Грегори Пек

Грегори Пек
Пек в 1948 году
Рожденный	Элдред Грегори Пек ( 1916-04-05 ) 5 апреля 1916 г. Сан-Диего, Калифорния , США
Умер	12 июня 2003 г. (12 июня 2003 г.) (87 лет) Лос-Анджелес , Калифорния, США
Место отдыха	Собор Богоматери Ангелов , Лос-Анджелес
Альма-матер	Государственный университет Сан-Диего Калифорнийский университет в Беркли (выбыл)
Занятие	Актер
Годы активности	1941–2000
Политическая партия	Демократический
Супруги	Грета Кукконен ( м. 1942; разд. 1955) Вероник Пассани ( м. 1955 г.)
Дети	5, включая Сесилию Пек
Родственники	Итан Пек (внук)
Веб-сайт	Грегорипек .с

Элдред Грегори Пек (5 апреля 1916 — 12 июня 2003) — американский актер и одна из самых популярных кинозвезд 1940-1970-х годов. В 1999 году Американский институт киноискусства назвал Пека 12-м по величине мужчиной-звездой классического голливудского кино .

После учебы в Neighborhood Playhouse у Сэнфорда Мейснера Пек начал появляться в постановках, сыграв более чем в 50 пьесах и трех бродвейских постановках. Впервые он добился успеха у критиков в «Ключи от королевства» (1944), драме Джона М. Стала которая принесла ему первую номинацию на премию Оскар . Он снялся в ряде успешных фильмов, в том числе в романтической драме «Долина решений» (1944), Альфреда Хичкока » «Зачарованные (1945) и семейном фильме «Годовалый ребенок» (1946). В конце 1940-х годов он столкнулся с вялыми коммерческими отзывами, в том числе о его спектаклях «Дело Парадина» (1947) и «Великий грешник» (1948). Пек достиг мирового признания в 1950-х и 1960-х годах, появившись подряд в экранизации книги « Капитан Горацио Хорнблауэр» (1951) и библейской драме «Давид и Вирсавия» (1951). Он снялся вместе с Авой Гарднер в «Снегах Килиманджаро» (1952) и Одри Хепберн в «Римских каникулах» (1953).

Другие известные фильмы, в которых он появился, включают «Моби Дик» (1956 и его мини-сериал 1998 года ), «Пушки Наварона» (1961), «Мыс страха» (1962 и его римейк 1991 года ), «Омен» (1976) и «Мальчики из Бразилия (1978). На протяжении всей своей карьеры он часто изображал главных героев «волокнистыми» в моральных рамках. «Джентльменское соглашение» (1947) было сосредоточено на темах антисемитизма , а персонаж Пека в «Двенадцатичасовой школе» (1949) касался проблем военного руководства и посттравматического стрессового расстройства во время Второй мировой войны . Он получил премию «Оскар» за лучшую мужскую роль за роль Аттикуса Финча в фильме «Убить пересмешника» (1962), адаптации одноименной современной классики, посвященной расовому неравенству, за что он получил признание. В 1983 году он снялся вместе с Кристофером Пламмером в фильме «Алые и черные» в роли Хью О'Флаэрти , католического священника, который спас тысячи сбежавших военнопленных союзников и евреев в Риме во время Второй мировой войны .

Пек также принимал активное участие в политике, бросив вызов Комитету Палаты представителей по антиамериканской деятельности считал его политическим оппонентом в 1947 году, и президент Ричард Никсон . Президент Линдон Б. Джонсон наградил Пека Президентской медалью свободы в 1969 году за его пожизненную гуманитарную деятельность. Пек умер во сне от бронхопневмонии в возрасте 87 лет.

Ранняя жизнь

Элдред Грегори Пек родился 5 апреля 1916 года в районе Ла-Хойя в Сан-Диего, Калифорния. Бернис Мэй «Банни» (урожденная Эйрс; 1894–1992) и Грегори Перл Пек (1886–1962), химик и фармацевт, родившийся в Рочестере, штат Нью-Йорк . Его отец имел английское (по отцовской линии) и ирландское (по материнской линии) корни. и его мать имела английское и шотландское происхождение. Она приняла религию своего мужа, католицизм , и Пек был воспитан как католик. Через свою бабушку по отцовской линии ирландского происхождения Кэтрин Эш (1864–1926) Пек был родственником Томаса Эша (1885–1917), который участвовал в Пасхальном восстании менее чем через три недели после рождения Пека и умер во время принудительного кормления во время голода. забастовка 1917 года.

Пек (справа) со своим отцом, ок. 1930 год

Родители Пека развелись, когда ему было пять лет, и его воспитывала бабушка по материнской линии, которая каждую неделю водила его в кино. В возрасте 10 лет его отправили в католическую военную школу, Военную академию Святого Иоанна в Лос-Анджелесе. Когда он там учился, умерла его бабушка. В 14 лет он вернулся в Сан-Диего, чтобы жить со своим отцом. Он учился в средней школе Сан-Диего. и после окончания учебы в 1934 году поступил на один год в Государственный педагогический колледж Сан-Диего (ныне известный как Государственный университет Сан-Диего ). Там он присоединился к команде по легкой атлетике, прошел свои первые курсы театра и ораторского искусства и присоединился к братству Эпсилон Эта. Пек хотел стать врачом, а затем перешел в Калифорнийский университет в Беркли . как студент английского языка и домедицины . Ростом 6 футов 3 дюйма (1,91 м) он греб в составе университетской команды . Хотя плата за обучение составляла всего 26 долларов в год, Пек все еще с трудом мог платить и устроился на работу «хашером» (помощником на кухне) в Альфа-Гамма-Дельта женское общество в обмен на еду.

В Беркли глубокий, хорошо модулированный голос Пека привлек его внимание, и после участия в курсах публичных выступлений он решил попробовать себя в актерском мастерстве. Его поддержал тренер по актерскому мастерству, который увидел в нем идеальный материал для университетского театра, и он все больше интересовался актерским мастерством. Его нанял Эдвин Дюрр , директор Университетского Маленького театра, и на последнем курсе он появился в пяти пьесах, в том числе в роли Старбака в «Моби Дике» . Позже Пек сказал о своих годах в Беркли: «Это был особенный опыт для меня и три величайших года в моей жизни. Они разбудили меня и сделали человеком». В 1996 году Пек пожертвовал 25 000 долларов гребной команде Беркли в честь своего тренера, знаменитого Кая Эбрайта .

Карьера

Грегори Пек в 1939 году

: Начало и

Пек не закончил обучение вместе со своими друзьями, потому что ему не хватило одного курса. Его друзья по колледжу беспокоились за него и задавались вопросом, как он будет жить без ученой степени. «У меня есть все, что мне нужно от университета», - сказал он им. Пек отказался от имени «Элдред» и отправился в Нью-Йорк, чтобы учиться в Neighborhood Playhouse у легендарного преподавателя актерского мастерства Сэнфорда Мейснера . Он часто был разорен и иногда ночевал в Центральном парке . Он работал на Всемирной выставке 1939 года зазывалой , в Рокфеллер-центре гидом на телевидении NBC и в Radio City Music Hall . До 1940 года он баловался модельным бизнесом и работал за еду в Бартер-театре в Абингдоне, штат Вирджиния , где он появился в пяти пьесах, включая «Семейный портрет» и «На Земле, как она есть» .

Его сценическая карьера началась в 1941 году, когда он сыграл секретаря в постановке Кэтрин Корнелл по Джорджа Бернарда пьесе Шоу «Дилемма доктора» . Спектакль открылся в Сан-Франциско всего за неделю до нападения на Перл-Харбор . Он дебютировал на Бродвее в главной роли в спектакле Эмлина Уильямса « Утренняя звезда» в 1942 году. Его второе выступление на Бродвее в том же году было в «Иве и я» с Эдвардом Поли . Актерские способности Пека пользовались большим спросом во время Второй мировой войны , поскольку он был освобожден от военной службы из-за травмы спины, полученной во время обучения танцам и движениям у Марты Грэм в рамках его актерского обучения. Позже компания Twentieth Century Fox утверждала, что он повредил спину, гребя в университете, но, по словам Пека, «в Голливуде, я думаю, не считали, что уроки танцев — это достаточно мачо. Я пытался прояснить эту историю для годы." Пек сыграл в общей сложности в 50 пьесах, включая три недолговечные бродвейские постановки, 4–5 гастролей и летний театр.

:

Пек в своем кинодебюте «Дни славы» (1944).

После получения театрального признания Пеку предложили его первую роль в кино на RKO Radio Pictures, главную мужскую роль в военно-романтическом фильме « Дни славы» (1944) режиссера Жака Турнера вместе с известной Тамарой Тумановой , балериной русского происхождения. Пек изобразил лидера русских партизан, сопротивлявшихся немцам в 1941 году, который наткнулся на красивую русскую танцовщицу (Туманову), которую послали развлекать русские войска; они защищают ее, позволяя ей присоединиться к их группе. Во время съемок фильма Турнер «отучил» Пека от своего театрального образования, где он привык говорить в формальной манере и проецировать свой голос на весь зал. Пек посчитал свою игру в фильме весьма дилетантской и не пожелал смотреть фильм после его выхода. Фильм потерял деньги в прокате, быстро исчез из кинотеатров. и был в значительной степени отвергнут критиками.

На момент выхода фильма критик Босли Кроутер из The New York Times оценил его как медленный и многословный, добавив, что игра Пека была жесткой. Историк кино Барри Монуш писал: «Звездная сила Пека была очевидна с самого начала». После выхода фильма Пек привлек внимание продюсеров, но вместо того, чтобы участвовать в студийной системе , он решил остаться фрилансером с возможностью выбирать свои роли, подписав неэксклюзивные контракты с четырьмя студиями. включая необычный двойной контракт с 20th Century Fox и «Унесенных ветром» продюсером Дэвидом О. Селзником .

Во втором фильме Пека «Ключи от королевства» (1944) он играет 80-летнего римско-католического священника, который вспоминает свои начинания в течение более чем полувека его решительной, самоотверженной миссионерской работы в Китае. В фильме показано, как персонаж стареет от 20 до 80 лет; Пек присутствовал почти в каждой сцене. Фильм был номинирован на четыре премии «Оскар» , включая премию «Оскар» за лучшую мужскую роль , которая стала первой номинацией Пека. Хотя фильм занял лишь 27-е место по кассовым сборам в Северной Америке в 1944 году. Джей Карр из Turner Classic Movies называет это прорывным выступлением Пека. а писатель Патрик Макгиллиган говорит, что это «привело его к славе». На момент выхода игра Пека получила высокую оценку журналов Variety и The New York Times, несмотря на неоднозначные отзывы о самом фильме. Radio Times назвала его «длинной, разговорчивой и довольно скучной картиной», но признала, что «ее успех спас карьеру Пека». Крейг Батлер из AllMovie заявляет, что «он демонстрирует превосходную игру, полную своего обычного тихого достоинства и ума, приправленную упрямством и внутренним огнем, которые делают персонажа по-настоящему живым».

В Долина решений романтической драме « » (1944) о смешении социальных классов Пек играет старшего сына богатого владельца сталелитейного завода в Питтсбурге 1870-х годов, у которого роман с одной из горничных его семьи, которую сыграла Грир Гарсон . которая была номинирована на премию Оскар за лучшую женскую роль . После выпуска отзывы The New York Times и Variety были в некоторой степени положительными, а игра Пека была описана как впечатляющая. в Северной Америке Это был самый кассовый фильм 1945 года .

Пек и его партнерша по фильму Ингрид Бергман в фильме «Зачарованные» (1945).

Следующим фильмом Пека стал первый из двух совместных работ с режиссером Альфредом Хичкоком — романтический саспенс «Зачарованный» (1945) с Ингрид Бергман . Пек играет человека, которого считают новым директором психиатрического учреждения, где персонаж Бергмана работает психоаналитиком, а его амнезия и тревожные видения предполагают, что он может быть убийцей. Описывались как отношения Пека и Хичкока как сердечные, но прохладные. Хичкок изначально надеялся, что Кэри Грант . главную мужскую роль сыграет Позже Пек заявил, что он думал, что был слишком молод, когда впервые работал с Хичкоком, и что безразличие режиссера на съемочной площадке к мотивации его персонажа, важное для актерского стиля Пека, пошатнуло его уверенность. Химия Пека с его партнером по экрану Бергманом пришлась по душе; в то время актеров связывали романтические отношения.

Выпущенный в конце 1945 года, «Очарованный» стал хитом и стал третьим по успеху фильмом 1946 года. В то время Spellbound был хорошо принят критиками, как и игра Пека. Босли Кроутер из «Нью-Йорк Таймс» похвалил фильм, заявив, что игра Пека «сдержанная и изысканная, как раз и является подходящим контрастом изысканной роли Бергмана»; Фрэнк Миллер из Turner Classic Movies написал, что этот фильм ускорил превращение Пека в голливудскую звезду и даже в «главный секс-символ ». Продюсер Дэвид О. Селзник отметил, что во время предварительного просмотра фильма женщины в зале резко отреагировали на появление имени Пека во вступительных титрах, заявив, что во время первых нескольких сцен зрителям приходилось успокаивать, чтобы они успокоились. «Зачарованный» был номинирован на шесть премий «Оскар» , включая «Лучший фильм» , хотя он не вошел в Национального совета кинокритиков . десятку лучших фильмов года по версии

В Годовалом (1946) Пек изображает добросердечного отца, напротив экранной жены Джейн Вайман , чей сын находит и настаивает на воспитании трехдневного олененка во Флориде 1870-х годов. Отзывы после выпуска были очень положительными. Босли Кроутер оценил его как фильм, который «приносит такое огромное удовлетворение, которого когда-либо достигают немногие фильмы». «Годовой ребенок» имел кассовые сборы и занял девятое место по кассовым сборам в 1947 году. и получил шесть номинаций на премию Оскар , в том числе за лучшую мужскую роль. Пек получил « Золотой глобус» за лучшую мужскую роль за исполнение. В последние десятилетия он продолжал получать похвалы критиков. Барри Монуш написал, что это «один из лучших и самых любимых семейных фильмов своего времени».

Пек сыграл свою первую роль «против типа», сыграв жестокого, аморального ковбоя в западной мыльной опере « Дуэль на солнце » (1946) с известной Дженнифер Джонс в роли провокационной соблазнительницы-объекта любви, гнева и желания Пека. Их химия описывается историком кино Дэвидом Томсоном как «постоянная чувственная борьба на ножах». Джозеф Коттен сыграл праведного сводного брата Пека и соперника за привязанность «горячего сексуального» персонажа Джонса; фильм подвергся резкой критике и даже был запрещен в некоторых городах из-за его мрачного характера. Реклама вокруг эротики « Дуэли на солнце » одна из крупнейших рекламных кампаний кино в истории, использовал новую тактику открытия сразу в сотнях кинотеатров по всей территории США, насыщая театры в городах, где он открылся, в результате этот фильм стал вторым по прибылям фильмом как 1947 года, так и всех 1940-х годов. Фильм под названием «Жажда в пыли» после выхода получил в основном негативные отзывы. Босли Кроутер написал, что «спектакли странным образом неравномерны». хотя Джонс получила номинацию на премию Оскар за лучшую женскую роль . Мнения о выступлении Пека разделились.

: неудачи

основал The La Jolla Playhouse на месте своего рождения В 1947 году Пек вместе с Мелом Феррером и Дороти МакГуайр . Этим летом акционерная компания представляла спектакли в аудитории средней школы Ла-Хойи с 1947 по 1964 год. В 1983 году театр Ла-Холья вновь открылся в новом здании Калифорнийского университета в Сан-Диего , где он работает и сегодня. С момента своего создания он привлекал находящихся в перерыве голливудских кинозвезд как исполнителей, так и восторженных сторонников.

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.

Peck with actors Dorothy McGuire and Sam Jaffe in Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

In November 1947, Peck's next film, the landmark Gentleman's Agreement, directed by Elia Kazan, was released and was immediately proclaimed as "Hollywood's first major attack on anti-Semitism". 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. It had an international cast including Charles Laughton, Ethel Barrymore and Alida Valli as the accused. The movie received positive reviews, with many complimenting Peck's performance, but it was panned by the public, only recouping half of the $4.2 million 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."

Peck in the film Yellow Sky (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. The film was only moderately commercially successful. 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. Their friendship lasted the rest of Gardner's life, and upon her death in 1990, Peck took in both her housekeeper and her dog. 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 National Board of Review ranked it in their top ten films of the year and it received four Academy Awards nominations, Best Actor for Peck. Peck was later recognized in the New York Film Critics Circle for the role. Twelve O'Clock High was a commercial success, finishing tenth in the 1950 box office rankings. 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 $5.6 million 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. The Gunfighter received "solid reviews" upon release, with particular enthusiasm from some critics, with Peck's performance "bringing him some of his best notices". The New York Times wrote, "through Mr. Peck's fine performance, a fair comprehension is conveyed of the loneliness and the isolation of a man with a lurid name ... an arresting and quite exciting film." 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."

Peck and Barbara Payton 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. The plot of the film is listed as "an unpopular, strict leader gathers together a rag-tag group of men and leads them on an extremely dangerous mission, turning them into a well-oiled fighting machine by the end and earning respect along the way." 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 $5.7 million, 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 of 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."

Peck alongside co-star Susan Hayward 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. The two-hit-movie punch of Horatio and David elevated Peck to the status of Hollywood mega-star. 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". David and Bathsheba opened with positive reviews, including praise for avoiding excessive spectacle while remaining an epic with "dignified restraint".

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.

Peck greets his admirers at the Helsinki Airport 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 and Audrey Hepburn in a promotional still for Roman Holiday (1953)

Peck's "first real foray into comedy" was Roman Holiday (1953), directed by William Wyler. He portrayed American journalist Joe Bradley opposite Audrey Hepburn in her first significant film role, playing a European princess. 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. Peck had the same concern, but he was persuaded by Wyler that the on-site filming in Rome would be an exceptional experience and Peck accepted the part, eventually insisting that Hepburn's name be above the title of the film (just beneath his) in the opening credits. Peck later stated that he'd told his agent, "I'm smart enough to know this girl's going to win the Oscar in her first picture, and I'm going to look like a damned fool if her name is not up there on top with mine."

Roman Holiday was a commercial success, finishing 22nd in the box office in 1953. The film continued to garner money after its release, with "modern sources noting it earned $10 million total at the box office". Critics praised Peck's performance; Bosley Crowther stated that "Peck makes a stalwart and manly escort ... whose eyes belie his restrained exterior," while the Hollywood Reporter commented that "Peck turns in another of his outstanding performances playing the love-smitten reporter with intelligence and good-humored conviction;" 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. At the 1955 Golden Globe awards, Peck and Hepburn were named the World Film Favorite Award winners for their respective genders.

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. Peck was based in the United Kingdom for about eighteen months between 1953 and 1955; new tax laws had drastically raised the tax rate on high-income earners, but the amount due would be reduced if the payer worked outside the country for extended periods. After Roman Holiday's 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". He plays a penniless American seaman in 1903 London who is given a one million pound bank note by two rich, eccentric brothers who wish to ascertain if he can survive for one month without spending any of it. The film performed modestly at the box office and received mixed reviews for its production. 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," with critic David Thomson rating Peck's performance as excellent. Craig Butler of All Movie says that "Peck is astonishing, giving the sort of layered, intense yet nuanced performance that deserves major awards".

Peck with Jennifer Jones 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". Radio Times refers to "the excellent Peck" and states that Peck plays "the appealing flawed hero".

Peck and Lauren Bacall in the film Designing Woman (1957)

Peck next starred as Captain Ahab in the 1956 film adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick; he was unsure about his suitability for the part but was persuaded by director John Huston to take the role. Peck almost drowned twice during filming in stormy weather off the sea coasts of Ireland, and several other performers and crew members suffered injuries. John Huston was named best director of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review for Moby Dick, but did not receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. The movie had the ninth highest box office of the year in North America, but cost $4.5 million to make, more than double the original budget, and was considered a commercial disappointment. In 2003, editor Barry Monush wrote, "There was, and continues to be, controversy over his casting as Ahab in Moby Dick." Upon opening, Variety said: "Peck often seems understated and much too gentlemanly for a man supposedly consumed by insane fury."The Hollywood Reporter argued "Peck plays it ... in a brooding, smoldering vein, but none the less intensely and dynamically." In modern times, critics have said Peck is: "often mesmerizing"; "stoic" and "more than adequate"; " 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 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" 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

Peck and Joan Collins in The Bravados (1958)

Peck and Carroll Baker 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. King was widely considered to have produced some of Peck's best work; Peck once said "King was like an older brother, even a father figure. We communicated without talking anything to death. It was direction by osmosis." 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. In recent years, the film and Peck's performance have received mixed reviews, with Time Out asserting that "Peck's "crisis of conscience ... is worked out in perfunctory religious terms;" 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, including Pork Chop Hill, for which Peck served as the executive producer. The films were observed by some as being more political, although Peck said he tried to avoid any "overt preachiness". In 1958, Peck and good friend William Wyler co-produced the Western epic The Big Country (1958) separate from Peck's production company. 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; Peck and Wyler's relationship remained strained for three years after production. Peck said in 1974 that he had tried producing and acting simultaneously and felt "either it can't be done or it's just that I don't do it well".

The film itself was a big hit, finishing fourth at the domestic box office in 1958 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." Despite solid reviews, the film did only fair business at the box office. Most critics, both upon Pork Chop Hill's 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."

Peck in a publicity still for On the Beach (1959)

Peck's second release of 1959 cast him opposite Deborah Kerr in Beloved Infidel, which was based on the memoirs of film columnist Sheilah Graham. The film portrays the romance between Graham (Kerr) and author F. Scott Fitzgerald (Peck) during the last three years of his life, towards the end of which Fitzgerald was often drunk and abusive. 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.

Peck starred next in On the Beach (1959) alongside Ava Gardner in their third and final film together. 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. The film was named in the top ten lists of the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Circle and was successful at the North American box office, finishing eighth for the year, but due to its high production cost it lost $700,000. On the Beach was praised by critics. In recent decades, critical opinion of On the Beach is mixed: some prominent critics asserting that the script is poor, but some critics saying the acting, especially Peck, and cinematography are excellent, and that, overall, the film is powerful. Butler of AllMovie writes, "... problematic is the clichéd, almost soap-operatic relationship between Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner and the somewhat melodramatic handling of other sections of the film ... The cast helps tremendously. Peck has rarely been more stalwart ... Even decades after its release, Beach is a harrowing and devastating experience."

1960–1964: Continued success

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. The team of specialists (Peck is the mountain climbing expert) needs to destroy the guns so that British ships can evacuate 2,000 trapped British soldiers across the Aegean Sea. 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, and became "one of the most popular adventure movies of its day". It landed seven Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Special Effects; other accolades include the Golden Globe Award for Best Dramatic Movie and the BAFTA for Best British Screenplay.

Peck and David Niven in The Guns of Navarone (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 Yorker's 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's next film was Cape Fear (1962), produced by Melville Productions. Peck portrays a lawyer whose witness testimony convicted Robert Mitchum's character who, upon being released from prison after serving eight years for sexual assault, threatens to get back at Peck through his wife and daughter, and meticulously terrorizes the family. 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. The film grossed only $5 million at the North American box office, 47th for the year. 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. In recent decades, reviews have been generally positive. 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.

Peck as Atticus Finch 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. In 2003, Atticus Finch, as portrayed by Peck, was named the greatest film hero of the past 100 years by the American Film Institute. Peck would later say of To Kill A Mockingbird: "My favorite film, without any question."

When producer Alan J. Pakula and director Robert Mulligan approached Peck about taking the role of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Peck agreed to read the book. He stated "I got started on it and of course I sat up all night and read straight through it ... I called them at about eight o'clock in the morning and said 'When do I start?'" Peck did eventually request changes so that 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. Peck's performance was praised by critics. Variety wrote that the role was especially challenging for Peck but that he "not only succeeds, but makes it appear effortless, etching a portrayal of strength, dignity and intelligence." The Hollywood Reporter said "Peck gives probably the finest performance of his career, understated, casual, effective." 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." Both Michael Gebert and Andrew Collins of Radio Times 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.

Peck with Olga Karlatos 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

In 1947, while many Hollywood figures were being blacklisted for similar activities, Peck signed a letter deploring a House Un-American Activities Committee investigation of alleged communists in the film industry. A life-long Democrat, Peck was suggested in 1970 as a possible Democratic candidate to run against Ronald Reagan for the office of California Governor. Although he later admitted that he had no interest in being a candidate himself for public office, Peck encouraged one of his sons, Carey Peck, to run for political office. He was defeated both times by slim margins in races in 1978 and 1980 against Republican U.S. Representative Bob Dornan, another former actor.

Peck with Deputy Mayor of Boston Henry Scagnoli c. 1968

Peck revealed that former President Lyndon Johnson had told him that, had he sought re-election in 1968, he intended to offer Peck the post of U.S. ambassador to Ireland – a post Peck, owing to his Irish ancestry, said he might well have taken, saying, "[It] would have been a great adventure". The actor's biographer Michael Freedland substantiates the report, and says that Johnson indicated that his presentation of the Medal of Freedom to Peck would perhaps make up for his inability to confer the ambassadorship. President Richard Nixon placed Peck on his "enemies list", owing to Peck's liberal activism.

Peck was outspoken against the Vietnam War, while remaining supportive of his son, Stephen, who fought there. In 1972, Peck produced the film version of Daniel Berrigan's play The Trial of the Catonsville Nine about the prosecution of a group of Vietnam protesters for civil disobedience. Despite his reservations about American general, Douglas MacArthur as a man, Peck had long wanted to play him on film, and did so in MacArthur in 1976. Peck was a close friend of French president Jacques Chirac.

In 1978, Peck traveled to Alabama, the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird, to campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Donald W. Stewart of Anniston, who defeated the Republican candidate, James D. Martin, a former U.S. representative from Gadsden. In 1987, Peck undertook the voice-overs for television commercials opposing President Ronald Reagan's Supreme Court nomination of judge Robert Bork. Bork's nomination was defeated. Peck was also a vocal supporter of a worldwide ban of nuclear weapons, and a life-long advocate of gun control.

Documents declassified in 2017 show that the National Security Agency had created a biographical file on Peck as part of its monitoring of prominent US citizens.

Personal life

Peck with his first wife Greta Kukkonen in the 1940s

In October 1942, Peck married Finnish American Greta Kukkonen (1911–2008), with whom he had three sons: Jonathan (1944–1975), Stephen (b. 1946), and Carey Paul (b. 1949). They were divorced in December 1955. Peck's eldest son was found dead in his home on June 26, 1975, in what authorities believed was a suicide.

During his first marriage, Peck had a brief affair with Spellbound co-star Ingrid Bergman. He confessed the affair to Brad Darrach of People in a 1987 interview, saying: "All I can say is that I had a real love for her, and I think that's where I ought to stop ... I was young. She was young. We were involved for weeks in close and intense work."

Peck with his second wife Veronique in 1959

On New Year's Eve in 1955, the day after his divorce was final, Peck married Véronique Passani (1932–2012), a Paris news reporter who had interviewed him in 1952 before he went to Italy to film Roman Holiday. He asked her to lunch six months later, and they became inseparable. They had a son, Anthony Peck (b. 1956), and a daughter, Cecilia Peck (b. 1958). The couple remained married until Peck's death. His son Anthony is a former husband of supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. Peck had grandchildren from both marriages. One of his grandsons from his first marriage is actor Ethan Peck.

Peck was the owner of thoroughbred steeplechase race horses. In 1963, Owen's Sedge finished seventh in the Grand National. Another of his horses, Different Class, raced in the 1968 Grand National. The horse was favored, but finished third.

Peck's hobbies included gardening, reading, and listening to music, including classical, opera and jazz. Peck and his wife often hosted dinners in support of the arts and humanitarian or social justice causes.

Peck was Roman Catholic, and once considered entering the priesthood. Later in his career, a journalist asked Peck if he was a practicing Catholic. Peck answered: "I am a Roman Catholic. Not a fanatic, but I practice enough to keep the franchise. I don't always agree with the Pope ... There are issues that concern me, like abortion, contraception, the ordination of women ... and others." His second marriage was performed by a justice of the peace, not by a priest, because the Church prohibits remarriage if the first spouse is still living and the first marriage was not annulled. Peck was a significant fund-raiser for the missionary work of a priest friend of his (Father Albert O'Hara), and served as co-producer of a cassette recording of the New Testament with his son Stephen.

Death and legacy

Peck's tomb at Los Angeles Cathedral

On June 12, 2003, Peck died in his sleep from bronchopneumonia at the age of 87 at his home in Los Angeles. His wife, Veronique, was by his side.

Gregory Peck is entombed in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels mausoleum in Los Angeles. His eulogy was read by Brock Peters, whose character, Tom Robinson, was defended by Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Celebrities who attended Peck's funeral included Lauren Bacall, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Shari Belafonte, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Mike Farrell, Shelley Fabares, Jimmy Smits, Louis Jourdan, Dyan Cannon, Stephanie Zimbalist, Michael York, Angie Dickinson, Larry Gelbart, Michael Jackson, Anjelica Huston, Lionel Richie, Louise Fletcher, Tony Danza, and Piper Laurie.

The Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence was created by the Peck family in 2008 to commemorate their father by honoring the life's work of a director, producer or actor. Originally presented at the Dingle International Film Festival in his ancestral home in Dingle, Ireland, since 2014 the award has been presented at the San Diego International Film Festival in the city where Peck was born and raised. Recipients include Gabriel Byrne, Laura Dern, Alan Arkin, Annette Bening, Patrick Stewart and Laurence Fishburne.

Acting credits and awards

Main articles: Gregory Peck on screen, stage, and radio and awards and honors

According to the American Film Institute, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Peck's most significant works include Days of Glory (1944), The Keys of the Kingdom (1945), Spellbound (1945), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), Moby Dick (1956), Designing Woman (1957), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Cape Fear (1962), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Arabesque (1966), Mackenna's Gold (1969), The Omen (1976) and Old Gringo (1989). Among his television projects are The Blue and the Gray (1982) The Scarlet and the Black (1983) and Moby Dick (miniseries 1998). On stage, Peck appeared in Gas Light at the La Jolla Playhouse and provided a voice-over for The Will Rogers Follies at the Palace Theatre.

Peck's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Peck received five total Academy Award nominations for The Keys of the Kingdom (1945), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman's Agreement (1947) and Twelve O'Clock High (1949) before winning Best Actor for his performance in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). In 1967, he received their Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He received eight competitive nominations for Golden Globe Awards that recognised his work in The Yearling (1946), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Captain Newman, M.D. (1964), MacArthur (1977), The Boys from Brazil (1978) and the 1998 miniseries Moby Dick. Peck's five wins included the Golden Globe for Best Actor twice as well as one Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, and he was honored with their Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1969.

In 1969, President Lyndon B. Johnson honored Peck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. In 1998, Peck received the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton for his contributions to acting. During his lifetime, he also was a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Gregory Peck has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard. In November 2005, the star was stolen, and has since been replaced.

Archives

Peck donated his personal collection of home movies and prints of his feature films to the Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1999. The film material at the Academy Film Archive is complemented by printed materials in the Gregory Peck papers at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.

See also

• List of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

Библиография

• Фишгалл, Гэри (2002), Грегори Пек: Биография , Нью-Йорк: Саймон и Шустер , ISBN  0-684-85290-Х
• Фридленд, Майкл (1980), Грегори Пек: Биография , Нью-Йорк: В. Морроу, ISBN  0-688-03619-8
• Хейни, Линн (2005), Грегори Пек: Очарованная жизнь , Нью-Йорк: Da Capo Press, ISBN  1-861-05824-1
• Макгиллиган, Патрик (2004), Альфред Хичкок: Жизнь во тьме и свете , Нью-Йорк: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Внешние ссылки

• Официальный сайт Грегори Пека. Архивировано 4 июня 2021 года в Wayback Machine - Фонд Грегори Пека.
• Грегори Пек в базе данных Internet Broadway
• Грегори Пек на IMDb
• Грегори Пек в базе данных TCM Movie
• Грегори Пека Daily Telegraph Некролог
• Грегори Пек в переписи населения США 1920 года, архивированной 29 июля 2013 года в Wayback Machine , переписи населения США 1930 года , архивированной 29 июля 2013 года в Wayback Machine , и индексе смертности социального обеспечения, заархивированном 29 июля 2013 года в Wayback Machine .
• Документы Грегори Пека , Библиотека Маргарет Херрик, Академия кинематографических искусств и наук
• Интервью Грегори Пека на BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs , 8 августа 1980 г.
• Изображение Сидни Пуатье с Оскаром вместе с Грегори Пеком, Аннабеллой и Энн Бэнкрофт за кулисами церемонии вручения премии Оскар в Лос-Анджелесе, 1964 год. Архивировано 6 августа 2021 года в Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times фотоархиве (коллекция 1429). Специальные коллекции библиотеки Калифорнийского университета в Лос-Анджелесе, Исследовательская библиотека Чарльза Э. Янга , Калифорнийский университет, Лос-Анджелес .