Synopsis for
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) More at IMDbPro »

The movie is based on a story by Harper Lee, who interestingly enough was the assistant to Truman Capote when he did the research for "In Cold Blood."

The title refers to what Atticus about shooting mockingbirds. He told them it was wrong because a mockingbird does no harm, it just sings all day.

The story is told through the eyes of six-year-old Scout (Mary Badham), feisty young lady who lives in a small Alabama town with her older brother Jem (Philip Alford) and her father. A man named Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck). who is a widower.

There has been an arrest of a black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) accused of raping a white woman named Maybella Ewell (Collin Wilcox). The town is up in arms and there's talk of lynching a "nigger' who's obviously guilty.

At the preliminary hearing, someone needs to be appointed to defend Tom and Atticus is selected. The town gets ready for a quick and speedy trial. As the trial gets nearer, some of the men in town decide to take matters by taking Tom out of the jail and hanging him.

Sheriff Tate (Frank Overton) comes to Atticus and tells him of the impending action. Atticus takes a chair, a lamp and a bood down to the jail to sit up all night to guard Tom. But the drunken mob comes any way and they tell Atticus to get out of the way and let them get on with it.

Scott and Jem and their cousin Dill (John Mosna) are hiding in the shadows during this interaction between Atticus and the mob. Scout comes out and says "Hey" to Mr. Cunningham, a member of the mob. Scout says, "I said hey Mr. Cunningham," again. And it's her presence that defuses the situation.

At various times throughout the movie the children discuss the "crazy" man who lives down the block. They think "Boo" Radley (Robert Duvall) comes out at night and gets little kids and animals. But Boo is to play an interesting part in the story later.

Another interesting scene is when the Finch housekeeper Maudie (Rosemary Murphy) sees a dog coming down the street and it's acting very strangly. She tells someone to go fetch Mr. Finch and the Sheriff. They come and the Sheriff has a rifle. It seems the dog is rabid and someone needs to shoot it before it gets too close. The Sheriff hands the gun to Atticus and says he would prefer if Atticus took the shot. The children because they have no idea about this side of their father. The Sheriff says their dad is the best shot in three counties. Sure enough, Atticus takes down the dog in one shot.

Another interesting side story in the picture in strange happenings with a tree on the block. Scout begins to find unusual items left in a knot hole in the tree, like string and a knife and other stuff.

The trial begins and it doesn't look good. The first witness is Bob Ewell, one of the towns no account white folks who don't work much and he's the father of Maybella, the alledgely victim in the case. Bob testifies how he comes home and sees Tom going out the side door and Maybella is all beat up and black and blue on the left side of her face.

Then Maybella gets on the stand and testifies that she saw Tom coming by and tells him to come up to the house and break up a chifforobe and she'll give him a nickel. She says that when she goes inside to get the nickel, Tom comes up behind her and grabs her and when she screams, he hits her on the left side of his face. About that time her daddy comes up to the house and Tom runs out the side door.

Atticus asks her again about how Tom held her and hit her and is she sure. She says over and over yes I'm sure.

Now Atticus calls Tom to the stand. Atticus asks Tom to tell his version. Tom says he was walking by the house and Miss Maybella asked him to come in the yard and break up the chifforobe. Tom says she was always asking to do this little chore or that one. After he did the chore, he says that Maybella asks him to come inside while she gets his nickel. Tom freezes at this point, but Atticus gets him to go on. Tom begins to sweat, he says that as he took the quarter, Maybella grabs him and puts her arms around him. At this point Bob Ewell is standing at the door and hollers at Maybella. Tom says he took off.

Atticus asks Tom to hold something in his right hand. Tom says now Mr. Finch, he know I can't do that ever since my arm got crushed in that accident. I have to do everything with my left hand. So Atticus points out if Tome struck the bruises would be on the left side of her face, not the right.

Atticus recalls Ewell to the stand and asks him if he's left handed or right handed. Why right says Ewell. Atticus says so if you struck someone they would have bruises on the right side of her face.

Despite the obvious evidence presented by Atticus. The all white jury in an Alabama town in 1932 convicts Tom. And no one is the winner.

Later in the year, Scout and Jem are going to a Halloween party. Scout is wearing a costume made out to be a ham. She could see out of the costume. They decided to take a short cut through the woods. Part of the way the two children are attacked by someone, there's a shuffle and Scout is knocked down.

The next thing she remembers is being in bed at home. Her dad is there and all is well except she has a broken arm. She suddenly realizes someone is standing behind the door of her room in the shadows. She says, "Hey Boo." It's Boo Radley and he saved Jem and Scout from being killed.