To Kill a Mockingbird Overview:

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by Robert Mulligan and produced by Alan J. Pakula.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Harper Lee published in 1960.

SYNOPSIS

One of the most beloved of classic movies speaks at once with the wisdom of years and with childlike innocence, capturing both voices flawlessly. Foote's adaptation of the Lee novel gives us a story of quiet courage and unexpected deliverance from the point of view of Scout (Badham), a six-year-old girl in the Depression-era South. She and her brother live with their widowed father Atticus (Peck), a lawyer and well-respected pillar of the community. Their world of play also contains the mystery of Boo Radley (Duvall), the reclusive boy next door rumored to be chained to his bed by his vicious father. The children's world parallels the serious business of Atticus's defense of a black man accused of attacking a white woman. The dignity of the accused and Peck's impassioned defense aren't enough to overcome the jury's racism. But the real attacker wants revenge, and the adult business and the children's world collide on a dark wooded path. All the performances seem to emerge from the dusty southern ground and the atmosphere clings like August heat. A beautifully realized drama cherished with each new generation.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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To Kill a Mockingbird was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1995.

Academy Awards 1962 --- Ceremony Number 35 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorGregory PeckWon
Best Supporting ActressMary BadhamNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Alexander Golitzen, Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: Oliver EmertWon
Best CinematographyRussell HarlanNominated
Best DirectorRobert MulliganNominated
Best Music - ScoringElmer BernsteinNominated
Best PictureAlan J. Pakula, ProducerNominated
Best WritingHorton FooteWon
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BlogHub Articles:

Gregory Peck is Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

By Stephen Reginald on Nov 24, 2022 From Classic Movie Man

Gregory Peck is Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is an American drama directed by Robert Mulligan. The screenplay is by Horton Foote, and is based on the best-selling novel by Harper Lee. The book won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for literature. The film stars Gr... Read full article


Field Trip: "To Kill a Mockingbird" on the Big Screen

By Stephen Reginald on Nov 8, 2022 From Classic Movie Man

Field Trip: "To Kill a Mockingbird" on the Big Screen 60th Anniversary of a ClassicExperience one of the most significant milestones in film history like never before with To Kill a Mockingbird. Gregory Peck stars as courageous Southern lawyer Atticus Finch--the Academy Award-winning performanc... Read full article


To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Robert Mulligan)

on Jan 10, 2020 From The Stop Button

During To Kill a Mockingbird?s exceptional opening titles, I wondered how it was possible the film was going to look so amazing yet had no reputation for being some exquisitely, precisely directed piece of cinema. Then up came Stephen Frankfurt?s credit for title design, which kind of dulled my exci... Read full article


Win Tickets to see ?TCM Big Screen Classics: To Kill a Mockingbird? (Giveaway runs now through Mar 9)

By Annmarie Gatti on Feb 10, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Win tickets to see ?To Kill a Mockingbird? on the Big Screen! In Select Cinemas Nationwide?Sun Mar 24 & Wed Mar 27 ?You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.? CMH continues with?our?4th y... Read full article


To Kill a Mockingbird: The Casting of Scout and Jem

By Annmarie Gatti on Aug 27, 2018 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

The Filming of To Kill a Mockingbird: The Casting of Scout & Jem Exclusive Excerpt from ?Why to Kill a Mockingbird Matters? Another Big Thank You to author Tom Santopietro for hand-picking another excerpt for us – this time about the casting of Scout and Jem – from his book??Why to K... Read full article


See all To Kill a Mockingbird articles

Quotes from

Atticus Finch: I remember when my daddy gave me that gun. He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and that he'd rather I'd shoot at tin cans in the backyard. But he said that sooner or later he supposed the temptation to go after birds would be too much, and that I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - if I could hit 'em; but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Jem: Why?
Atticus Finch: Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.


[about Jem]
Scout: You can pet him, Mr. Arthur. He's asleep. Couldn't if he was awake, though; he wouldn't let you. Go ahead.


Atticus Finch: There are some things that you're not old enough to understand just yet. There's been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man.
Scout: If you shouldn't be defending him, then why are you doing it?
Atticus Finch: For a number of reasons. The main one is that if I didn't, I couldn't hold my head up in town. I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do somethin' again.
[he puts his arm around her]
Atticus Finch: You're gonna hear some ugly talk about this in school. But I want you to promise me one thing: That you won't get into fights over it, no matter what they say to you.


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Facts about

Atticus Finch was voted as the top screen hero of the last 100 years by the American Film Institute.
Mary Badham (Scout) and Gregory Peck (Atticus) became close during filming and kept in contact for the rest of his life. He always called her Scout.
According to the comics, this is Clark Kent's (aka Superman) favorite movie.
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Best Actor Oscar 1962






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National Film Registry

To Kill a Mockingbird

Released 1962
Inducted 1995
(Sound)




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Also directed by Robert Mulligan




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Also produced by Alan J. Pakula




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