Peck's Walk of Fame Star Stolen

Wed., Nov. 30, 2005 3:00 PM PST by Sarah Hall

It's a case that would meet with Atticus Finch's disapproval.

Sometime within the last two weeks, determined saw-wielding thieves managed to remove Gregory Peck's star from Hollywood's Walk of Fame and make off with it--no small feat, considering the bronze stars weigh in at 300 pounds and happen to be located in a tourist-heavy area of Los Angeles.

After it was realized that the tribute to the Academy Award-winning thesp had vanished, a replacement star was unveiled Wednesday afternoon.

Anthony Peck, son of the late actor, attended the ceremony, which was led by honorary Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly welcome back to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Gregory Peck," Grant said as he kneeled on the ground and unveiled the replacement.

Officials claim the original five-pronged pink star, bearing the actor's bronzed name and a movie camera emblem, was stolen from its four-decade resting place at 6100 Hollywood Blvd. near Gower Street sometime between Nov. 15 and Nov. 24.

"It happened just before Sunday's Hollywood Christmas Parade. We have no idea where it is," Grant told the Los Angeles Times.

The thieves had to cut through terrazzo and concrete in order to heft the star from the sidewalk, leading officials to believe that the resulting hole was possibly part of a construction project. However, they quickly determined that none of the city's departments was performing work around the Walk of Fame.

Peck's 43-year-old star was one of the original 1,558 stars on the Walk of Fame, which was created on Feb. 8, 1960, according to Ana Martinez-Holler of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Though the star's value was estimated at $5,000, it cost $7,000 to replace, Lopez said.

On Wednesday, Grant, who oversees most of the star installations, offered a deal to the star stealers.

"You know now you can't sell it. This has become a worldwide story and if you'll just bring it back and leave it right here I'll forget the whole thing happened," he said.

Peck's lengthy career began in 1944, when he debuted in the film Days of Glory. His second film, 1944's The Keys of the Kingdom earned him his first Oscar nomination. He was nominated again for his work in 1946's The Yearling, for which he won a Golden Globe, and for his roles in 1947's Gentleman's Agreement and 1949's Twelve O'Clock High.

After four nominations, Peck finally won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of righteous lawyer Atticus Finch in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as the Golden Globe.

The performance earned his character recognition from the American Film Institute as the greatest screen hero in film history on its list of 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains.

The venerable actor died in June 2003 at age 87.

Peck's star is the fourth to be stolen since the Walk of Fame was unveiled. About five years ago, stars honoring Kirk Douglas and Jimmy Stewart were nabbed from Vine Street where they had been temporarily dislodged due to a construction project. The stars were recovered, but not before new ones were ordered.

A star belonging to singing cowboy Gene Autry was stolen from another construction area and was never recovered, though Grant received an anonymous tip from a caller claiming it was in Iowa.

"The chamber never got that star back. Someday it will end up on eBay," Grant told the Times.