Ladies and gentlemen, Gregory Peck
The world never seems as fresh and wonderful, as comforting and terrifying,
as good and evil as it does when seen through the eyes of a child.
For a writer to capture that feeling is remarkable.
Perhaps that is why
one book
in the last few years
has been so warmly embraced by tens and millions of people.
To Kill A Mockingbird.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and just about every other award a book can win.
And now happily To Kill A Mockingbird becomes a motion picture.
And its memorable characters come vividly alive.
That's Scout.
Some people call her Jean Louise Finch.
But she insists on Scout.
And that's her brother, Jem.
Just a boy until the day he learns,
there is evil in the world.
SCOUT: Atticus!
PECK: And Atticus Finch, the father.
Whose devotion to justice
places him and his children in jeopardy.
ATTICUS: I've been appointed to defend Tom Robinson.
Now that he's been charged that's what I intend to do.
BOB EWELL: You takin' his story-
ATTICUS: If you'll excuse me, Mr. Ewell.
EWELL: What kind of man are you?
You got children of your own?
SCOUT: Atticus, Jem said this watch is gonna belong to him someday.
ATTICUS: That's right.
SCOUT: What are you gonna give me?
ATTICUS: There's a pearl necklace.
There's a ring that belonged to your mother.
You want to tell us,
what really happened?
MAYELLA EWELL: I've got something to say.
and if you ain't gonna do nothing about it
then you're just a bunch of lousy, yellow, stinkin' cowards!