Editing Gregory Peck (section)

===1944–1946: Hollywood breakthrough===
[[File:Gregory Peck in Days of Glory (1944).png|thumb|left|upright|Peck in his film debut ''[[Days of Glory (1944 film)|Days of Glory]]'' (1944)]]
After gaining stage recognition, Peck was offered his first film role at RKO Radio Pictures, the male lead in the war-romance ''[[Days of Glory (1944 film)|Days of Glory]]'' (1944), directed by [[Jacques Tourneur]], alongside top-billed [[Tamara Toumanova]], a Russian-born ballerina.<ref name="Monush, Barry"/> Peck portrayed the leader of Russian guerrillas resisting the Germans in 1941 who stumble across a beautiful Russian dancer (Toumanova), who had been sent to entertain Russian troops; they protect her by letting her join their group.<ref name="Monush, Barry"/><ref name="Thomson, David 1994 pg. 576">Thomson, David (London, 1994) "A Biographical Dictionary of Film", Martin Secker and Warburg Ltd., pg. 576.</ref> During production of the film, Tourneur "untrained" Peck from his theater training where he was used to speaking in a formal manner and projecting his voice to the entire hall.<ref name="ReferenceE">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1874/days-of-glory#articles-reviews|title=Days of Glory (1944) - Articles - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> Peck considered his performance in the film as quite amateurish and did not wish to watch the film after it was released.<ref name="ReferenceE"/> The film lost money at the box office, disappeared from theaters quickly,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/days-of-glory/review/112333|title=Days Of Glory |website=TV Guide}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceH">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/days-of-glory-v12658|title=Days of Glory (1944) - Jacques Tourneur &#124; Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref> and was largely dismissed by critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/gregory-peck-p55747|title=Gregory Peck &#124; Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos|website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceE"/>

At the time of the film's release, critic [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' assessed it as slow-moving and verbose, adding that Peck's acting was stiff.{{efn|name=DaysofGloryMovieBosleyCrowther| Crowther said, "Gregory Peck comes recommended with a Gary Cooper angularity and a face somewhat like that modest gentleman's, but his acting is equally stiff."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1944/06/17/archives/days-of-glory-starring-tamara-toumanova-and-gregory-peck-at-palace.html|title=' Days of Glory,' Starring Tamara Toumanova and Gregory Peck, at Palace -- Mexican Film Opens|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=June 17, 1944|work=The New York Times}}</ref> |group=}} Film historian Barry Monush has written, "Peck's star power was evident from the word go."<ref name="Monush, Barry"/> Following the release of the film, Peck gained the attention of producers, but rather than participate in the [[studio system]], he decided to remain a freelancer with the ability to choose his roles, signing non-exclusive contracts with four studios,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gregory-peck-dead-at-87/|title=Gregory Peck Dead At 87|website=CBS News|date=June 12, 2003 }}</ref> including an unusual dual contract with [[20th Century Fox]] and ''Gone With the Wind'' producer [[David O. Selznick]].<ref name="Turner, Adrian">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/gregory-peck-36623.html|title=News > Obituaries {{!}} Gregory Peck|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=June 14, 2003|author=Adrian Turner|access-date=November 29, 2019}}</ref>

In Peck's second movie, ''[[The Keys of the Kingdom (film)|The Keys of the Kingdom]]'' (1944), he plays an 80-year-old Roman Catholic priest who looks back at his undertakings during over half a century of his determined, self-sacrificing missionary work in China.<ref name="variety1944">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1944/film/reviews/the-keys-of-the-kingdom-1200414440/ |title=The Keys of the Kingdom |work=Variety |date=December 31, 1944}}</ref><ref name="Thomson, David 1994 pg. 576"/> The film shows the character aging from his 20s to 80; Peck was featured in almost every scene.<ref name="auto49">{{cite web|author=Greg Orypeck |url=https://www.classicfilmfreak.com/2018/05/31/the-keys-of-the-kingdom-1947-starring-gregory-peck-and-thomas-mitchell/ |title=The Keys of the Kingdom (1947) starring Gregory Peck and Thomas Mitchell |work=Classic Film Freak |date=May 31, 2018 |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> The film was nominated for four [[Academy Awards]], including the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], which was Peck's first nomination.<ref name="Kinn, Gail 2000 pg. 92">Kinn, Gail, and Jim Plazza (New York, 2000) "The Academy Awards: The Complete History of Oscar", Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, pg. 92.</ref> Although the film finished only 27th at the box office in North America for 1944,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimatemovierankings.com/1944-top-grossing-movies/|title=1944 Top Grossing Movies &#124; Ultimate Movie Rankings|first=Cogerson|last=says|date=April 9, 2017}}</ref> Jay Carr of [[Turner Classic Movies]] refers to it as Peck's breakthrough performance,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/80168/the-keys-of-the-kingdom#articles-reviews|title=The Keys of the Kingdom (1945) - Articles - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> while writer [[Patrick McGilligan (biographer)|Patrick McGilligan]] says that it "catapulted him to stardom".{{sfn|McGilligan|2004|p=357}} At the time of release, Peck's performance was lauded by ''Variety'' and ''The New York Times,'' despite mixed reviews for the film itself.{{efn|name=TheKeysoftheKingdomMovieReviews|''Variety'' described the movie as "a cavalcade of a priest's life, played excellently by Peck, what transcends all the cinematic action is the impact of tolerance, service, faith and godliness."<ref name="variety1944"/> Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "Much of the dialogue that is cautiously arranged between and among these people is tedious, since it lacks real depth or point," but Peck "gives a quiet and forceful performance".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1944/12/30/archives/keys-of-the-kingdom-from-novel-by-aj-cronin-opens-at-rivoli-rkos.html|title='Keys of the Kingdom,' From Novel by A.J. Cronin, Opens at Rivoli -- RKO's 'Experiment Perilous' New Bill at Palace|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=December 30, 1944|work=The New York Times}}</ref>}} The ''[[Radio Times]]'' referred to it as "a long, talkative and rather undramatic picture" but admitted that "its success saved Peck's career".<ref name="auto3">{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/hygzj/URL/|title=The Keys of the Kingdom – review &#124; cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online|website=[[Radio Times]]|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031050325/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/hygzj/URL/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Craig Butler of [[AllMovie]] states "he gives a commanding performance, full of his usual quiet dignity and intelligence, and spiked with stubbornness and an inner fire that make the character truly come alive."<ref name="allmovie.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-keys-of-the-kingdom-v27139/review|title=The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) - John M. Stahl &#124; Review &#124; AllMovie|via=allmovie.com}}</ref>

In ''[[The Valley of Decision]]'' (1945), a romantic drama about intermingling [[social classes]], Peck plays the eldest son of a wealthy steel mill owner in 1870s Pittsburgh who has a romance with one of his family's maids, portrayed by [[Greer Garson]].<ref name="auto11">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/05/04/archives/the-screen-in-review-the-valley-of-decision-with-greer-carson-and.html|title=The Screen in Review; 'The Valley of Decision,' With Greer Carson and Gregory Peck, Makes Its Appearance at the Radio City Music Hall Judy Garland Seen in 'The Clock' at Capitol--Other New Films Are Offered at the Palace and at Loew's State Theatre At the Capitol At the Palace At Loew's State|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=May 4, 1945|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-valley-of-decision-v115370|title=The Valley of Decision (1945) - Tay Garnett &#124; Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref> who was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]. Upon release, reviews from ''The New York Times'' and ''Variety'' were somewhat positive, with Peck's performance described as commanding.{{efn|name=TheValleyofDecisonReviews|Bosley Crowther wrote, "Peck's performance is "quietly commanding".<ref name="auto11"/> ''Variety'' said the tale "is movingly dealt with" and that "Peck has the personality and ability to command attention in any scene."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1944/film/reviews/the-valley-of-decision-1200414422/|title=The Valley of Decision|work=Variety|date=January 1, 1945}}</ref>}} It was North America's [[1945 in film|highest-grossing movie of 1945]].<ref name="auto19"/>

[[File:Spellbound-1945.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Peck and co-star [[Ingrid Bergman]] in the film ''Spellbound'' (1945)]]
Peck's next film was the first of two collaborations with director [[Alfred Hitchcock]], the suspense-romance ''[[Spellbound (1945 film)|Spellbound]]'' (1945), opposite [[Ingrid Bergman]]. Peck plays a man who is thought to be the new director of the psychiatric facility where Bergman's character works as a psychoanalyst, while his amnesia and disturbing visions suggest he may be a murderer.<ref name="auto16">Fox, Ken, Ed Grant, Jo Imeson, Andrew Joseph and Maitland McDonaugh, Eds. (New York, 1998) "The Movie Guide", Berkley Publishing Group, pg. 645.</ref> Peck and Hitchcock were described as having a cordial but cool relationship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86212/the-paradine-case#articles-reviews|title=The Paradine Case (1948)|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> Hitchcock initially hoped that [[Cary Grant]] would play the male lead.{{sfn|McGilligan|2004|p=360}} Peck later stated that he thought he was too young when he first worked with Hitchcock and that the director's on-set indifference to his character's motivation, important to Peck's acting style, shook his confidence.<ref name="Turner, Adrian"/> Peck's chemistry clicked with his screen partner Bergman; the actors were romantically linked at the time.{{sfn|Haney|2005|p=23}}

Released at the end of 1945, ''Spellbound'' was a hit, ranking as the third-most successful film of 1946.<ref name="auto19" /> ''Spellbound'' was well received by critics at the time, as was Peck's performance.{{efn|name=SpellboundReviews|Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'' said it is a "moving love story" and "a rare film," that "the manner and quality of story-telling is extraordinarily fine", "the firm texture of narration, the flow of continuity and dialogue, the shock of the unexpected, the scope of the image – all are happily here"<ref name="Crowther, Bosley 1945">{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |work=The New York Times |date=November 2, 1945 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/11/02/archives/tide-screen-in-review-spellbound-a-psychological-hit-starring.html |title=Tide Screen In Review; 'Spellbound,' a Psychological Hit Starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck, Opens at Astor--Hitchcock Director Dangerous Partners,' a Surprise Package Featuring Craig and Hasso, Is Intriguing Film by M-G-M Now at Loew's State |access-date=July 29, 2021 }}</ref> and, ''Variety'' said "Alfred Hitchcock handles his players and action in a suspenseful manner, and except for a few episodes of much scientific dialogue, maintains a steady pace in keeping the camera moving" adding that Peck "handles the suspense scenes with great skill".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1944/film/reviews/spellbound-1200414466/|title=Spellbound|work=Variety|date=January 1, 1945}}</ref>}}{{sfn|McGilligan|2004|p=379|ps= quoting Newsweek}} Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'' praised the film, stating that Peck's performance "restrained and refined, is precisely the proper counter to Bergman's exquisite role;"<ref name="Crowther, Bosley 1945"/> Frank Miller of [[Turner Classic Movies]] has written that the movie accelerated the rise of Peck into a Hollywood star and even "a major [[sex symbol]]".<ref name="Turner Classic Movies">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/91049/spellbound#articles-reviews|title=Spellbound (1945)|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> Producer [[David O. Selznick]] noted that during preview tests of the movie, the women in the audiences had substantive reactions to the appearance of Peck's name during the opening credits, stating that during his first few scenes the audience had to be shushed to quiet down.<ref name="Turner Classic Movies"/> ''Spellbound'' was nominated for six [[Academy Awards]] including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], although it was not in the [[National Board of Review]]'s top ten films of the year.<ref name="Kinn, Gail 2000 pg. 92"/><ref name="autogenerated143">Gebert, Michael (New York, 1996) "The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards", St. Martin's Press, pg. 143.</ref>

In ''[[The Yearling (1946 film)|The Yearling]]'' (1946),<ref name="Thomson, David 1994 pg. 576"/> Peck portrays a kind-hearted father, opposite onscreen wife, [[Jane Wyman]], whose son finds and insists on raising a three-day-old fawn in 1870s Florida.<ref name="auto16"/> Reviews upon release were very positive{{efn|name=TheYearlingReviews|A.E. Wilson of ''The Star'' (England) wrote, "the film is acted with rare perfection".<ref>Tookey, Christopher (London, 1994), "The Film Critics' Film Guide", Boxtree Limited. pg. 950. quoting A.E. Wilson, The Star, England.</ref> Bosley Crowther also wrote, "The strong bond of trust and wistful longing which exists between the boy and his "Pa" required the most sensitive tuning in order to ring sharp and true" and "the love of the lad for a pet lawn, which his father understands, had to be tenderly developed to appear wholly genuine."}} with Bosley Crowther evaluating it as a film that "provides a wealth of satisfaction that few films ever attain".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/01/24/archives/the-yearling-based-on-novel-by-marjorie-rawlings-opens-at-radio.html|title='The Yearling', Based on Novel by Marjorie Rawlings, Opens at Radio City, with Claude Jarman Jr. in Role of Jody|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=January 24, 1947|work=The New York Times}}</ref> ''The Yearling'' was a box office success finishing with the ninth highest box office gross for 1947<ref name="auto19"/> and landed six [[Academy Award]] nominations, including Best Actor. Peck won the [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] for Best Actor for performance.<ref name="EMAp143">Gebert, Michael (New York, 1996), "The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards", St. Martin's Press, pg. 143.</ref> In recent decades, it has continued to receive critical praise{{efn|name=TheYearlingModern|It's been described as "exquisitely filmed{{nbsp}}... with memorable performances" by Leonard Maltin;<ref name="Maltin, Leonard 2005"/> by Dan Jardine of ''AllMovie'' as, "teetering on the brink of sentimentality at times" but "the honesty of the performances and the beauty of the photography procure a place for ''The Yearling'' in cinematic history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-yearling-v55729/review |first=Dan |last=Jardine |title=The Yearling (1946) |website=Allmovie.com |access-date=July 29, 2021 }}</ref> by Tom Hutchinson of ''Radio Times'' as a "lovely and loving story (which) takes its strength from an understatement of dramatic events and the underplaying of the actors. Veteran director Clarence Brown shapes it into a tale that touches the heart while never patronizing the mind. Sentiment without sentimentality."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/nbvds/the-yearling/|title=The Yearling – review &#124; cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online|website=Radio Times|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031051248/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/nbvds/the-yearling/|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} with Barry Monush writing that it is "one of the best-made and most-loved family films of its day".<ref name="Monush, Barry"/>

Peck took his first "against type" role, playing a cruel, amoral cowboy in the Western soap opera ''[[Duel in the Sun (film)|Duel in the Sun]]'' (1946) with top-billed [[Jennifer Jones]] as the provocative temptress-object of Peck's love, anger, and desire.<ref name="auto39">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73733/duel-in-the-sun#articles-reviews|title=Duel in the Sun (1947) – Articles – TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref><ref name="tvguide.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/duel-in-the-sun/review/113631|title=Duel In The Sun |website=TV Guide}}</ref> Their chemistry is described by film historian David Thomson as "a constant knife fight of sensuality".<ref name="auto9">Thomson, David (London, 1994) "A Biographical Dictionary of Film", Martin Secker and Warburg Ltd., pg. 577.</ref> [[Joseph Cotten]] starred as Peck's righteous half brother and competitor for the affections of the "steamy, sexpot" character of Jones;<ref name="auto58">{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/duel-in-the-sun|title=Duel in the Sun|website=[[Time Out London]]|date=September 10, 2012 }}</ref> the movie was resoundingly criticized and even banned in some cities due to its lurid nature.<ref name="auto20">Bergen, Ronald (London: 2004) in "501 Must-See Movies", Bounty Books.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/13/movies/gregory-peck-is-dead-at-87-film-roles-had-moral-fiber.html |first=William |last=Grimes |title=Gregory Peck Is Dead at 87; Film Roles Had Moral Fiber |work=The New York Times |date=June 13, 2003 |access-date=July 29, 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The publicity around the eroticism of ''Duel in the Sun'',<ref name="auto21">Fox, Ken, Ed Grant, Jo Imeson, Andrew Joseph and Maitland McDonaugh, Eds. (New York, 1998) "The Movie Guide", Berkley Publishing Group, pg. 183.</ref> one of the biggest movie advertising campaigns in history,<ref name="auto14">Tookey, Christopher (London, 1994), "The Film Critics' Film Guide", Boxtree Limited. pg. 214.</ref><ref name="tvguide.com"/> used a new tactic of opening in hundreds of theaters across the U.S. at once,<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73733/duel-in-the-sun#articles-reviews|title=Duel in the Sun (1947) - Articles - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> saturating the theaters in cities where it opened,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73733/duel-in-the-sun#notes|title=Duel in the Sun (1947) - Notes - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> resulting in the film's being the second highest-grossing movie of both 1947 and all of the 1940s.<ref>Kay, Eddie Dorman (New York, 1990). "Box Office Champs: The Most Popular Movies from the Last 50 Years", M & M Books, pg. 39.</ref> Nicknamed "Lust in the Dust", the film received mostly negative reviews upon release-{{efn|name=DuelintheSunReviews|Frank Miller of Turner Class Movies says it had "pretty awful reviews",<ref name="auto39"/> and Stephen Watts of ''The Sunday Times'' said it "fluctuates between the repellent and the ridiculous".<ref>Tookey, Christopher (London, 1994), "The Film Critics' Film Guide", Boxtree Limited. pg. 215. quoting Stephen Watts, Sunday Times.</ref> ''Variety'' wrote, "The familiar western formula reaches its highest commercialization{{nbsp}}... (the movie) is raw, sex-laden pulp fiction{{nbsp}}... The vastness of western locale is splendidly displayed in color{{nbsp}}... too much at times considering the movie's length" and Jones and Peck overact in some scenes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1945/film/reviews/duel-in-the-sun-1117790601/|title=Duel in the Sun|work=Variety|date=January 1, 1946}}</ref>}} Bosley Crowther wrote that "performances are strangely uneven",<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/08/archives/duel-in-the-sun-selznicks-lavish-western-that-stars-jennifer-jones.html|title='Duel in the Sun,' Selznick's Lavish Western That Stars Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Opens at Loew's Theatres|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|date=May 8, 1947|work=The New York Times}}</ref> although Jones received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]. The opinions of Peck's performance have been polarized.{{efn|name=DuelintheSunModernPeck|David Parkinson of the BFI says, Peck "credibly holds his own against the scene-stealing veterans" in the movie;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/gregory-peck-10-essential-films|title=Gregory Peck: 10 essential films|website=British Film Institute|date=April 5, 2016 }}</ref> Bosley Crowther says Peck makes "the renegade brother a credibly vicious and lawless character;"<ref name="nytimes.com"/> but Christopher Tookey says "Peck is as lively as the average coffee table;"<ref name="auto14"/> and ''Variety'' wrote that Peck overacted in some scenes.<ref name="tvguide.com"/>}}