2007-01-20
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is, in many ways, an undistinguished film. Gregory Peck-- regardless of the adoring ministrations of thousands of fans-- was a wooden actor of limited range. That his performance almost perfectly suited the tone of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was an accident, or the result of a director's choice to leave well enough alone. Brock Peters was very good as Tom Robinson, and most of the supporting cast was adequate. Philip Alford as Jem was okay.
Mary Badham as Scout was actually quite awful. She was stiff and awkward and had no sense of timing at all. Look at the scene in which a dinner guest pours syrup all over his plate of food. It looks like they tried to save it in the editing but I can't imagine that the director was ever happy with the end result.
There is a story that Philip Alford became irritated with her because he was forced to eat the same food over and over again while she tried to get her lines right, and took his revenge when they later filmed a scene in which she gets into a car tire and Philip rolls her down the street.