Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his brillant performance as the southern lawyer whe defends a black man accused of rape in this film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel. The way in which it captures a time, a place, and above all, a mood, makes this film a masterpiece. The Setting is a dusty Southern Town during the Depression. A white woman accuses a black man of rape. Though he is obviously innocent, the outcome of his trail is such a forgone conclution that no lawyer will step forward to defend him- except Peck, the town's most distinguished citizen. His compassionate defence costs him many friendships but earns him the respect and admiration of his two motherless children. OSCAR - Actor (Peck).