. Not paginated.</ref>

The film and [[Cape Fear (1991 film)|its remake]] serve as the basis for the 1993 ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Cape Feare]]" in which [[Sideshow Bob]], recently released from prison, stalks the Simpson family in an attempt to kill Bart. The episode, and both films, serve as inspiration for [[Anne Washburn]]'s play ''[[Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play]]''.

In April 2007, ''[[Newsweek]]'' selected Cady as one of the 10 best villains in cinema history. Specifically, the scene where Cady attacks Sam's family was ranked number 36 on [[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]]'s ''[[The 100 Scariest Movie Moments|100 Scariest Movie Moments]]'' in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 100 Scariest Movie Moments|url=http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml|publisher=Bravo.tv.com|access-date=October 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml|archive-date=October 30, 2007}}</ref>

A consumer poll on the [[Internet Movie Database]] rates ''Cape Fear'' as the 65th-best trial film, although the trial scenes are merely incidental to the plot.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055824 Cape Fear at Internet Movie Database].</ref>

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2001: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills]] – #61<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/thrills100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>
* 2003: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]:
** [[Max Cady]] – #28 Villain<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>