The leather-bound script used by legendary actor Gregory Peck in his Oscar-winning performance for “To Kill a Mockingbird” sold for $84,375 at an auction by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The 1962 copy, which belonged to the late Peck, was part of a collection of personal property from the estate of the actor and his wife, Veronique.
The auction featured 246 lots and only lasted six hours. Heritage Auctions Communications Director Robert Wilonsky stated that there was a significant bidding war over the script, which included photos of Peck on the “Mockingbird” set.
Peck played lawyer Atticus Finch in the movie adaptation of the Harper Lee novel and won the Best Actor Oscar in 1962. The “Mockingbird” film is an American classic that has been viewed by countless children in elementary schools across the country.
Wilonsky added that prior to the auction, Peck’s son Anthony discussed how his father was similar to the fictional character Atticus Finch. “Gregory Peck was Atticus Finch in real life in so many ways,” he said. “So we identified with him as an audience, but his family also thought of him in the same way. He was that honest guy.” Although Wilonsky could not reveal the auction winner, he noted that participants were “real collectors and lovers of Hollywood.”
Other pieces sold at the auction included a signed copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” given by Harper Lee to Peck and his wife Veronique. It sold for $35,000 and featured an inscription that read, “To Gregory and Veronique: You have a unique place in my heart. Harper.” Peck, a prolific actor in his day, died in 2003, and Veronique passed away in 2012.
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