Misplaced Pages

#402597

62-422: Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916 – March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for his screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird , which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name by Harper Lee, and his original screenplay for the film Tender Mercies (1983). He was also known for his notable live television dramas produced during

124-460: A 1957 production of Foote's play, The Midnight Caller . In 2007, Hamilton was honored by the Harlem community for her part in the movie. She was the last surviving African-American adult who had a speaking part in the movie. When told of the award, she said, "I think it is terrific. I'm very pleased and very surprised". The American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of

186-919: A 2010 dramatic film. Foote was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2006 from Carson-Newman University . He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1987 from Spalding University ( Louisville, Kentucky ). One of Foote's primary biographers is Dr. Gerald Wood, former chairman of the English Department at Carson-Newman. Books by Wood about Foote include Horton Foote and the Theater of Intimacy and Horton Foote: A Casebook (Taylor & Francis, 1998, ISBN   08-15-325444 ; rev. Routledge, 2014, ISBN   11-35-636028 ). Wood and Marion Castleberry co-edited The Voice of an American Playwright: Interviews with Horton Foote (Mercer University Press, 2012, ISBN   978-0881463972 ). Baylor University also holds close ties with Foote. In 2002, Foote accepted

248-582: A First Reader in a branch church in Nyack, New York , and also taught Sunday School for many years while living in New Boston, New Hampshire . Foote was the voice of Jefferson Davis in the 11-hour PBS series The Civil War (1990). Shelby Foote wrote the comprehensive three volume, 3000-page history, together titled The Civil War: A Narrative , upon which the series was partially based and who appeared in almost ninety segments. The two Footes were cousins. Foote

310-446: A Mockingbird is a 1962 American coming-of-age legal drama crime film directed by Robert Mulligan starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham , with Phillip Alford , John Megna , Frank Overton , James Anderson , and Brock Peters in supporting roles. It marked the film debut of Robert Duvall , William Windom , and Alice Ghostley . Adapted by Horton Foote , from Harper Lee 's 1960 Pulitzer Prize –winning novel , it follows

372-498: A Mockingbird after meeting him during a 1957 production of The Midnight Caller at Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. The two would work together many more times in the future. Foote had described Duvall as "our number one actor." Foote's script for the 1983 film Tender Mercies had been rejected by many American film directors before Australian director Bruce Beresford finally accepted it; Foote later said, "this film

434-509: A Mockingbird is a textbook example of a message movie done right – sober-minded and earnest, but never letting its social conscience get in the way of gripping drama." Metacritic, using a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100 based on 16 critics, meaning "universal acclaim". According to Bosley Crowther of The New York Times when the movie premiered at the Radio City Music Hall : Horton Foote 's script and

496-431: A Parched Ground , Convicts , Lily Dale , The Widow Claire , Courtship , Valentine's Day , 1918 , Cousins , and The Death of Papa . The combined productions received a Special Drama Desk Award "To the cast, creative team and producers of Horton Foote's epic The Orphans' Home Cycle ". Some plays had previously been produced separately. Convicts , Lily Dale , Courtship , Valentine's Day and 1918 were filmed, and

558-421: A ham. After the pageant, Scout is unable to find her dress and shoes, forcing her to walk home with Jem while wearing the large, hard-shelled costume. While cutting through the woods, Scout and Jem are attacked. Scout's cumbersome costume protects her but restricts her vision. The attacker knocks Jem unconscious, but is himself attacked (and killed) by a second man, unseen by Scout. Scout escapes her costume and sees

620-474: A lawyer (Peck) in Depression -era Alabama defending a black man (Peters) charged with rape while educating his children (Badham and Alford) against prejudice. It gained overwhelmingly positive reception from both the critics and the public; a box-office success, it earned more than six times its budget. The film won three Academy Awards , including Best Actor for Peck and Best Adapted Screenplay for Foote, and

682-452: A lawyer often exposes Scout and Jem to the town's racism , aggravated by poverty. As a result, the children mature more quickly. The local judge asks Atticus to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell, and Atticus agrees. This heightens tension in the town and causes Jem and Scout to experience schoolyard taunts. One evening before the trial, Atticus sits out front to safeguard Robinson when

SECTION 10

#1732873082403

744-520: A lynch mob arrives. Scout, Jem, and Dill unexpectedly interrupt the confrontation. Scout, unaware of the mob's purpose, recognizes Mr. Cunningham and asks him to say hello to his son Walter, her classmate. He becomes embarrassed, and the mob disperses. At the trial, it is alleged that Tom entered the Ewell property at Mayella's request to chop up a chifforobe and that Mayella showed signs of having been beaten around that time. One of Atticus' defensive arguments

806-423: A mockingbird that does nothing but sing. James Stewart declined the role of Atticus Finch, concerned that the story was too controversial. Universal offered the role to Rock Hudson when the project was being first developed but producer Alan J. Pakula wanted a bigger star. Pakula remembered hearing from Peck when he was first approached with the role: "He called back immediately. No maybes. [...] I must say

868-500: A play for television's Playhouse 90 in 1960. Leonard Maltin , in his movie guide book, calls the movie the best film adaptation of any of Faulkner's work. On the subject of Faulkner, Foote said, "Faulkner I never met but evidently he liked [my adaptations] because he's allowed me to share the dramatic copyrights to both Old Man and Tomorrow  ... So in other words, you have to get both our permissions to do it." Playwright Lillian Hellman adapted his 1952 play and 1956 novel for

930-584: A theory that from the time you're 12 years old all your themes are kind of locked in.". The Fine Arts Building at the college located in Wharton, Texas , Wharton County Junior College, is named the Horton Foote Theatre. He was known to be a large supporter of the arts in his hometown of Wharton, Texas . A Horton Foote Scholarship is awarded at the school to one student per year who excels in theatre. In December 2000, President Bill Clinton presented Foote with

992-518: A troubled sheriff are good as locality characters, too. James Anderson and Collin Wilcox as Southern bigots are almost caricatures. But those are minor shortcomings in a rewarding film. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the film for focusing less on black people, criticizing the film for having a white savior narrative : It expresses the liberal pieties of a more innocent time,

1054-589: Is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made . Young Scout and her older brother Jem live in Maycomb, Alabama , during the early 1930s. Despite the family's modest means, the children enjoy a happy childhood with their widowed father, Atticus Finch , and their African-American housekeeper, Calpurnia. Over the summer, Jem, Scout, and their friend Dill play games and often search for Arthur "Boo" Radley, an odd, reclusive neighbor who lives with his brother Nathan. The children have never seen Boo, who rarely leaves

1116-431: Is dead at the scene of the attack. Atticus mistakenly assumes Jem killed Ewell in self-defense, but Sheriff Tate realizes the truth – Boo killed Ewell defending the children. However, he insists on declaring Ewell simply fell on his knife, refusing to drag the painfully shy and introverted Boo into the spotlight for his heroism. To Atticus' surprise, Scout agrees, pointing out that the unwelcome attention would be like killing

1178-604: Is found guilty. As Atticus exits the courtroom, the African-American spectators in the balcony rise to show their respect and appreciation. When Atticus arrives home, Sheriff Tate tells him Tom was killed during his transfer to prison, supposedly while attempting to escape. Atticus goes to the Robinsons’ to inform them of Tom's death, accompanied by Jem. Bob Ewell appears and spits in his face. Autumn arrives, and Scout and Jem attend an evening school pageant in which Scout portrays

1240-575: Is like the color of the eyes. I don't know that you choose that." Foote made an effort to employ lifelike language in his writing, citing W. B. Yeats 's work as an example of this realistic approach. In an interview with playwright Stuart Spencer, Foote discusses his writing and material: "I think there's certain things you don't choose. I don't think that you can choose a style; I think a style chooses you. I think that's almost an unconscious choice. And I don't know that you can choose subject matter, really. I think that's almost an unconscious choice. I have

1302-422: Is that Tom's left arm is disabled due to a farming accident years ago, yet the supposed rapist would have had to mostly assault Mayella with his left hand before raping her. Atticus shows that Mayella's father, Bob Ewell, is left-handed, implying that he beat Mayella because he caught her seducing the young African-American defendant. He also states that a doctor never examined Mayella after the alleged rape. Taking

SECTION 20

#1732873082403

1364-770: The Golden Age of Television . Foote received the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play The Young Man From Atlanta . He was the inaugural recipient of the Austin Film Festival 's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts . Foote was born in 1916 in Wharton, Texas , the son of Harriet Gautier "Hallie" Brooks and Albert Horton Foote. His younger brothers were Thomas Brooks Foote (1921–44), who died in aerial combat over Germany during World War II, and John Speed Foote (1923–95). Foote moved to California, where he studied theater at

1426-612: The National Medal of Arts , saying that he was "the nation's most prolific writer for stage, film, and television." Foote was married to Lillian Vallish Foote (1923–1992) from June 4, 1945, until her death in 1992. Their four children are actors Albert Horton Foote, III; Hallie Foote ; playwright Daisy Brooks Foote; and director, writer and lawyer Walter Vallish Foote. They have worked on projects with their father. Hallie and Albert Horton Foote III (aka Horton Jr.) appeared in their father's film 1918 (1985). Hallie has appeared on stage in her father's works, including, for example, Dividing

1488-471: The Pasadena Playhouse in 1931–32. He began his career as an actor, but was also writing plays. After getting better reviews for his plays than for his acting, during the 1940s he focused on writing. He became one of the leading writers for American television during the 1950s, beginning with an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show . His play The Trip to Bountiful premiered March 1, 1953, on NBC with

1550-800: The Vernon Rice Awards . The name honors the New York Post critic Vernon Rice, who had pioneered Off-Broadway coverage in the New York press. The name was changed for the 1963–1964 awards season to the Drama Desk Awards . In 1974, the Drama Desk became incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. In 1975, the Drama Desk announcement of winners included the nominees as well. The Drama Desk has more than 100 members, including theatre critics, reporters and editors who cover New York theater and vote on

1612-558: The Writers Guild of America Screen Award for his adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in 1963. Foote did not attend the Oscars ceremony in 1963 because he did not expect to win, and so was not present to collect the award in person; it was accepted on his behalf by the film's producer, Alan J. Pakula . Foote personally recommended actor Robert Duvall for the part of Boo Radley in To Kill

1674-534: The 1966 film The Chase , with Marlon Brando , Jane Fonda and Robert Redford . Foote provided the voice of Jefferson Davis for Ken Burns 's critically acclaimed documentary, The Civil War (PBS, 1990). Adaptations of his plays The Habitation of Dragons (TNT, 1992) and Lily Dale (Showtime, 1996) preceded the Showtime production of Horton Foote's Alone (1997). His final work was the screenplay for Main Street ,

1736-544: The 1970 musical Scarlett , a musical adaptation of Gone with the Wind . He won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for The Young Man From Atlanta . The Goodman Theatre production that was taken to Broadway in 1997 was nominated for the Tony Award Best Play, but did not win. The production starred Rip Torn , Shirley Knight and Biff McGuire . Knight and McGuire were also nominated for Tony Awards. In 1996, Foote

1798-511: The 20th century. Additionally, the AFI ranked the movie second on their 100 Years... 100 Cheers list, behind It's a Wonderful Life . The film was ranked number 34 on AFI's list of the 100 greatest movies of all time , but moved up to number 25 on the 10th Anniversary list . In June 2008, the AFI revealed its " 10 Top 10 " – the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres – after polling over 1,500 people from

1860-474: The AFI's 10th anniversary list of the greatest American movies of all time. In 2008, the film ranked first on the AFI's list of the ten greatest courtroom dramas . In 2020, the British Film Institute included it in their list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 15. The film was restored and released on Blu-ray and DVD in 2012, as part of the 100th anniversary of Universal Pictures . It

1922-455: The Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. He also adapted works by other authors, such as John Steinbeck ( Of Mice and Men , directed by and starring Gary Sinise with John Malkovich ). In addition to Faulkner's Old Man , Foote adapted Faulkner's short story Tomorrow as a 1972 film of the same name starring Robert Duvall. Foote had previously adapted the story as

Horton Foote - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-507: The Estate in 2008, The Orphans' Home Cycle Part III: The Story of a Family in 2010 and Harrison, TX: Three Plays by Horton Foote Off-Broadway in 2012. Daisy wrote the play When They Speak of Rita (2000) in which Hallie appeared and was directed by their father. Foote was introduced to Christian Science while in California and went on to become a dedicated member of the church. He served as

2046-507: The Lincolnesque lawyer shot a rabid dog and defended an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman.) Peck's performance became synonymous with the role and character of Atticus Finch. "Hardly a day passes that I don't think how lucky I was to be cast in that film", Peck said in a 1997 interview. "I recently sat at a dinner next to a woman who saw it when she was 14 years old, and she said it changed her life. I hear things like that all

2108-623: The Month . He twice adapted William Faulkner 's " Old Man " to television, in 1958 and 1997. Each received an Emmy nomination. In 1997 Foote won Outstanding Writing of a Miniseries or Special ). Foote's plays were produced on Broadway , Off-Broadway , Off-Off-Broadway and at regional theatres , such as the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He wrote the English adaptation of the original Japanese book for

2170-703: The Rain Must Fall starring Steve McQueen and Lee Remick , which was based on his play The Travelling Lady . The film was directed by Robert Mulligan , who had worked with Foote on To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962. Foote generally wrote screenplays that were based on his plays, such as the semi-autobiographic trilogy of 1918 (1985), On Valentine's Day (1986) and Courtship (1987). 1918 and On Valentine's Day were shot on location in Waxahachie, Texas . His screenplay for The Trip to Bountiful (1985) received an Academy Award nomination and Geraldine Page won

2232-418: The awards. Membership consists of two categories: active (voting) membership and participating membership. All of the Drama Desk officers and nominating committee members perform their various services for the organization on a voluntary basis. The nominating committee generally meets twice a month to discuss the many eligible shows members are responsible for seeing. They then nominate the productions on which

2294-490: The city. At the time of his death, he lived in his hometown of Wharton, Texas , and the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. The Orphans' Home Cycle is a series of nine plays concerning Horace Robedaux (an alias for Horton Foote's father, Albert Horton Foote Sr.), Elizabeth Vaughn (his mother Harriet Gauthier "Hallie" Brooks), and their extended families. To Kill a Mockingbird (film) To Kill

2356-552: The complete score (below) in 1996 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for the Varese Sarabande Film Classics series. Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk organization was formed in 1949 by a group of New York theater critics, editors, reporters and publishers, in order to make the public aware of the vital issues concerning the theatrical industry. They debuted the presentations of

2418-488: The creative community. To Kill a Mockingbird was acknowledged as the best film in the courtroom drama genre. American Film Institute lists: Elmer Bernstein 's score for To Kill a Mockingbird is regarded as one of the greatest film scores and has been recorded three times. It was first released in April 1963 on Ava; then Bernstein re-recorded it in the 1970s for his Film Music Collection series; and finally, he recorded

2480-470: The direction of Mr. Mulligan may not penetrate that deeply, but they do allow Mr. Peck and little Miss Badham and Master Alford to portray delightful characters. Their charming enactments of a father and his children in that close relationship, which can occur at only one brief period, are worth all the footage of the film. Rosemary Murphy as a neighbor, Brock Peters as the Negro on trial, and Frank Overton as

2542-423: The early 1960s, and it goes very easy on the realities of small-town Alabama in the 1930s. One of the most dramatic scenes shows a lynch mob facing Atticus, who is all by himself on the jailhouse steps the night before Tom Robinson's trial. The mob is armed and prepared to break in and hang Robinson, but Scout bursts onto the scene, recognizes a poor farmer who has been befriended by her father, and shames him (and all

Horton Foote - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-529: The entire membership will vote. What sets the organization apart is that the awards are voted on "by media people only without any vested interests in the results", according to the organization. Previous winners include Bernadette Peters , Dustin Hoffman , Al Pacino , and Catherine Zeta-Jones , among many others. The Drama Desk Awards have contributed to the ongoing success of major stars, playwrights and designers, while also identifying newcomers. The Drama Desk

2666-616: The fictional town of Maycomb, so it seemed that would be the best place. However, the town had changed significantly between the 1920s and the early 1960s, so they made it on the backlot in Hollywood instead. The Old Monroe County Courthouse in Monroeville was used as a model for the film set, since they could not use the courthouse due to its poor acoustics. The accuracy of the recreated courthouse in Hollywood led many Alabamians to believe that

2728-465: The film was shot in Monroeville. The Old Courthouse in Monroe County is now a theater for many plays inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird as well as a museum dedicated to multiple authors from Monroeville. The film received widespread critical acclaim. It maintains a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes , based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus states, " To Kill

2790-479: The happiest participations in film or theater I have experienced". Peters remained friends not only with Peck but with Mary Badham throughout his life. Peck himself admitted that many people reminded him of this film more than any other film he had ever done. In the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Thought That Counts", Robert does an impression of Gregory Peck telling Scout to move so he can shoot

2852-581: The house. Occasionally, Jem has found small objects left inside a tree knothole on the Radley property. These include a broken pocket watch, an old spelling bee medal, a pocket knife, and two carved soap dolls resembling Jem and Scout. Atticus, a lawyer, strongly believes "all people deserve fair treatment, in turning the other cheek, and in defending what you believe." Many of Atticus' clients are poor farmers who pay for his legal services in trade, often leaving him fresh produce, firewood, and so on. Atticus' work as

2914-501: The latter three were shown on PBS in 1987 as a mini-series titled The Story of A Marriage . In describing his three-play work, The Orphans' Home Cycle , the drama critic for the Wall Street Journal said this: "Foote, who died last March, left behind a masterpiece, one that will rank high among the signal achievements of American theater in the 20th century." Foote received an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay and

2976-417: The leading cast members ( Lillian Gish , Eva Marie Saint ) reprising their roles on Broadway later that year. He later adapted the play into a feature film. Throughout the 1950s, Foote wrote for The Philco Television Playhouse , The United States Steel Hour , Playhouse 90 , Studio One , and Armchair Theatre , among others. He continued into the 1960s with ITV Playhouse and DuPont Show of

3038-458: The man and the character he played were not unalike". Peck later said in an interview that he was drawn to the role because the book reminded him of growing up in La Jolla, California . The 1962 softcover edition of the novel opens: The producers had wanted to use Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama for the set. Harper Lee used her experiences as a child in Monroeville as the basis for

3100-403: The other men) into leaving. Her speech is a calculated strategic exercise, masked as the innocent words of a child; one shot of her eyes shows she realizes exactly what she's doing. Could a child turn away a lynch mob at that time, in that place? Isn't it nice to think so. Walt Disney requested that the film be privately screened in his house. At the film's conclusion, Disney sadly stated, "That

3162-648: The rabid dog. In 1995, To Kill a Mockingbird was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It is also Robert Duvall 's big-screen debut, as the misunderstood recluse Boo Radley. Duvall was cast on the recommendation of screenwriter Horton Foote , who met him at Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City where Duvall starred in

SECTION 50

#1732873082403

3224-537: The second man carrying Jem towards their house. Scout follows them and runs into the arms of a frantic Atticus. Still unconscious, Jem has his broken arm treated by Doc Reynolds. Scout tells Sheriff Tate and her father what happened, then notices a strange man behind Jem's bedroom door. Atticus introduces Scout to Arthur Radley, whom she knows as Boo. It was Boo who rescued Jem and Scout, overpowering Bob Ewell and carrying Jem home. The sheriff reports that Ewell, apparently seeking revenge for Atticus humiliating him in court,

3286-461: The stand, Tom denies he attacked Mayella, but states that she kissed him against his will. He testifies that he had previously assisted Mayella with various chores at her request because he "felt sorry for her" – words that incite a swift, negative reaction from the prosecutor, and a gasp from the white audience. In his closing argument, Atticus asks the all-white male jury to cast aside their prejudices and focus on Tom's obvious innocence. However, Tom

3348-487: The time". Harper Lee, in liner notes written for the film's DVD re-release by Universal, wrote: When I learned that Gregory Peck would play Atticus Finch in the film production of To Kill a Mockingbird , I was of course delighted: here was a fine actor who had made great films – what more could a writer ask for? ... The years told me his secret. When he played Atticus Finch, he had played himself, and time has told all of us something more: when he played himself, he touched

3410-533: The title as "Visiting Distinguished Dramatist" with the Baylor Department of Theatre Arts. Tess Harper , an actress who worked with Foote on Tender Mercies , described him as "America's Chekhov . If he didn't study the Russians, he's a reincarnation of the Russians. He's a quiet man who writes quiet people." Regarding his own writing, Foote said, "I know that people think I have a certain style, but I think style

3472-438: The world. Upon Peck's death in 2003, Brock Peters , who played Tom Robinson in the film version, quoted Harper Lee at Peck's eulogy, saying, "Atticus Finch gave him an opportunity to play himself". Peters concluded his eulogy stating, "To my friend Gregory Peck, to my friend Atticus Finch, vaya con Dios ". Peters remembered the role of Tom Robinson when he recalled, "It certainly is one of my proudest achievements in life, one of

3534-553: Was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame . In 2000, Foote was honored with the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a Master American Dramatist. His three-play biographical series (three full-length pieces comprising three one-act plays each), mainly about his father, The Orphans' Home Cycle , ran in repertory Off-Broadway in 2009–2010. These plays are Roots in

3596-557: Was nominated for eight, including Best Picture , Best Director , and Best Supporting Actress for Badham. In 1995, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2003, the American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of the 20th century . In 2007, the film ranked twenty-fifth on

3658-468: Was one hell of a picture. That's the kind of film I wish I could make." In a retrospective review, American film critic Pauline Kael claimed that, when Gregory Peck received the Academy Award for Best Actor : ... there was a fair amount of derision throughout the country: Peck was better than usual, but in that same virtuously dull way. (There was the suspicion that Peck was being rewarded because

3720-523: Was the cousin of actor/director Peter Masterson who directed three of his screenplays, including The Trip to Bountiful , Convicts and the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production of Lily Dale , starring Mary Stuart Masterson , Peter's daughter. Foote died in Hartford, Connecticut , on March 4, 2009, at the age of 92, while he was working on a production of The Orphans' Home Cycle to premiere in

3782-512: Was the first New York theater organization to give awards to talents such as Edward Albee , Wendy Wasserstein , and George C. Scott . Plays like Driving Miss Daisy , Other People's Money , Steel Magnolias , and The Boys in the Band built momentum with the help of Drama Desk wins. In keeping with its original mission, the organization sponsors guest panel luncheons with theater professionals. Panels address topics of current interest: covering

SECTION 60

#1732873082403

3844-484: Was turned down by every American director on the face of the globe." The film received five 1984 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay (which Foote won). Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. Aware of his failure to attend the 1963 ceremony, Foote made sure to attend the 1984 ceremony . The film also earned Foote the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay. Other film scripts include Baby

#402597