As part of Turner Classic’s Road to Hollywood series, Roger Osborne and Spike Lee will host the World Theatrical Premiere Screening of the 50th Anniversary Restoration of To Kill a Mockingbird at New York City’s Ziegfeld Theatre
on March 1.

To Kill A Mockingbird is considered one of the most revered books of our time. It won the Pulitzer Prize and was declared as “Best Novel of the Century” by Library Journal.  Films often are unable to match the great storytelling of the literature, but To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the few movies that is as classic as the book. This film adaptation was penned by Horton Foote, directed by Robert Mulligan, and starred Gregory Peck.  The film went on to win several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.  Author Harper Lee has said of the film, “I think it is one of the best translations of a book to film ever made.”

Because Lee’s story is so personal, many people each have their own personal moment connected to the book or film.  I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school.  When I read the book, I somehow knew, even as a teenager, that this story would remain one of my favorites. I first saw the movie in class.  It’s near the end of the film when Robert Duvall makes an appearance as Boo Radley.  It’s an emotional scene, one that I never thought could fully be transferred from book to film.  But when Duvall’s Boo Radly quietly appears, to my surprise, tears were running down my face.  It’s one of the first times that I remember crying while watching a film.

It’s moments like these that classic films can create.  I can only imagine what my reaction might have been like if I had seen the movie on the big screen.  Take advantage of the Turner Classic’s Road to Hollywood series, which will provide free screenings of classic films throughout the country. It’ll be a chance to view a classic in a way we normally don’t get to appreciate them.

For a full listing of the series, check out their website.