<P> To Kill a Mockingbird marked the film debuts of Robert Duvall, William Windom, and Alice Ghostley . </P> <P> The film's young protagonists, Jean Louise "Scout" Finch (Mary Badham) and her brother Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch (Phillip Alford), live in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s . The story covers three years, during which Scout and Jem undergo changes in their lives . They are innocent children, spending their days happily playing games with each other and spying on Arthur "Boo" Radley (Robert Duvall) who has not left his home for many years and about whom many rumors circulate . Their widowed father, Atticus (Gregory Peck), is a town lawyer and has strong beliefs that all people are to be treated fairly, to turn the other cheek, and to stand for what you believe . He also allows his children to call him by his first name . Early in the film, the children see their father accept hickory nuts, and other produce, from Mr. Cunningham (Crahan Denton) for legal work because the client has no money . Through their father's work as a lawyer, Scout and Jem begin to learn of the racism and evil in their town, aggravated by poverty; they mature quickly as they are exposed to it . </P> <P> The local judge (Paul Fix) appoints Atticus to defend a black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), against an accusation of rape of a white girl, Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox). Atticus accepts the case . Jem and Scout experience schoolyard taunts for their father's decision . Later, as Atticus is sitting in front of the local jail to safeguard Robinson, a lynch mob arrives, which includes Mr. Cunningham . Scout, Jem and their friend, Dill (John Megna), interrupt the confrontation . Scout, unaware of the mob's purpose, recognizes Cunningham as the man who paid her father in hickory nuts and tells him to say hello to his son, who is her schoolmate . Cunningham becomes embarrassed and the mob disperses . </P> <P> At the trial, it is undisputed that Tom came to Mayella's home at her request to help with the chopping up of a chifforobe, and that Mayella showed signs of having been beaten around that time . Among Atticus' chief arguments is that Tom has a crippled left arm, yet the supposed rapist would have had to make extensive use of his left hand in assaulting Mayella before raping her . Atticus then points out that Mayella's father, Bob Ewell (James Anderson), is left handed, implying that he--rather than Tom--was the one who beat Mayella . Atticus also states that the girl had not been examined by a doctor to check for signs of rape after the supposed assault . In his closing argument Atticus asks the all - white male jury to cast aside their prejudices and instead focus on Tom's obvious innocence . In taking the stand in his own defense, Tom denies he attacked Mayella, but states she kissed him . He testifies he voluntarily assisted Mayella because "I felt sorry for her because ...". Although Tom does not finish his sentence, the prosecutor (William Windom) hammers home the point that he was a black man feeling sorry for a white woman . In a town where whites are viewed as superior to blacks, Tom's sympathy for Mayella dooms his case, and he is found guilty . </P>

Who defends tom robinson in the 1960 book to kill a mockingbird
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