Mary Badham is a small woman with a big presence.

The actress, who as a child played Scout in the 1962 classic movie “To Kill a Mockingbird,” captivated the crowd that came to Mathews High School last Thursday, ostensibly to view the film but more than likely there for a chance to see the Academy Award nominee in person.

Only moments into the viewing of the film, which was shown first, spontaneous applause erupted from the approximately 500 people in attendance as Scout appeared on the screen. Then the audience settled in to watch as Scout, her brother Jem (Phillip Alford), and their new friend Dill (John Megna) pulled pranks, got into trouble, and learned valuable lessons about life, all under the watchful eye of Scout’s father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck).

When the screening was over, there was more applause as Badham took the stage, introduced by Tom Robinson of the Mathews Film Society, which sponsored the event. Robinson emceed a question-and-answer session, ...