A “Gentleman’s Agreement” Exposed: Unmasking the Polite Facade of American Anti-Semitism

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) is a groundbreaking social drama that follows Philip Schuyler Green (Gregory Peck), a distinguished, widowed journalist who relocates to New York City with his young son and mother after accepting a high-profile assignment from a prestigious magazine. The publication’s liberal editor tasks Green with writing an in-depth, undercover exposé on anti-Semitism in America. Initially struggling to find a fresh, impactful angle on a subject many citizens comfortably ignore, Green realizes that the only way to truly understand the depth of this prejudice is to experience it firsthand. He decides to adopt a Jewish identity, telling the world that his real name is Phil Greenberg.

The core of the film explores the swift and jarring shift in how society treats him. Almost immediately, Green is subjected to a spectrum of bigotry that ranges from overt, hostile discrimination to subtle, insidious social snubbing. He is abruptly turned away from exclusive resorts, condescended to by doctors, and frozen out of elite social circles. More painfully, his social experiment strains his burgeoning romance with Kathy Lacey (Dorothy McGuire), the progressive woman who originally suggested the magazine article, as her own deeply ingrained, passive prejudices and fear of societal disapproval begin to surface. Through these tense interactions, Green uncovers the quiet hypocrisy of affluent, polite society.

Directed by Elia Kazan and adapted by Moss Hart from Laura Z. Hobson’s bestselling novel, the film acts as a powerful psychological study of institutionalized bigotry and the complicity of silence. The narrative shines a sharp light on the casual, everyday biases of ordinary people who look the other way to maintain their social standing. Gentleman's Agreement remains a definitive masterpiece of Golden Age cinema, brilliantly illustrating how unspoken societal contracts—the gentleman's agreements of the title—can perpetuate discrimination just as effectively as formal laws.

 

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors in theater and film. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards, in 1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront, and a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Gregory Peck and Dean Stockwell

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2003) was a towering icon of Golden Age Hollywood, universally revered for his deep, resonant voice, commanding presence, and on-screen embodiment of moral integrity. After studying at UC Berkeley and honing his craft under Sanford Meisner in New York, Peck burst onto the cinematic scene, earning a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his second film, The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). Fiercely independent, he bucked the studio system by refusing exclusive contracts, allowing him to seamlessly traverse genres in masterpieces like Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945), Elia Kazan’s Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and the romantic classic Roman Holiday (1953). His career reached its zenith with his Oscar-winning portrayal of the principled Southern lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)—a performance that came to define his legacy as Hollywood’s ultimate archetype of honor and decency. Beyond his acting, Peck was a passionate humanitarian and industry leader, serving as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 before passing away peacefully at his Los Angeles home at the age of 87.

Dorothy McGuire (1916–2001) was a distinguished American actress who brought a rare, luminous sincerity and quiet intelligence to the screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, where she cut her teeth acting alongside a young Henry Fonda at the local community playhouse, McGuire rocketed to stardom after winning the titular role in the 1941 Broadway smash Claudia—a performance so captivating that producer David O. Selznick brought her to Hollywood to recreate it for her 1943 film debut. Eschewing the traditional glamour-girl studio mold, she consistently chose deeply felt, complex roles, delivering back-to-back masterpieces in 1945 as the resilient mother in Elia Kazan’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and a mute domestic servant in the thriller The Spiral Staircase. Her artistic high point came with the groundbreaking social drama Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), in which her nuanced portrayal of a progressive woman confronting her own passive biases earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In the 1950s and '60s, McGuire seamlessly transitioned into one of cinema's most beloved maternal figures, anchoring timeless Disney classics like Old Yeller (1957) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and portraying the Virgin Mary in the epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). She continued to grace the stage and television in her later years, earning an Emmy nomination for Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), before passing away in 2001 at the age of 85, leaving a legacy defined by profound dignity and understated grace.

Dorothy McGuire and Gregory Peck

John Garfield (1913–1952), born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, was a fiercely talented American actor who revolutionized Hollywood screen acting by pioneering the gritty, raw, and rebellious working-class antihero. Raised in the rough neighborhoods of New York’s Lower East Side, he found his footing in the theater, eventually becoming a leading light of the politically conscious Group Theatre, where he mastered the immersive “Method” style of acting. He exploded into Hollywood with Warner Bros.’ Four Daughters (1938), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and instantly establishing his trademark persona: the cynical, streetwise outsider with a hidden vulnerability. Garfield became a definitive star of 1940s film noir, delivering electrifying performances as the doomed lover in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and an uncompromising boxer in Body and Soul (1947), which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. His intense, naturalistic style left an indelible blueprint for future legends like Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift.

Gentleman’s Agreement trivia

• The production of Gentleman's Agreement faced immense resistance long before a single frame was shot, as several powerful, high-ranking Jewish studio executives in Hollywood actively pressured twentieth Century-Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck to shelve the project entirely out of fear that confronting anti-Semitism so directly on screen would provoke a public backlash and increase hostility.
• Director Elia Kazan deliberately weaponized the film's casting to make a point about the subtle nature of prejudice, specifically choosing the elegantly poised, patrician Dorothy McGuire to play Kathy Lacey so audiences could see that passive bias wasn't just held by loud extremists, but also by cultured, polite, and well-meaning members of high society.
• To capture the genuine, unvarnished reactions of regular citizens for the undercover sequence, Gregory Peck and the crew utilized a hidden camera setup across the street from a real, highly exclusive resort in Connecticut, allowing them to capture authentic footage of the actor being turned away by a clerk who believed he was actually Jewish.
• Despite her character’s name and background being synonymous with the affluent, old-money elite of Connecticut, actress Dorothy McGuire was actually heavily pregnant during the final weeks of filming, forcing director Elia Kazan and the cinematography team to utilize creative camera angles, oversized coats, and carefully placed foreground props to completely hide her growing maternity from the audience.

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Discussion questions

1. How does Phil Green’s decision to mask his own identity to uncover prejudice highlight the difference between intellectual empathy and lived experience? Think about whether a reporter can ever truly capture the systemic weight of bigotry if they have an escape hatch that allows them to return to privilege at any moment.
2. The film sharply critiques “polite” society and passive bystanders who claim they aren’t prejudiced but remain silent to maintain social harmony. Looking at characters like Kathy, what does the movie suggest about the moral responsibility of liberals who oppose bigotry in theory but tolerate it in their everyday social circles?
3. Dave Goldman serves as a crucial point of contrast to Phil because his experience with antisemitism isn't a temporary assignment—it is his reality. How does Dave’s perspective challenge or deepen Phil’s idealistic, almost naive approach to fighting discrimination, especially regarding the psychological toll it takes?
4. When we look at the ending, does the film offer a truly hopeful resolution, or does it leave us with a sense that the systemic and structural roots of prejudice remain largely untouched? Consider how the story balances individual moral awakening with the institutional barriers—like restricted housing and exclusive clubs—that defined the era.

 

 

A Journey Through Guilt and Subconscious Shadows: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1945, Spellbound is a pioneering psychological thriller that explores the mysteries of the human subconscious. The film stars Ingrid Bergman as Dr. Constance Petersen, a dedicated psychiatrist at the Green Manors mental asylum, and Gregory Peck as the man who arrives to take over as the new head of the institution, Dr. Anthony Edwardes. However, Constance soon realizes that the man is not who he claims to be; he is an amnesiac suffering from a severe guilt complex and a deep-seated phobia of parallel lines against a white background, which he believes is linked to a murder he might have committed.

As the mysterious stranger flees from the police, Constance follows him, convinced that his illness is masking a repressed memory rather than a criminal nature. The narrative follows their journey to the home of her mentor, Dr. Brulov (played by Michael Chekhov), where they attempt to decode the man's fractured psyche. The film is famously remembered for its dream sequence designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, featuring distorted landscapes, melting eyes, and giant scissors—all of which serve as Freudian clues that Constance must interpret to uncover the truth about the real Dr. Edwardes’s disappearance.

Upon its release, Spellbound was a massive commercial success and helped popularize psychoanalysis in American cinema. The film’s tension is heightened by Miklós Rózsa’s Academy Award-winning score, which prominently featured the eerie, wavering sound of the theremin to represent mental instability. While some of the psychological theories presented may feel dated today, the film remains a classic example of Hitchcock’s mastery of suspense, anchored by the intense chemistry between Bergman and Peck and its innovative visual storytelling.

 

Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was a legendary English filmmaker known as the “Master of Suspense,” whose career spanned over fifty years and fundamentally shaped the thriller genre. Born on August 13, 1899, in London, he began his career in the silent era before moving to Hollywood in 1939, where he directed some of the most influential films in cinema history, including Rebecca (1940), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960). Hitchcock was a pioneer of technical innovation, famous for his use of “MacGuffins,” bird’s-eye view shots, and the “Dolly zoom,” as well as his iconic cameo appearances in nearly all of his films. A master of psychological manipulation and visual storytelling, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award and was knighted shortly before his death on April 29, 1980, leaving a legacy that continues to define modern cinematic language.

Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) was a luminous Swedish actress whose natural beauty and profound talent made her one of the most celebrated figures in cinematic history. Born on August 29, 1915, in Stockholm, she rose to international stardom with her unforgettable performance as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942) and went on to win three Academy Awards for her roles in Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Known for her versatility, she moved effortlessly between Hollywood blockbusters and European arthouse films, most notably during her highly publicized and creatively fruitful collaboration with director Roberto Rossellini. Remarkably, Bergman passed away on her 67th birthday, August 29, 1982, leaving behind a legacy of poise and emotional depth that remains a gold standard for actors worldwide.

Gregory Peck (1916–2003) was a cornerstone of American cinema, celebrated for his commanding presence, resonant voice, and the quiet moral authority he brought to the screen. Born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, California, he became an immediate star in the 1940s with Academy Award-nominated performances in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) and The Yearling (1946). He is most indelibly linked to his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), a character that came to define the cinematic ideal of integrity and conscience. Beyond his dramatic work, Peck showcased his range in romantic comedies like Roman Holiday (1953) and intense Westerns such as The Big Country (1958). A dedicated humanitarian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Peck remained a respected elder statesman of Hollywood until his death on June 12, 2003, leaving a legacy of grace and principled storytelling.

 

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Spellbound trivia

• One of the film's most famous elements is the surreal dream sequence designed by artist Salvador Dalí. While the final version in the film is roughly three minutes long, Dalí originally conceptualized a much more elaborate and disturbing twenty-minute sequence. This original vision included a scene where Ingrid Bergman would appear to turn into a statue, but it proved too technically difficult and expensive to film, leading Hitchcock to bring in artist Ingrid Bergman’s friend and mentor, actor Michael Chekhov, to help streamline the sequence.
• Spellbound was the first major Hollywood film to use the theremin, an electronic musical instrument played without physical contact. Composer Miklós Rózsa used its eerie, wavering sound to heighten the sense of Dr. Edwardes’s mental instability. The score was so effective that it won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and sparked a trend in 1940s and 50s psychological thrillers and sci-fi films using the instrument to signify “otherworldliness” or fractured psyches.
• In the film's climactic finale, Hitchcock used a unique practical effect to create a first-person perspective of a revolver being pointed at the camera. To keep both the gun in the foreground and the actor in the background in sharp focus, a giant wooden hand and a prop gun twice the normal size were built. This allowed the camera to capture the tension of the moment with a depth of field that was otherwise impossible with the lenses of 1945.
• To ensure the film’s depiction of psychoanalysis was as accurate as possible, producer David O. Selznick brought in his own therapist, Dr. May Romm, as a technical advisor. Her presence on set reportedly led to frequent clashes with Hitchcock, who was more interested in cinematic suspense than clinical accuracy. When Dr. Romm pointed out that certain scenes didn’t reflect real psychiatric practice, Hitchcock famously replied, “It’s only a movie.”

 

Discussion questions

1. Dr. Constance Petersen risks her professional reputation and her physical safety to help a man she barely knows, driven by a “hunch” that he is innocent. Do you view her actions as a triumph of intuition and love, or as a dangerous violation of professional boundaries? How does the film portray the conflict between her clinical, “frigid” persona at the start and her emotional vulnerability by the end?
2. The dream sequence, designed by Salvador Dalí, is filled with specific symbols: melting eyes, blank playing cards, and a man without a face. Hitchcock uses these as a literal map to the protagonist’s trauma. In the context of modern psychology, does this puzzle-piece approach to memory feel like an effective storytelling device, or does it oversimplify the complexities of the human mind?
3. The film uses a recurring visual motif of parallel lines—on a bedspread, a robe, or even in the snow—to trigger the protagonist's guilt complex. How does Hitchcock use cinematography and production design to make the audience share in this sense of unease? Discuss how these visual triggers serve as a bridge between the character’s internal mental state and the external world.
4. In 1945, psychoanalysis was a relatively new and fascinating concept for general audiences. In Spellbound, “The Science” is essentially the hero who solves the mystery. How does the film’s portrayal of therapy compare to other Hitchcock films (like Psycho or Marnie)? Does the film suggest that we are all "prisoners" of our childhood memories until they are brought to light?

 

Gregory Peck in “Twelve O’Clock High”

Twelve O’Clock High is an American WW II drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. The strong supporting cast includes Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, and Dean Jagger.

Brigadier General Frank Savage (Peck) replaces Colonel Keith Davenport (Merrill), who was accused of being too involved with the men under his command. Savage struggles with some of the same issues that challenged Davenport.

The film, told in flashback, focuses on Savage's leadership in England and how he struggled to bring discipline to the group that he found lacking.

Does this look back change defend  Savage’s leadership?

Gary Merrill and Gregory Peck

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director, and seven films he directed were nominated for Best Picture, including The Song of Bernadette (1943), where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Twelve O’Clock High trivia

• Gregory Peck originally turned the role down. He was convinced to take the role by the director Henry King. Peck would go on to make five more films together. John Wayne was offered the role but turned it down.
• An early Hollywood film to deal with the psychological effects of soldiers at war.
• The film was originally planned to be filmed in color but was filmed in black and white so they could incorporate black and white stock footage.
• The B-17 was intentionally crashed by stunt pilot Paul Mantz. He was paid $4,500 for the stunt.
• Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance.

 

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Discussion questions

1. Did you think this was a realistic portrayal of men at war?
2. What did you think of Gregory Peck’s performance?
3. The film has a strong supporting cast. Did any member stand out to you?
4. Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. Was it well deserved in your opinion?

 

Gregory Peck discovers “The Keys of the Kingdom”

The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) is an American film based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Cronin. The film was directed by John M. Stahl and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The film stars Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell, Rose Stradner, Edmund Gwenn, James Gleason, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Anne Revere, and Vincent Price. Others in the cast include Roddy McDowall and Peggy Ann Garner.

The plot focuses on Father Francis, (Peck) an old man, who returns to the parish of his youth. Monsignor Sleeth (Hardwicke) believes that it would be best if he retires, which is not what Father Francis desires. The Monsignor gets ready for bed and notices Father Francis’s journal. He begins to read it and learns all about the elderly priest’s life from his youth until today. He reads of Francis’s work in China and the church and school that he helped establish with the help of three missionary nuns.

As Monsignor Sleeth finishes the journal, he has second thoughts about Father Francis.

Gregory Peck and Rose Stradner

John M. Stahl (1886 – 1950) was an American film director and producer who began his career in silent movies in 1913. In 1919 he signed with the film company Louis B. Mayer Pictures, which would eventually become Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Stahl made the transition to sound and directed Imitation of Life (1934) starring Claudette Colbert which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. In 1935, he directed Magnificent Obsession starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor. Other films of note include Back Street (1932) starring Dunne and John Boles, and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) starring Gregory Peck. Many believe that director Douglas Sirk was influenced by Stahl’s melodramatic style. Sirk remade both Magnificent Obsession (1954) and Imitation of Life (1959).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), and The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Thomas Mitchell (1892 –1962) was an American character actor who had a long career in film and theater. Mitchell was one of the most recognizable character actors in movies during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1939, Mitchell had important roles in five classic films: Stagecoach, Only Angles Have Wings, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gone with the Wind, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Mitchell won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role as Doc Josiah Boone in Stagecoach.

Vincent Price (1911 - 1993) was an American actor who worked on the stage, in film, radio, and television. He was also an art collector and author. Price established himself as a character actor in the 1940s with roles in films like The Song of Bernadette (1943), Laura (1944), The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), and Leave Her to Heaven (1945). In the 1950s, he established himself as a star of horror films including House of Wax (1953), The Fly (1958), and House on Haunted Hill (1959). Toward the end of his career, Price had important roles in The Whales of August (1987) and Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Roddy McDowall (1928 - 1998) was a British-born American actor. He started his career as a baby model and then began appearing in films as a young child in England. When he came to Hollywood, he became an in-demand child actor where he appeared in dozens of films including My Friend Flicka (1943), Lassie Come Home (1943), The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), and Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945). McDowell was able to successfully transition from child actor to adult actor appearing in lead and supporting roles in films like Midnight Lace (1960), The Longest Day (1962), Cleopatra (1963), and That Darn Cat! (1965). He may be best known as Cornelius, one of the intelligent apes in The Planet of the Apes (1968), its sequels, and short-lived TV series. McDowall also served as a producer of Overboard (1987) as well as co-starring with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

Peggy Ann Garner (1932 – 1984) was an American child film actress who achieved great fame during the mid-1940s. Garner entered films at age six. By age twelve, she had reached her peak playing the role of Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. For her performance in that film, Garner won an Academy Juvenile Award. Garner was memorable as the title character as a young girl in Jane Eyre (1943). After her success in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Garner had starring roles in Nob Hill (1945), Junior Miss (1945), and Home Sweet Homicide (1946). Soon thereafter, Garner was relegated to a supporting player, never able to successfully transition to adult roles. In spite of the lack of film roles, Garner had success on Broadway and appeared on popular television shows including Perry Mason, Combat!, Batman, The Big Valley, and Lou Grant.

The Keys of the Kingdom trivia

• This film garnered Peck’s first Academy Award nomination.
• Joseph Cotten tested for the role of Father Francis. Other actors considered were Spencer Tracy, Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, Gene Kelly, Alan Ladd, and Henry Fonda.
• Ingrid Bergman was considered for the part of Mother Maria Veronica. The role went to Rose Stradner, the wife of producer Joseph L. Mankiwicz. This was her final film.
• Alfred Hitchcock liked the novel and hoped to direct it.
• Thomas Mitchell was in his 50s and Peck in his 20s when the film was released which makes it a bit odd that they were cast as best friends from childhood.

 

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Publicity photo of Gregory Peck and Roddy McDowall reading the novel on set

Discussion questions

1. This was Gregory Peck’s breakthrough film. What did you think of his performance?
2. The film is an example of the studio system at its zenith. The depth of the supporting cast is staggering. Of all the great supporting players, did you have a favorite or one that stood out to you?
3. The movie was filmed entirely on the backlot and the sound stages at 20^th Century-Fox. What did you think of the production? Were you convinced the action took place in China?
4. What do you think the movie had to say about faith and belief?
5. Did anything about the film surprise you?

 

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 Gregory Peck with Mary Badham as Scout, Phillip Alford as Jem, and John Megna as “Dill.” Others in the cast include Brock Peters, Rosemary Murphy, Paul Fix, Alice Ghostley, William Windom, Estelle Evans, and Robert Duvall.

The film is told in flashback by an adult Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. She tells the story of what life was like growing up in Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s, with her widowed father Atticus, and her older brother Jem.

Atticus is a lawyer whose clients are mostly poor farmers who pay for his legal services with food and other items of use. Atticus believes that everyone deserves to be treated fairly in everyday life and through the legal system.

When Atticus is appointed to defend Tom Robinson (Peters), a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox) a white woman, it throws the town of Maycomb into a frenzy. The trial brings out the racism that is simmering in the town to a boil. The ugliness of the proceedings before, during, and after the trial force Scout and Jem to grow up faster than Atticus would like.

What will the trial reveal about the town of Maycomb? And what will become of Atticus, Jem, and Scout?

Mary Badham and Gregory Peck

Robert Mulligan (1925 – 2008) was an American film director and producer. Mulligan worked closely with producer Alan J. Pakula during the 1960s, most famously on the award-winning To Kill a Mockingbird. Other films he directed include Fear Strikes Out (1957), Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) starring Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen, Up the Down Staircase (1967), The Stalking Mood (1968) starring Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint, The Summer of ’42 (1971), and The Man in the Moon (1991) which featured the feature film debut of Reese Witherspoon.

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

To Kill a Mockingbird trivia

• Mary Badham and Gregory Peck remained close until Peck's death.
• This marked the film debut of Robert Duvall who spoke no lines of dialogue.
• Brock Peters (Tom Robinson) gave the eulogy at Gregory Peck's funeral.
• Gregory Peck's summation speech was done in one take.
• James Earl Jones auditioned for the role of Tom Robinson.
• This was reported to have been Peck's favorite film role.

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Gregory Peck and Brock Peters

Discussion questions

1. The producer and director chose to film the movie in black and white. Do you think this was a good choice? Explain.
2. The movie was filmed on the backlot of Universal Studios. Did it seem authentic to you?
3. Was defending Tom Robinson a lost cause? Do you think Atticus thought he could successfully defend Tom, leading to his freedom?
4. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley have several things in common. What characteristics do they share?
5. Why did the lynch mob disperse after the children arrived on the scene and Scout talked to them?

Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, and Richard Widmark star in the western classic "Yellow Sky"

Yellow Sky (1948) is an American western directed by William A. Wellman that stars Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, and Richard Widmark.

Anne Baxter confronts Gregory Peck in Yellow Sky

The plot centers on Peck and his band of outlaws who rob a bank and flee the law by riding into the desert. Desperate and out of drinking water, they come upon a ghost town inhabited by a young woman named Mike (Baxter) and her grandfather (James Barton). They are Yellow Sky’s sole inhabitants. The old man has been prospecting for gold and the gang sees a chance for them to make some easy money by intimidating Mike and her grandfather out of the estimated $50,000 in gold he has mined thus far.

Yellow Sky is based on an unpublished novel by W. R. Burnett. Burnett is the best-selling author of Little Caesar, Scarface, and High Sierra. Many of his novels were turned into films, which led to a career as a scriptwriter in Hollywood. Burnett worked with top directors, writers, and actors like Raoul Walsh, John Huston, John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, Steve McQueen, and Clint Eastwood. As a scriptwriter, he wrote This Gun for Hire (1942), Action in the North Atlantic (1943), San Antonio (1945), and The Great Escape (1963).

Some exteriors for Yellow Sky were filmed at Death Valley National Monument. The ghost town of Yellow Sky was an old western set that actor Tom Mix had built in 1923. The crew hired by Twentieth Century-Fox basically demolished the movie set located near Lone Pine, California.

William Wellman directed the original version of A Star Is Born.

Director William A. Wellman (1896 – 1975) got his start in the movies as an actor but decided he’d rather work behind the camera as a director. He directed his first film in 1920. Seven years later, Wellman directed the World War I epic Wings. His other notable films in the sound era include The Public Enemy (1931), A Star Is Born, Nothing Sacred (both 1937), Beau Geste (1939), and The Ox-Box Incident (1943).

By 1948, Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations under his belt, including one for Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Besides Gentleman’s Agreement, Peck starred in three other films that year, including Alfred Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case. He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Yellow Sky was Peck’s only film released in 1948.

Lobby card for The Valley of Decision (1945) starring Greer Garson and Gregory Peck

Anne Baxter (1923 – 1985) won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Sophie MacDonald in The Razor’s Edge (1946). She was signed to a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox in 1940. In 1948, Baxter starred in four movies, with Yellow Sky being her most prominent role to date. She went on to have a prolific career in film, television, and theater. She is probably best known for her Oscar-nominated performance as Eve Harrington in All About Eve. Frank Lloyd Wright was Baxter’s grandfather.

Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington in All About Eve (1950)

Richard Widmark (1914- 2008) had a sensational movie debut playing the crazy villain Tommy Udo in director Henry Hathaway’s Kiss of Death (1947). In the film’s most notorious scene, Widmark’s character pushed an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs. His performance won him a Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year – Actor. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Udo. Widmark was also under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox where he played mostly villains (Yellow Sky is no exception). Later in his career, he started playing more heroic roles in films like Slattery’s Hurricane and Down to the Sea in Ships (both 1949).

Richard Widmark stands between Cornell Wilde and Ida Lupino in Road House (1948).

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To watch the movie on YouTube, click on the link below.

Questions for Discussion

1. What were your overall impressions?
2. Did the movie remind you of any other movies you’ve seen?
3. What did you think of Anne Baxter’s character? 
4. Did anything about the movie surprise you?
5. Was the ending satisfying? Was it realistic?

Gregory Peck is "The Gunfigher"

The Gunfighter (1950) is an American western drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. The cast members include Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell, Karl Malden, and Jean Parker. The cinematography was by Arthur C. Miller (How Green is My Valley).

Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, who is famous for being the fastest draw in the West. Because of his renown, he is constantly hounded by younger gunslingers who want to take him on. When Ringo is confronted by a young cowboy named Eddie, he has no choice but to defend himself. When Eddie’s three brothers find out they follow Ringo out of town. Ringo ambushes the brothers, disarms them and drives their horses away. He tells the brothers to walk back to town but they follow him on foot.

Ringo eventually arrives at the town of Cayenne where his wife and son live. He hasn’t seen either of them in eight years. Ringo wants to reunite with his wife (Helen Westcott) and son but Peggy doesn’t see how they could make a life for themselves and their son due to his gunfighter notoriety.

What remains for Ringo? Will he be able to carve a new life for himself or will his gunfighter’s reputation keep him from living a quiet, “normal” life?

Gregory Peck

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Benadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The Gunfighter trivia

• The script was originally written with John Wayne in mind.
• The producers hated Peck's period mustache.
• The western street is the same one used in The Ox-Box Incident (1942).
• This was supposedly one of Gregory Peck's favorite roles.

To watch the movie on YouTube, clicked the link below.

To join the discussion on October 3, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Was Peck convincing as an outlaw on the run?
2. The producers hated Peck's mustache that fit the period and thought it contributed to the film's failure at the box office. Did Peck's mustache work for you or did you agree with the producers at Twentieth Century-Fox?
3. Do you think Peck's character had a chance at a new life with his wife and son?
4. Was the ending inevitable? Would you have written a different ending?
5. Why do you think audiences didn't embrace The Gunfighter in spite of the mostly glowing reviews from the critics? 

Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott

Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner star in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) is an American drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Garnder. The film is based on a short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway published in Esquire Magazine in 1936.

The plot centers around Harry Street (Peck) a man who is suffering from an infection he contracted while on safari in Africa. As he is waiting to die, he contemplates his life. His past life with Cynthia Green (Gardner) and his present life with Helen (Hayward) who is determined not to let him die.

A huge commercial and financial success when first released, it was the number two box office hit of 1952, second only to The Greatest Show on Earth that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Bernadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Susan Hayward (1917 – 1975) was an Academy Award-winning actress for her role as Barbara Graham in I Want to Live (1958). Hayward worked as a fashion model but traveled to Hollywood in 1937 to try out for the role of Scarlett O’Hara. She didn’t win that coveted role, but she secured a film contract. Hayward’s career took off in the late 1940s when she was nominated for Best Actress for Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman (1947). She received four more Best Actress nominations for My Foolish Heart (1949), With a Song in My Heart (1952), I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955), and I Want to Live. Later in her career, Hayward replaced Judy Garland as Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls (1967).

Ava Gardner (1922 - 1990) was an American actress who signed a film contract with M-G-M in 1941. She played minor roles in a variety of films until her breakout performance in The Killers (1946) on loan to Universal. She hit her stride in the 1950s with films like Mogambo (1953), The Knights of the Round Table (1953), Bhowani Junction (1956), The Sun Also Rises (1957), On the Beach (1959), and 55 Days in Peking (1963). Later in her career, she had a recurring role on the television series Knots Landing (1985). During her prime, Garnder was considered one of the world’s most beautiful women.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro trivia:

• Gregory Peck threw out his knew while lifting up Ava Gardner during filming. Production was shut down until he recovered. 
• There was substantial location shooting in Kenya, but most of the main stars filmed their scenes in Hollywood.
• Actors considered for the role of Harry Street include Humphrey Bogart, Richard Conte, and Marlon Brando.
• The highest grossing film for Twentieth Century-Fox that year and the third highest overall at the box office.
• Gene Tierney and Anne Francis were under consideration for the Ava Gardner role.
• Bullfight footage is from Blood and Sand (1941).

Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward had a hit the year before
with David and Bathsheba.

Why watch this film?

• The film features the second pairing of Hayward and Peck who scored a previous box office success with David and Bathsheba (1951).
• It serves as an example of 1950s popular cinema as envisioned by popular studio director Henry King.
• Besides Peck and Hayward, the film also features the star power of Ava Gardner.
• The color cinematography is by multiple Academy Award winner Leon Shamroy.
• The legendary film composer, Bernard Herrmann wrote the film score.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

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Discussion questions:

1. What did you think of the film overall?
2. Who had the better chemistry with Peck? Hayward or Gardner?
3. From what you know of Ernest Hemingway, does this film seem Hemingwayesque?
4. The was the second time Peck played a Hemingway hero; what did you think of his performance?
5. Did the film’s flashback narrative work for you?

Gregory Peck tops the cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Paradine Case”

The Paradine Case (1947) is an American courtroom drama directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Gregory Peck, Ann Todd, Charles Laughton, Charles Coburn, and Ethel Barrymore. The film introduced Alida Valli (billed as Valli on screen) and Louis Jourdan. The film was the last movie Hitchcock directed while under contract to David O. Selznick.

In London, Anna Paradine (Valli), a beautiful young Italian woman is accused of murdering her older, blind husband. The fact that her husband, a wealthy retired colonel cast suspicion on the enigmatic Anna. Anna’s personal lawyer, Sir Simon Flaquer (Coburn), hires Anthony Keane (Peck), a young, successful lawyer to defend her. Keane has been happily married to Gay (Todd) but he is instantly fascinated by his new client. 

Is Anna a murderer? Did she poison her husband on her own or did someone else do it? Was it the colonel’s valet (Jourdan)? Will Keane’s infatuation with Anna keep him from finding the truth and destroy his marriage in the process?

Gregory Peck and Alida Valli

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He was nominated three times for Best Actor finally winning for his role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Peck had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Peck first gained prominence in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) and he remained a major movie star through the 1960s. Some of his iconic films include Spellbound (1944), Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), and The Guns of Navarone (1961).

Ann Todd, Charles Coburn, and Gregory Peck

Ann Todd (1907 - 1993) was an English actress and singer. She started out on the London stage but ended up appearing in films, becoming a star opposite James Mason in The Seventh Veil (1945). Due to the success of that film, she was signed by producer David O. Selznick. It was reported to be the most “lucrative”film contract signed by an English actress. However, she found limited success in America. Todd was married three times. Her third husband was to film director David Lean. Together they collaborated on three films produced in England.

Charles Laughton (1899 – 1962) had a long career on the stage and in Hollywood. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Henry VIII in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and was nominated for two other Best Actor Oscars for his performances in Mutiny on the Bounty (1933) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). His performance in The Suspect is considered one of Laughton’s most natural screen performances, which is credited to director Siodmak, a close personal friend of the actor.

Charles Coburn (1877 – 1961) was an Academy-Award-winning character actor. Coburn was one of the most popular character actors in film during the 1940s. He was nominated for three Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards for The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), for The More the Merrier (1943)—won, and The Green Years (1946). Other classic films featuring Coburn include The Lady Eve (1941), Kings Row (1942), The Constant Nymph (1943), Monkey Business (1952), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).

Ethel Barrymore (1879 - 1959) was an American stage and film actress and part of the famous Barrymore family of actors. Her equally famous brothers were Lionel and John Barrymore. Barrymore got her start on the stage and she was among its brightest stars for many years. Barrymore also had a successful career on the other side of the Atlantic in London where she starred in Peter the Great. She achieved one of her biggest Broadway successes in W. Somerset Maugham’s comedy, The Constant Wife (1926). Barrymore was a popular character actress in film during the 1940s. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in None but the Lonely Heart (1944) opposite Cary Grant who played her son. Other film roles include The Spiral Staircase (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), and Pinky (1949).

Alida Valli (1921 - 2006) was an Italian actress who made films in Europe and the United States. She came to America under contract to David O. Selznick who considered her another Ingrid Bergman. Introduced as “Valli” in Alfred Hitchcock’ The Paradine Case, she never lived up to the promise Selznick had for her. Her next two films The Miracle of the Bells (1948) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Frank Sinatra and Walk Softly Stranger (1950) co-starring Joseph Cotten were box office failures. The latter film was completed in 1948 but its release was held up for two years with the hope that it would capitalize on the popularity of The Third Man (1949). Valli had much greater success in Europe where she starred in films until 2002.

Louis Jourdan (1921 - 2015) was a French film and television actor. Jourdan worked on the stage in Europe and even began working in films as early as 1939, but his film work was interrupted due to World War II. After the war, Jourdan was brought to Hollywood by producer David O. Selznick. His first film in Hollowood was Alfred Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case (1947). The next year he made Letter from an Unknown Woman, one of his most famous roles during his long career. Jourdan made movies in Europe and Hollywood and starred on Broadway in The Immoralist in 1954 co-starring with Geraldine Page and James Dean. Jourdan’s most famous and successful American film was Gigi (1958). The film cos-starred Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier and won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The Paradine Case trivia

• Alfred Hitchcock didn’t think Gregory Peck, Alida Valli, and Louis Jourdan were right for their roles and wanted Laurence Olivier or Ronald Colman as Anthony Keane, Greta Garbo as Mrs. Paradine, and Robert Newton instead of Jourdan.
• The film cost as much as Gone with the Wind (1939) due to Selznick’s insistence that Hitchcock due reshoots and his constant interference on the set.
• A replica of the Old Bailey courtroom was constructed at a cost of $400,000.
• Hitchcock makes his cameo appearance almost 40 minutes into the film.

Why watch this film?

• Watching any Alfred Hitchcock movie is always interesting.
• This is probably the largest cast of stars the director worked with at one time; Laughton, Coburn, and Barrymore were all Oscar winners at the time of the film’s release.
• The film introduced two European stars to American audiences in Louis Jourdan and Alida Valli.
• The attention to detail as far as the film’s production goes is staggering.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join the discussion on June 28, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will be sent an invitation with links to the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions:

1. Did this seem like an Alfred Hitchcock movie to you? 
2. Do you think this movie deserves more attention from Hitchcock critics?
3. The film introduced Jourdan and Valli to American movie goers. What did you think of them?
4. Was Valli a good choice for Mrs. Paradine? Could you see another actress in the role?
5. When the film was released, Ann Todd and Joan Tetzel (Judy Flaquer and Gay’s best friend, received the best reviews. Do you think they were justified?