![]() Deeds Goes to Town, was sick with cancer, dying in May of 1961 shortly after shooting of Mockingbird actually began. Gary Cooper? With his inherent decency and strong, silent unwavering morality, Coop would be great, but the idea never proceeded past the discussion stage because the actor, who had so memorably portrayed small town heroes in High Noon and Mr. The idea, however proved a non-starter, because after receiving Harper Lee’s note, Tracy responded that he was busy filming Devil at Four O’Clock with Frank Sinatra and could not even read or think about Mockingbird at the present time. Perhaps he was a bit old for the role, but the veteran actor was possessed of such naturalistic acting ability that everyone involved felt enthusiastic about his casting. ![]() Tracy possessed a quintessential all-American face, and as evidenced by his work in Adam’s Rib and Inherit the Wind was clearly at home in court room scenes. Oh yes, Harper Lee certainly liked Spencer Tracy – “I can’t see anybody but Spencer Tracy in the part of Atticus” – and although she had vowed to leave Mulligan and Pakula to their own devices, she soon sent a note to Tracy via the William Morris Agency. Who possessed both the requisite big name, as well as strong enough acting chops, to believably portray a small town Alabama lawyer circa 1933? In Harper Lee’s mind, only one actor: Spencer Tracy. To ensure an adequate budget they needed a star – a big star – one whose presence alone would guarantee not just financing but also distribution. This is the first in our two-part series on the filming of To Kill a Mockingbird, courtesy of Tom.Īlthough producer Alan Pakula and director Robert Mulligan now held the rights to a national best seller, they did not possess the clout to finance the picture themselves. The Filming of To Kill a Mockingbird: The Casting of Atticus FinchĮxclusive Excerpt from “Why to Kill a Mockingbird Matters”Ī Big Thank You to author Tom Santopietro for hand-picking this excerpt about the casting of Atticus, from his book “Why to Kill a Mockingbird Matters”.
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