1939–1943: Beginnings and stage roles Peck did not graduate with his friends because he lacked one course. His college friends were concerned for him and wondered how he would get along without his degree. "I have all I need from the university," he told them. Peck dropped the name Eldred and headed to New York City to study at the
Neighborhood Playhouse with the legendary acting teacher
Sanford Meisner. He was often broke and sometimes slept in
Central Park. He worked at the 1939
World's Fair as a
barker, at
Rockefeller Center as a tour guide for
NBC television and at
Radio City Music Hall. His stage career began in 1941 when he played the secretary in a
Katharine Cornell production of
George Bernard Shaw's play ''
The Doctor's Dilemma''. The play opened in San Francisco just one week before the
attack on Pearl Harbor. He made his
Broadway debut as the lead in
Emlyn Williams'
The Morning Star in 1942.
Twentieth Century Fox later claimed he had injured his back while rowing at university, but in Peck's words, "In Hollywood, they didn't think a dance class was macho enough, I guess. I've been trying to straighten out that story for years." Peck performed in a total of 50 plays, including three short-lived Broadway productions, 4–5 road tours, and summer theater.
1944–1946: Hollywood breakthrough '' (1944) After gaining stage recognition, Peck was offered his first film role at RKO Radio Pictures, the male lead in the war-romance
Days of Glory (1944), directed by
Jacques Tourneur, alongside top-billed
Tamara Toumanova, a Russian-born ballerina. During production of the film, Tourneur "untrained" Peck from his theater training where he was used to speaking in a formal manner and projecting his voice to the entire hall. Peck considered his performance in the film as quite amateurish and did not wish to watch the film after it was released. and was largely dismissed by critics. including an unusual dual contract with
20th Century Fox and
Gone With the Wind producer
David O. Selznick. In Peck's second movie,
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), he plays an 80-year-old
Roman Catholic priest who looks back at his undertakings during over half a century of his determined, self-sacrificing missionary work in China. The film was nominated for four
Academy Awards, including the
Academy Award for Best Actor, which was Peck's first nomination. Although the film finished only 27th at the box office in North America for 1944, Jay Carr of
Turner Classic Movies refers to it as Peck's breakthrough performance, while writer
Patrick McGilligan says that it "catapulted him to stardom". At the time of release, Peck's performance was lauded by
Variety and
The New York Times, despite mixed reviews for the film itself. The
Radio Times referred to it as "a long, talkative and rather undramatic picture" but admitted that "its success saved Peck's career". Craig Butler of
AllMovie states "he gives a commanding performance, full of his usual quiet dignity and intelligence, and spiked with stubbornness and an inner fire that make the character truly come alive". In
The Valley of Decision (1945), a romantic drama about intermingling
social classes, Peck plays the eldest son of a wealthy steel mill owner in 1870s Pittsburgh who has a romance with one of his family's maids, portrayed by
Greer Garson. who was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress. Upon release, reviews from
The New York Times and
Variety were somewhat positive, with Peck's performance described as commanding. It was North America's
highest-grossing movie of 1945. Peck and Hitchcock were described as having a cordial but cool relationship. Hitchcock initially hoped that
Cary Grant would play the male lead. Peck later stated that he thought he was too young when he first worked with Hitchcock and that the director's on-set indifference to his character's motivation, important to Peck's acting style, shook his confidence. Producer
David O. Selznick noted that during preview tests of the movie, the women in the audiences had substantive reactions to the appearance of Peck's name during the opening credits, stating that during his first few scenes the audience had to be shushed to quiet down. In
The Yearling (1946),
The Yearling was a box office success, finishing with the ninth highest box office gross for 1947, In recent decades, it has continued to receive critical praise with Barry Monush writing that it was "one of the best-made and most-loved family films of its day". Their chemistry is described by film historian David Thomson as "a constant knife fight of sensuality".
Joseph Cotten starred as Peck's righteous half brother and competitor for the affections of the "steamy, sexpot" character of Jones; the movie was resoundingly criticized and even banned in some cities due to its lurid nature. The publicity around the eroticism of
Duel in the Sun, one of the biggest movie advertising campaigns in history, saturating the theaters in cities where it opened, resulting in the film's being the second highest-grossing movie of both 1947 and all of the 1940s. Nicknamed "Lust in the Dust", the film received mostly negative reviews upon release- Bosley Crowther wrote that "performances are strangely uneven," although Jones received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress. The opinions of Peck's performance have been polarized.
1947–1949: Career setbacks In 1947, Peck co-founded
The La Jolla Playhouse at his birthplace with
Mel Ferrer and
Dorothy McGuire. This summer stock company presented productions in the La Jolla High School Auditorium from 1947 until 1964. In 1983, the La Jolla Playhouse re-opened in a new home at the
University of California, San Diego, where it operates today. It has attracted
Hollywood film stars on hiatus, both as performers and enthusiastic supporters, since its inception. Peck's next release was the modest-budget, serious adult drama,
The Macomber Affair (1947), in which he portrays an African hunting guide assisting a tourist couple. During the trip, the wife, played by
Joan Bennett, becomes enamored with Peck, and the husband gets shot. Peck was very active in the development of the film, including recommending director
Zoltan Korda. The film received positive reviews but was mostly overlooked by the public upon its release, which Peck would later say disappointed him. Based on a novel, the film has Peck portraying a New York magazine writer who pretends to be Jewish so he can experience personally the hostility of bigots. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Peck for Best Actor, winning in the Best Film and Best Director categories. It was the
second-highest top-grossing film of 1948. Peck would indicate in his later years that the film was one of his proudest works. Upon release, ''
Gentleman's Agreement'' was widely praised for both its courageousness and its quality, Peck's performance has been described as very convincing by many critics, both upon release and in recent years. In recent decades, critics have expressed differing opinions regarding Peck's portrayal, the quality of the film by modern standard, and the film's effectiveness at addressing anti-semitism, with film writer Matt Bailey writing "''
Gentleman's Agreement'' may have been an important film at one time, but was never a good film." Peck's next three releases were commercial disappointments.
The Paradine Case was his second and last film with Hitchcock. When producer
David O. Selznick insisted on casting Peck for the movie, Hitchcock was apprehensive, questioning whether Peck could properly portray an English lawyer. In later years, Peck did not speak fondly of the making of the movie. Released in 1947,
The Paradine Case was a British-set courtroom drama about a defense lawyer in love with his client. The movie received positive reviews, with many complimenting Peck's performance, but it was panned by the public, only recouping half of the $4.2million production costs. In recent decades, the film was criticized by most prominent writers, although critic's praised Peck's acting. Writers Paul Condon and Jim Sangster stated that "Peck is vulnerable yet believable in a role that requires significant delicacy of touch to maintain viewer's loyalty and interest." '' (1949) Peck shared top billing with
Anne Baxter in the Western
Yellow Sky (1948), named for the
ghost town where Peck's group of bank robbers seek refuge and encounters the spunky tomboy Baxter, her grandfather, and their gold. Peck gradually develops an interest in Baxter's character, who in turn seems to rediscover her femininity and develops an interest in him. Critics who commented on Peck's performance felt it to be solid, but said the plot was slightly unbelievable. A year later, Peck was paired with
Ava Gardner for their first of three films together in
The Great Sinner (1949), a period drama-romance where a Russian writer, Peck, becomes addicted to gambling while helping Gardner and her father pay back their debts. Peck ended up becoming great friends with Gardner, and would later declare her his favorite co-star. The film received unfavorable reviews usually describing it as dull, and the public was not interested, rendering it a commercial disappointment. In modern times, the film has received mixed reviews but
TV Guide says "this often gripping film" has strong performances, that "Peck is powerful" in his portrayal. Peck initially rejected the film, his last movie under his
MGM contract, eventually agreeing to do it as a favor to the studio's production head. His second 1949 release, ''
Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949), was the first of many films in which Peck embodies the brave, effective, yet human, "fighting man." Based on true events, Peck portrays the new commander of a "hard luck" U.S. World War II bomber group tasked with instilling discipline and pride into the pilots and crews. He believes the former commander failed because he identified too closely with the men and his overly protective attitude caused the squadron to fail in its mission. Peck succeeds in whipping the command into shape, but finds himself caring deeply for his men and finally breaks down after losing his adjutant on a particularly rough mission over Schweinfurt. The film received strong reviews upon release. Recent critics maintain positive opinions. Evaluations of Peck's performance were positive, with
The New York Times describing "High and particular praise for Gregory Peck.... Peck does an extraordinarily able job in revealing the hardness and the softness of a general exposed to peril." Film historian
Peter von Bagh considers Peck's performance "as Brigadier General Frank Savage to be the most enduring of his life."
1950–1953: Worldwide recognition Peck began the 1950s with two Westerns, the first being
The Gunfighter (1950), directed by
Henry King, who had worked with him previously on ''Twelve O'Clock High''. Peck plays an aging "Top Gun of the West" who is now weary of killing and wishes to retire with his alluring but pragmatic wife and his seven-year-old son, both of whom he has not seen for many years. Peck and King did much photographic research about the Wild West Era, discovering that most cowboys had facial hair, "bowl" haircuts and wore beat-up clothing; Peck subsequently wore a mustache while filming. The studio's president called for re-shoots upon seeing the initial footage with the mustache, but backed out due to costs that were inflated by the production manager at King and Peck's persuasion.
The Gunfighter had disappointing sales at the box office, with $5.6million in receipts, 47th place for earnings in 1951.
20th Century Fox's studio chief
Darryl Zanuck blamed Peck's mustache for the lukewarm reaction from Peck's typical fans, stating that they wanted to see the usual handsome, clean-shaven Peck, not the authentic-cowboy Peck. with Peck's performance "bringing him some of his best notices." The movie has grown in critical appreciation over the years and "is now considered one of the all-time classic Westerns" Critics of recent decades uniformly praise Peck's performance, with David Parkinson of
Radio Times saying "Peck gives a performance of characteristic dignity and grit." in
Only the Valiant (1951) Peck's next Western was
Only the Valiant (1951), a low-budget movie; Peck disliked the script and would later label the film as the low point of his career. Peck's non-exclusive contract with David O. Selznick permitted Selznick to sell Peck's services to Warner Bros for this movie after running into financial difficulties. Peck portrays a U.S. army captain and the mission is to protect an undermanned army fort against the attacking Apaches. Peck's romantic interest was played by
Barbara Payton. ''Variety's'' review said "In this cavalry yarn...great pains have been exerted to provide interesting characters. Peck makes the most of a colorful role." It earned a moderate $5.7million, ranking 35th in sales for the year. This little-remembered picture receives mixed reviews today, although Peck's acting is praised. Peck's second 1951 release was the book-to-film adaptation
Captain Horatio Hornblower, featuring Peck as the commander of a warship in the British fleet during the
Napoleonic Wars who finds romance with
Virginia Mayo's character. Peck was attracted to the character, saying, "I thought Hornblower was an interesting character. I never believe in heroes who are unmitigated and unadulterated heroes, who never know the meaning of fear." The role had been originally intended for
Errol Flynn, but he was felt to be too old by the time the project came to fruition.
Captain Horatio Hornblower was a box office success, finishing ninth for the year in the UK and seventh in the North America. Peck's role in the film was largely praised by reviewers. The
Associated Press stated that Peck provided "the proper dash and authenticity as the remarkable nineteenth-century skipper" and
Variety later wrote "Peck stands out as a skilled artist, capturing the spirit of the character and atmosphere of the period." Modern reviews have given mixed reactions to Peck's performance.
Richard Gilliam of
AllMovie argues that it is "an excellent performance from Gregory Peck" stating that "Peck brings his customary aura of intelligence and moral authority to the role," while the
Radio Times asserts "Gregory Peck plays Hornblower as a high-principle stuff shirt and thus confounds director Raoul Walsh's efforts to inject some pace." in
David and Bathsheba His third film under
Henry King's direction,
David and Bathsheba, a Biblical epic, was the
top-grossing movie of 1951.
David and Bathsheba tells the story of
David (Peck), who slew
Goliath as a teenager, and later as the beloved King, becomes infatuated with the married
Bathsheba, played by
Susan Hayward. Peck's performance in
David and Bathsheba was evaluated upon release by
The New York Times as "an authoritative performance," and
Variety stated "Peck is a commanding personality...he shades his character expertly," In recent years, critics have argued that his "stiff" performance is made up for in charisma, but overall, they praised his strength in the role; Leonard Maltin says the movie has "only fair performances." Peck returned to
swashbucklers in
The World in His Arms (1952), directed by
Raoul Walsh, who had also directed
Captain Horatio Hornblower. Peck portrays a seal-hunting ship captain in 1850 San Francisco who romances a Russian countess played by
Ann Blyth and ends up engaging a rival sealer played by
Anthony Quinn in a sailing race to Alaska. The film was given positive reviews by both contemporary and modern critics.
All Movie commented that Peck is "a superb actor, who brings enormous skill to the part, but who simply lacks the overt derring-do and danger that is part of the role." The film was moderately successful, more so in the UK than in North America. in January 1953 He reunited with previous collaborators King, Hayward, and Gardner in
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), an adaptation of a short story by
Ernest Hemingway. The film stars Peck as a self-concerned writer looking back on his life, particularly his romance with his first wife (Gardner), while he slowly dies from an accidental wound while on an African hunting expedition with his current wife (Hayward) nursing him. The film was praised for its cinematography and direction. Most reviews praise Peck's performance, with
TV Guide saying the story is "enacted with power and conviction by Peck," although some criticized his "bland" expressions. Peck, who at that time was married to
Finnish American-born Greta Kukkonen, even made a two-day visit to
Helsinki in January 1953, participating in an invited guest premiere of
The Snows of Kilimanjaro that premiered in Finland.
The Snows of Kilimanjaro was a box office hit and ranked as the
fourth-highest-grossing movie of 1952. Peck's role in
Roman Holiday had originally been offered to
Cary Grant, who turned it down because the part appeared to be more of a supporting role to the princess. Critics praised Peck's performance;
Bosley Crowther stated that "Peck makes a stalwart and manly escort...whose eyes belie his restrained exterior," The film was met with critical acclaim. It was nominated for multiple accolades, including 8
Academy Awards, with Hepburn winning for
Best Actress; Peck also scored a
BAFTA nomination for Foreign Actor.
1954–1957: Overseas and New York With his acclaimed performance in
The Gunfighter, Peck was offered the lead role in
High Noon (1952) but turned it down because he did not want to become typecast in Westerns. After
Roman Holidays production in Italy, his three subsequent films were shot and set in London, Germany and Southeast Asia, respectively. Peck starred in
The Million Pound Note (1954), based on a
Mark Twain short story. Peck enjoyed the film's production as "it was a good comedy opportunity" and "was given probably the most elegant wardrobe he had ever worn in film." Adrian Turner of the
Radio Times praised it as a "lovely comedy" which "has a lot of charm and gentle humor, owing to Peck's evident delight in the role and the unobtrusive direction" adding it has a "witty script." Peck portrayed a US army colonel investigating the kidnapping of a young soldier in
Night People (1954). He later stated that the role was one of his favorites as his lines were "tough and crisp and full of wisecracks, and more aggressive than other roles" he'd played. The film received praise for its production and direction, but did poorly at the box office. Peck flew to Sri Lanka to film
The Purple Plain (1954), playing a Canadian bomber pilot with strong emotional problems during the Second World War.
The Purple Plain was panned in the United States but became a hit in the United Kingdom, ranking tenth at the box office in 1954, and was nominated for a
BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film. Of his performance, Crowther wrote, "the extent of Peck's agony is impressively transmitted...in vivid and unrelenting scenes." In recent years, the movie "has become one of Peck's most respected works," in a film still for
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) In 1954, Peck was named the third most popular non-British film star in the United Kingdom. Peck did not have a film released in 1955. He made a
comeback in the US. with
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), where he portrays a married, ex-soldier father of three who is increasingly haunted by his deeds in Italy during the Second World War. The film saw Peck reunited with
Duel in the Sun co-star
Jennifer Jones. During the filming of a scene where their characters argue, Jones clawed his face with her fingernails, prompting Peck to say to the director "I don't call that acting. I call it personal." The movie was successful, finishing eighth in box office gross for the year, despite contemporary and modern reviews being mixed. Butler of
AllMovie declared that "the role fits (Gregory Peck) as if it had been tailor-made for him. Peck's particular brilliance lies in the quiet strength that is so much a part of him and the way in which he uses subtle changes in that quietness to signal mammoth emotions. He's given ample opportunity to do so here and the results are enthralling...an exceptional performance." Peck almost drowned twice during filming in stormy weather off the sea coasts of Ireland, and several other performers and crew members suffered injuries. In 2003, editor Barry Monush wrote, "There was, and continues to be, controversy over his casting as Ahab in
Moby Dick." and "lending a deranged dignity" to the role. Peck himself later said "I wasn't mad enough, not crazy enough, not obsessive enough – I should have done more. At the time, I didn't have more in me." For romantic comedy
Designing Woman (1957), Peck was permitted to choose his leading lady,
Lauren Bacall, who needed to be busy with work as her husband
Humphrey Bogart was gravely ill at the time. The film revolves around a fashion designer and a sports writer on a California vacation. They have a whirlwind romance and marry in haste, despite Peck's character already having a girlfriend back home, only to find upon their return to New York, that they have vastly different lifestyles. The film was mildly successful and entered at 35th for annual gross, but did not break even. Upon release,
Variety said "Bacall...is excellent.... Peck is fine as the confused sportswriter" and saying that all the other actors/actresses give top-notch performances. In recent years, the few reviews from prominent critics or websites are generally positive with
TV Guide exclaiming "they've made...the famous stoneface...Peck, somewhat funny. Bacall gives an especially good performance."
Designing Woman won the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
1958–1959: Reflections on violence in
The Bravados (1958) in
The Big Country (1958) Peck's next movie, the Western
The Bravados (1958), reunited him with director
Henry King after a six-year gap. In
The Bravados, Peck's character spends weeks pursuing four outlaws whom he believes raped and murdered his wife and agonizing over his own morals. The film was a moderate success, finishing in the top 20 of the box office for 1959. and
TV Guide stating that Peck's cowboy's "moment of truth is a powerful one and he gives it all the value it deserves, although much of his acting up to then had been lackluster." In 1956, Peck made a foray into the film production business, organizing Melville Productions and later, Brentwood Productions. These companies produced five movies over seven years, all starring Peck, The films were observed by some as being more political, The project ran into numerous issues. Wyler and Peck were dissatisfied with the script, which underwent almost daily revisions after each day's shooting, causing stress for the performers; the actors would arrive the next day and find their lines and even entire scenes different from what they had prepared. The stellar cast included
Jean Simmons,
Carrol Baker,
Chuck Connors,
Charlton Heston and
Burl Ives; Ives won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his intense performance. There were disagreements between director Wyler and the performers, resulting in Peck storming off-set when Wyler refused to re-shoot a close-up scene; and second in the UK. At the time of release, reviews for
The Big Country were mixed regarding the producers' prioritization of characterization versus technical filmmaking; opinions on Peck's performance were also disparate. In recent decades, critical opinion of
The Big Country has generally risen, although there is still disagreement; many prominent critics and publications describe the cinematography as excellent, some laud Peck's performance, and some cite the film as too long. Peck's next feature was
Pork Chop Hill (1959), based on true events depicted in a book. Peck portrays a lieutenant during the
Korean War who is ordered to use his infantry company to take the strategically insignificant Pork Chop Hill, as its capture would strengthen the U.S.'s position in the almost-complete armistice negotiations. As executive producer, Peck recruited Lewis Milestone of
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) to direct. Many critics label it as an anti-war film; it has also been stated that "as shooting progressed it became clear Peck and Milestone had very different artistic visions." Peck later said the movie showed "the futility of settling political arguments by killing young men. We tried not to preach; we let it speak for itself." Most critics, both upon
Pork Chop Hills opening and in recent years, agree that it is a gritty, grim and realistic rendering of battle action. Three critics who comment on Peck's performance are laudatory, with
Variety saying that Peck's performance is "completely believable. He comes through as a born leader, and yet it is quite clear that he has moments of doubt and of uncertainty." Crowther assessed it as "generally flat and uninteresting" with a "postured performance of Gregory Peck...his grim-faced, monotony as a washout is relieved in a couple of critical scenes by some staggering and bawling as a drunkard, but that is hardly enough."
Variety said that "the acting, while excellent and persuasive in parts, is shallow and artificial in others. Problem is primarily with Peck who brings to Fitzgerald the kind of clean-cut looks and youthful appearance that conflict with the image of a has-been novelist." Reviews from five prominent scribes in recent decades are similar, saying that Peck was blatantly miscast,
TV Guide it was because of their physical differences, and Craig Butler saying "Peck was an extremely talented actor, but there is nothing in his personality that matches the qualities associated with Fitzgerald. The film is considered to be Hollywood's first major movie about the implications of nuclear warfare. Directed by
Stanley Kramer and based on
Nevil Shute's best-selling book, it shows the last months of several people in Melbourne, Australia as they await the onset of radioactive fallout from nuclear bombs. Peck portrays a U.S. submarine commander who has brought his crew to Australia from the North Pacific Ocean after nuclear bombs had been detonated in the northern hemisphere, who eventually romances Gardner's character. and was successful at the North American box office, finishing eighth for the year,
On the Beach was praised by critics.
1960–1964: Continued success in
The Guns of Navarone (1961) Peck's first release of 1961 was
The Guns of Navarone. A
J. Lee Thompson-directed World War II drama, it depicts Peck's six-man commando team, which includes
David Niven and
Anthony Quinn undertaking a mission to destroy two seemingly impregnable German-controlled artillery guns on Navarone Island. During filming Peck said that his team seems to defeat "the entire German army," which approaches parody, concluding that cast members had to "play their roles with complete conviction" to make the film convincing. The film was the
top-grossing movie of 1961, Critics praised
The Guns of Navarone, naming it the best picture of the year in ''Film Daily's'' annual poll of critics and industry reporters in 1961. Bosley Crowther opined, "more emphasis is placed on melodrama than on character or credibility," that the characters are "all such predictable people you're likely to get bored with them before the guns are blown up," and "One simply wonders why Foreman...didn't aim for more complex human drama." He goes on to write it is a "robust action drama" and "For anyone given to letting himself be entertained by scenes of explosive action and individual heroic display, there should be entertainment in this picture for there is plenty of it.... Even though the picture runs more than two hours and a half, it moves swiftly and gets where it is going. J.Lee Thompson has directed it with pace."
The New Yorkers film critic declared, it was "one of those great bow-wow...movies that are no less thrilling because they are so preposterous" confessing he "was held more or less spellbound all the way through this many-colored rubbish." In recent decades, most prominent critics or publications give it positive reviews Paul V. Peckly of
The New York Herald Tribune wrote, "Peck may seem at times a trifle wooden and his German accent too obviously American...but his not too introspective, somewhat baffled manner is manly and fitted to the role he plays. Peck was anxious to have Mitchum in the role of Cady, but Mitchum declined at first, only relenting after Peck and Thompson delivered a case of bourbon to Mitchum's home. Many cuts were made to the movie to satisfy censorship codes in the US and UK. Crowther and
Variety gave
Cape Fear solid reviews. Both expressed satisfaction with Peck's performance, although
Variety noted he could have been a little more stressed by the occurrences. Other reviews were mixed due to the movie's disturbing nature, including
The New Yorker. Critics commented on Peck's performance, with
TV Guide saying "Peck is careful not to act the fear; he's an interesting foe for Mitchum." After
Cape Fear, Peck planned to make his directorial debut with ''
They're a Weird Mob'' but eventually did not make the film. in
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), for which he won the
Academy Award for Best Actor Peck's next role was in the 1962
film adaptation of
Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
To Kill a Mockingbird, playing the role of kind and scrupulously honest lawyer-father,
Atticus Finch. This performance saw his fifth and final
Academy Award nomination, for which he won
Best Actor. The film received a further seven nominations including for Best Picture, Director, and Cinematography, also winning Adapted Screenplay and Art Direction. At the
Golden Globes, Peck won for Best Actor in a Drama, the film was nominated for Best Film and Director. It was also nominated for Best Film at the
BAFTAs. The film was a commercial success as the
sixth-highest-grossing film of the year. Peck would later say of
To Kill A Mockingbird: "My favorite film, without any question." Peck did eventually request changes so that the film deviated somewhat from the book, mainly showing more scenes of Peck in the courtroom than were in the original rough cut, thus shifting the focus away from the children, and more towards Atticus Finch.
Time posited "Peck, though he is generally excellent, lays it on a bit thick at times – he seems to imagine himself the Abe Lincoln of Alabama." Reviews in recent decades have similarly lauded Peck's performance, with
Film Monthly observing, "Gregory Peck's performance as lawyer Atticus Finch is just as beautiful, natural, and nuanced as the movie itself." refer to Atticus Finch as the role that defined Peck's career.
1965–2000: Mature years and later work Peck served as the president of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1967, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
American Film Institute from 1967 to 1969, Chairman of the Motion Picture and Television Relief Fund in 1971, and National Chairman of the
American Cancer Society in 1966. He was a member of the National Council on the Arts from 1964 to 1966. in
The Scarlet and the Black (1983) Peck's rare attempts at villainous roles were not acclaimed. Early on, he played the renegade son in the Western
Duel in the Sun, and later in his career, the infamous Nazi doctor
Josef Mengele in
The Boys from Brazil. In the 1980s, Peck moved to television, where he starred in the mini-series
The Blue and the Gray, playing
Abraham Lincoln. He also starred with
Christopher Plummer,
John Gielgud, and
Barbara Bouchet in the television film
The Scarlet and the Black, about
Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a real-life Catholic priest in the
Vatican who smuggled Jews and other refugees away from the
Nazis during World War II. Peck, Mitchum, and
Martin Balsam all had roles in the
1991 remake of Cape Fear, directed by
Martin Scorsese. In the remake, Peck played Max Cady's lawyer. His last prominent film role also came in 1991, in ''
Other People's Money'', directed by
Norman Jewison and based on the stage play of that name. Peck played a business owner trying to save his company against a hostile takeover bid by a Wall Street liquidator played by
Danny DeVito. Peck retired from active film-making after the film. Peck spent the last few years of his life touring the world doing speaking engagements in which he would show clips from his movies and take questions from the audience. He came out of retirement for a 1998
mini-series version of one of his most famous films,
Moby Dick, portraying
Father Mapple (played by
Orson Welles in the 1956 version), with
Patrick Stewart as
Captain Ahab, the role Peck played in the earlier film. It was his final performance, and it won him the
Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. Peck had been offered the role of
Grandpa Joe in the 2005 film
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but died before he could accept it. The Irish actor
David Kelly was then given the part. ==Politics==