To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice.

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Harper Lee (novel), Horton Foote (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton

Top 250 #70 | Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	Atticus Finch
John Megna	...	Dill Harris
Frank Overton	...	Sheriff Heck Tate
Rosemary Murphy	...	Maudie Atkinson
Ruth White	...	Mrs. Dubose
Brock Peters	...	Tom Robinson
Estelle Evans	...	Calpurnia
Paul Fix	...	Judge Taylor
Collin Wilcox Paxton	...	Mayella Violet Ewell (as Collin Wilcox)
James Anderson	...	Bob Ewell
Alice Ghostley	...	Aunt Stephanie Crawford
Robert Duvall	...	Boo Radley
William Windom	...	Mr. Gilmer - Prosecutor
Crahan Denton	...	Walter Cunningham Sr.
Richard Hale	...	Nathan Radley

Storyline

Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1961. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. How will the trial turn out - and will it change any of the racial tension in the town ?

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Plot Keywords:

children | trial | lawyer | alabama | jury | 

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Taglines:

The most beloved Pulitzer Prize book now comes vividly alive on the screen!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Matar a un ruiseñor

Filming Locations:

Courthouse Square, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI), Pakula-Mulligan, Brentwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bob Ewell's full name is Robert E. Lee Ewell. This is a reference to Robert E. Lee, who was a major figurehead in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Given the mentality of the South for the years that followed the Civil War, it is not surprising someone would name their child in Lee's honor.

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Goofs

Mayella Ewell's hair alternates between neatly brushed and messy and back again between shots when she gets up to go to the stand in the courtroom.

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Quotes

Dill Harris: Hey.
Jem: Hey yourself.
Dill Harris: I'm Charles Baker Harris. I can read. I can read anything you've got.
[swinging on the gate]
Dill Harris: Folks call me Dill.
Jem: How old are you? Four and a half?
Dill Harris: Going on seven.
Jem: Well, no wonder then. Scout's been readin' since she was born, and she's not even six yet. You're mighty puny for nearly seven.
Dill Harris: I'm little but I'm old.

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Crazy Credits

introducing / Mary Badham as Scout / Phillip Alford as Jem

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Revenge of the Creature (1997)

User Reviews

Amazing film

After hearing nothing but critical acclaim for this film, and the book it was based on, I finally got to see it. I am quite amazed at how well done this film is, and how timeless the theme is. I haven't read the book, but I'm considering it, just to see if there are any details that were left out. The story is amazing and exceptionally told. As far as I know, the film is as close to the book as it could possibly be; some call it the most accurate book-to-film conversion ever. The plot is very good, it takes a timeless problem and presents it to us, through the innocent eyes of a naive child. The pace is very good; apart from The Godfather(the first one) and one or two other exceptions, this is the only drama where there was truly not one single moment that I found dull, boring or unimportant. Nothing seemed trivial in the film. The perspective that is forced upon us is that of a young child, naive and innocent. This is a brilliant idea, as the eyes of a child is without a doubt one of the most impressionable things in the world, and the film handles this perfectly. What really makes the film, apart from the brilliant and possibly unique perspective, is the fact that the children are likable, credible and charming. You couldn't help but like them; believe me, normally I really dislike children. I find them annoying, loud and egotistical. But with this film, I couldn't, for one second, muster up any tiny amount of aggression, or even annoyance. They come off as so likable, charming, and, most importantly, *real*. Almost every kid in any Hollywood movie is either a completely ridiculous stereotype/cliché of a brat, who does nothing but destroy things around him, or the exact opposite, a little angel. Everyone knows that no child is the latter all the time, and even I will admit that there probably doesn't exist too many children who are the first, either. In this film, the children are completely real. They are naive, innocent, they disobey what their father tells them, but ultimately, they obviously love and respect their father, and they never do anything, anything at all, with the intent to hurt or harm someone or something. That is what a child is; innocent. They do what they do because they do not know better. This film provides a perfect view into their world, or, rather, their perspective of it. The acting is excellent. The child actors exceed all expectations. I was amazed at how professional and convincing they were. The other actors all give great performances as well. The cinematography is excellent; once again, it gives a perfect perspective on what your surroundings look like when you're a child. The characters are well-written, credible and well-casted. The dialog was well-written. The script was excellent. A very memorable and beautiful film, should be viewed by almost anyone. I recommend this to anyone who likes dramas, and just about anyone who for one reason or another might enjoy this. Don't be scared off by it being over forty years old, or it being black and white; it's an excellent film, and just about anyone would enjoy it. Don't miss this perfect film. 10/10