MovieChat Forums > Cape Fear (1962) Discussion > How old was the daughter supposed to be?

How old was the daughter supposed to be?

posted 18 years ago by jgroub
13 replies | jump to latest

It seems like the filmmakers put her in a position, age, and clothing to make her intentionally provocative. Those tight white shorts she was wearing on the dock; those lurid comments and stares by Cady; I mean, c'mon.

The actress playing her was only 15, but Hollywood frequently casts older to play younger. How old was the character supposed to be, like 13, 14? Jail bait anyway you slice it.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] Bloom6000 18 years ago

In the novel which this film was based on, the daughter was 14. I think in the movie, she was supposed to be 12-14.

[–] novastar_6 18 years ago

I thought she was only about 10 or 11, boy was I surprised...but all the same, if I had been Sam Bowden in the movie I would've given her a gun and shown her how to use it.

[–] smokehill retrievers 18 years ago

Any parent worth a rat's ass would teach their daughter how to handle a gun by that age, even more so than a son.

My wife's dad taught her to shoot almost from birth and bought her first amateur target rifle when she was 12, and her first handgun at 14. Made sure she got her concealed carry permit at 18, and she's packed heat ever since.

Women have two choices when it comes to rape or any other violence toward them. They can hope for the best and put their faith in prevention, or police being handy when you need them ... well, so much for humor.

Or they can take responsibility for their own life and safety, and buy the cheapest insurance policy on the face of the earth.

[–] novastar_6 18 years ago

Indeed, let's face facts, back then you could get away with it, back then I don't think there was a law stating you had to be 21 to use, purchase or own a handgun. Of course I don't see what the whole point of that law is, for one thing, anybody that wants a gun and doesn't give a damn about the law, will find a way to get one whenever they want, and another thing, you're not necessarily going to be any smarter or anymore careful or responsible at 21 than you would be at 18 or 16 or 12, or whatever. If you have somebody who their parents have taught them how to be responsible with a gun, you don't have much to worry about, but as we know there are a lot of weirdos out there, but there's also a lot of those weirdos over 21, so where does that leave you?

[–] ClassicSiren 18 years ago

yeh i think in the fim nancy is 14. i think that was a good age for her character because at that age your body is developing, but your still a child therefor appearing to be more sexual than you are.

[–] electrictroy 17 years ago

Here's my viewpoint:

- Better to have a gun, use it to defend yourself, and then tell the judge, "Oh I'm sorry; I didn't know I had to be 21 to own a gun."

- Then to find yourself in a coffin. And dead.

[–] LaPrincesaDeHorror 17 years ago

well then doesnt that go for anybody in any situation?
The way you say that makes me think you think its our fault if it happens!
Theres a reason its against the law...I shouldnt have to spend my life living in fear and carrying a gun everywhere I can...

And besides, you can't take a gun everywhere with you. It can happen any time, place and by anyone. so.

[–] novastar_6 17 years ago

Ah that's true...however rapists typically go for women who look like they won't give them any trouble, won't fight or struggle and will be quiet. Now, where you can carry a gun, if they see that they are going to know you're definite trouble and not be quite as likely to try anything with you. For any other place, there's screaming and struggling and giving him pure hell. Also, AmrcanPsycho, I think it would do people good to look into history and see what they can find, now here

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Back-Womans-Guide-Self-Defense/dp/B000O91WUE/ref=sr_1_1/102-7601208-1101717?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187041861&sr=1-1

is a woman's self defense book from 1978, right off the bat to some young naive person it may sound like it's outdated, but once you go over the book's steps to counter attacking somebody who's coming after you, I think anybody who reads the book will find it quite relevant even today.

[–] vegete001 17 years ago

Maybe he didn't give his daughter a gun because that's the last thing you want a child to do.
When you shoot sometbody, that can tramatize people. Cops even can get severe mental trama from killing somebody. You think Sam wanted his daughter to have a murder on her consions her entire life, even if it was in self defense.
Shooting someone with a gun just isn't something a 14 year old girl should or would do, and Sam knew that. Why do you think he knew she would never testify, it's the right thing to do but their are certain things children cannot do.

[–] eastcoastguyz 17 years ago

I agree totally. Giving a child a gun is bad idea. He would just take it away from her and then have it to use on her and the rest of the family. People who think if they could just strap on a sidearm like the old West, they would be safe. We are reminded that Ronald Reagan when President, was shot while being surrounded by his own armed trained and alert security force. Having a gun on you doesn't mean someone else can't shoot you, and it doesn't stop them from finding other ways to hurt you. She would have been more likely to get upset with a classmate or mother and shoot her in anger than gun down an attacking killer.

[–] novastar_6 17 years ago

I don't know, in the book that became Cape Fear, every kid from the 14 year old daughter to the 9 year old son, or maybe younger, was given the gun and taken to target practice in preparing for Max Cady.

[–] TheMysteryOne 15 years ago

Lori Martin was most likely 13 when she made the movie . If you push it & have afast editing to get it into the theaters, she may have just turned 14 . She definately was not 15 during filming . In my opinion in the film she was probably 11 or 12 . If you look at the school scene when she is leaving the building ( Armstrong House .... this was Sonny Seiler's Office in he movie Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil ) you will see her with some other girls . It looks like they are maybe in Junior High School . That would put them in the 11 to 15 age group . Then again, she looks younger than the other girls, so she is definately in the lowest grade .

[–] gribfritz2 12 years ago

Not sure how you get 13. I would say 14.

April 18, 1947 - April 12, 1962

She was 15 a week after it was released. I don't think it took over a year from filming to release for a film like this in 1962. It's not Lawrence of Arabia or anything.

Guns of Navarone was released in June 1961 (don't know when filming wrapped exactly). Peck couldn't film both at the same time since Guns of Navarone was on location in Greece. So this movie would have had to begin filming completely after Guns of Navarone was filmed.