Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Robert Duvall’s feature film debut depicted this small Alabama town
Reading time: 3 minutes
Robert Duvall, the acclaimed, Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in “The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now” and many more, passed away at the age of 95 on Sunday, February 15.
But before he was known as Tom Hagen and Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore—or even the eccentric Hub McCann from “Secondhand Lions”—Duvall made his feature film debut as the reclusive Boo Radley in the 1962 adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Boo Radley launched his film career
With a career spanning seven decades, Robert Duvall is considered by many to be one of the greatest actors of all time. But even the greats have to start somewhere.
A California native, Duvall began his acting career on the theatre stage in the early 1950s. In fact, Duvall didn’t make it in front of a camera until 1959, when he was cast on an episode of the “Armstrong Circle Theater” television drama series.
In 1962, Duvall was cast as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama—based on Lee’s hometown of Monroeville—during the Great Depression, “To Kill a Mockingbird” follows the young Scout Finch as her lawyer father, Atticus, defends a black man falsely accused of rape. Released in 1960, “To Kill a Mockingbird” became an instant American classic, winning a Pulitzer Prize a year after its release.
Although the movie adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is most closely associated with Gregory Peck (Atticus Finch) and Mary Badham (Scout Finch), Duvall’s performance as Boo Radley was just as powerful, despite having no dialogue and appearing only in the final scenes.
In case you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, Boo Radley is the Finches’ antisocial neighbor who both fascinates and terrifies the young Scout and her brother, Jem. In the final moments of the story, Scout and Jem are attacked by the drunk, racist Bob Ewell; amidst the fight, someone intervenes and saves the children. That “someone” is Boo Radley, who later shares an iconic, silent moment of understanding with the young Scout.
See the scene that showcased Duvall’s incredible emotional range below.
What was your favorite Robert Duvall film? Tag us @thebamabuzz to let us know.
