Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Oscar-Winner Gregory Peck dies

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 06-12-2003, 01:23 PM:

Actor Gregory Peck passes away in Los Angeles. He was 87.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/12/entertainment/main558384.shtml

News Anchor David Brinkley also passed away in Texas. He was 82.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/12/national/main558326.shtml

Both will be missed. But we have them forever on FILM.
I ran a screening for Mr. Peck for a film he did for the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena. He was a true gentleman in real life. A real star [thumbsup]

Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 06-12-2003, 01:25 PM:

He was one of my favorite actors.
I will miss him.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-12-2003, 01:32 PM:

Mssrs. Peck and Brinkley will both be greatly missed. [Frown]

It's fitting that Peck's character Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" was just honored as the greatest American movie hero last week by the American Film Institute:

AFI Awards Article

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/eo/20030604/105471000000.html

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-12-2003, 04:04 PM:

I'm sorry to hear this. Peck was a great actor and appeared in many historically significant films. To Kill a Mockingbird is a personal favorite and, for years, was only bookable in 16mm (I saw the one and only 35mm studio print in 1999 or so). Hopefully Universal will make some more prints of this.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 06-12-2003, 04:20 PM:

Gregory Peck will be missed. He did a great job in the film, "The Boys From Brazil" in 1978. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is in my 20 top favorites.

When I was a kid, and we only had 3 channels, we watched the Huntley-Brinkley report every night on NBC.

I watched David Brinkley every weekend on ABC right up until he retired. He was a great journalist.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 06-12-2003, 05:11 PM:

Gregory Peck was also memorable along with the late Audrey Hepburn in "ROMAN HOLIDAY". Yes, "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" was in my opinion his best film but there were many others that were almost as good. Mr. Peck will be missed.

-Claude

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 06-12-2003, 06:06 PM:

Scott wrote:

quote:

I'm sorry to hear this. Peck was a great actor and appeared in many historically significant films. To Kill a Mockingbird is a personal favorite and, for years, was only bookable in 16mm (I saw the one and only 35mm studio print in 1999 or so). Hopefully Universal will make some more prints of this.

The death of Mr, Peck is indeed sad. It was, of course, inevitable; the middle-aged actor in 'To Kall a Mockingbird' had become the old man of today, and none of us is going to live forever.

There is something else which is also sad, in a different way, and that is that this film should be unavailable, at least in the country of its origin. While we have to accept the loss of the actors and actresses of the past, there is no reason why their work should not be available for future generations to see. At least this film, in my view one of the best American films ever made, is widely available on video, but it should be possible to see it at the cinema as well. Other films are not available even in this film. We have been told that many of the films featured in the coming 3-D festival will probably not be seen again after this event; why are these films not being preserved, and made available?

At least in the case of 'Mockingbird', it is likely that a negative exists in good condition, and a few new prints could be made if someone cared to do so, but if one of the best known, and best loved films of the 20th century is not at present available in its original form, what hope is there for many others? The last time I saw this film, a few years ago, I had to sit in the front row, which I would not have done by choice, because no other seats were available, the house was full. People want to see these films, and it would not take many shows like that to pay for the cost of a new print.

A limited re-release of the film later this year, with a small number of new, good quality prints would be a fitting tribute to Mr. Peck.

Posted by Howard Johnson (Member # 62) on 06-13-2003, 04:17 AM:

I actually met Greg in 1965 when he was at Pinewood Studios making "Arabesque" with Sophia Loren directed by Stanley Donen. Most mornings I would pass him in the main corridor and he would always speak to me. I was only a young projectionist and I was always impressed by his politeness and un-hollywood manner. What a great star.

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 06-13-2003, 06:24 AM:

Stephen,

At a last resort you can get a DVD copy of "To Kill A Mockingbird" from HMV for the cheap price of £3.99 maybe because there were shelves of copies.

Same applied to the DVD of "The 39 Steps" (1935) which I paid £4.99 for. Demand was heavy so price has gone up again to £15.99.

I too have many favourite Gregory Peck films.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-13-2003, 10:03 AM:

My Favorites....

On The Beach
The Guns Of Navarone

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 06-13-2003, 07:01 PM:

Don't forget The Omen. Gregory Peck took the starring role when Charlton Heston turned it down. Smart move -- The Omen was a surprise hit!

If you've ever seen Mallrats you'll find David Brinkley in a cameo as a plainclothes rent-a-cop in the mall.

Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 06-16-2003, 02:35 AM:

Last night I saw an interview between one of the news anchors of TV5 (a satellite French channel) and Mr Peck. The interview was ably translated by Gregory Peck's daughter.

Peck had a long marriage to a Frenchwoman. Must be something in that I think [Smile]

cheer Peter

[ 06-16-2003, 04:43 AM: Message edited by: Peter Berrett ]

Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 07-04-2003, 01:16 PM:

Sorry, that I came in late on this topic. Gregory Peck was one of my favorite actors of all time and "To Kill A Mockingbird" is my favorite movie of all time. I remember back when it first came out I would see the movie at a local theatre almost every day until it left. I am much dissatisfied that the movie was never shown (TCM) after he passed away. I now have a DVD copy of the movie (after my video tape wore out). The DVD has a featurette titled "Fearful Symmetry" which explains the making of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Somewhere in my LP collection there is a original score of the movie by Leonard Bernstein.