Six years after making her Oscar-nominated film debut playing Scout Finch in "to Kill a Mockingbird", Mary tried out for Mick, the awkward teenager who befrends a deaf-mute named Singer. She lost the role to newcomer Sondra Locke, who also received an Oscar nomination for her film debut.

Peppard was sent the script by Warner Bros. but his agent talked him out of it, telling him that the part of Singer, a deaf mute, was too weak and "might be a homosexual." Newcomer Alan Arkin played the part and earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination.