Ready 2 Watch - "Inherit The Wind" (Creationism Trial)

A Story by dw817

Inherit the Wind is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial. The film was written investigating intellectual discourse in society and is critical especially of creationism.

R2W Inherit The Wind

OVERVIEW

Inherit the Wind is a 1960 Hollywood film adaptation of the play of the same name, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, directed by Stanley Kramer.

It stars Spencer Tracy as lawyer Henry Drummond and Fredric March as his friend and rival Matthew Harrison Brady, also featuring Gene Kelly, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Donna Anderson, Claude Akins, Noah Beery, Jr., Florence Eldridge, and Jimmy Boyd.

The script was adapted by Nedrick Young (originally as Nathan E. Douglas) and Harold Jacob Smith. Stanley Kramer was commended for bringing in writer Nedrick Young in as the latter was blacklisted.

Inherit the Wind is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means to discuss McCarthyism. Written in response to the chilling effect of the McCarthy era investigations on intellectual discourse, the play (and film) are critical of creationism.

A television remake starring Jason Robards and Kirk Douglas aired in 1988. It was again remade in 1999, co-starring Jack Lemmon as Drummond and George C. Scott as Brady.

BACKGROUND

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes's conviction for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law.

The characters of Matthew Harrison Brady, Henry Drummond, Bertram Cates and E. K. Hornbeck correspond to the historical figures of William Jennings Bryan, Clarence Darrow, Scopes, and H. L. Mencken, respectively.

However, Lee and Lawrence state in a note at the opening of the play on which the film is based that it is not meant to be a historical account, and many events were substantially altered or invented. For instance, the characters of the preacher and his daughter were fictional.

The townspeople weren't hostile towards those who had come to Dayton for the trial, and Bryan offered to pay Scopes' fine if he was convicted. Bryan did die shortly after the trial's conclusion, but his death occurred five days later in his sleep.

Political commentator Steve Benen said of the drama's inaccuracies: "Scopes issued no plea for empathy, there was no fiancee and the real Scopes was never arrested.

In fact, the popular film that was nominated for four Academy Awards and has helped shape the American understanding of the 'Scopes Monkey Trial' for decades is an inadequate reflection of history."

Lawrence explained in a 1996 interview that the play's purpose was to criticize McCarthyism and defend intellectual freedom. According to Lawrence, "we used the teaching of evolution as a parable, a metaphor for any kind of mind control [...] It's not about science versus religion."

"It's about the right to think."

PLOT

In a small Southern town, a school teacher, Bertram Cates, is about to stand trial. His offense: violating a state law by introducing to his students the concept that man descended from the apes, a theory of the naturalist Charles Darwin. Cates is vigorously denounced by town leaders such as the Rev. Jeremiah Brown.

The town is excited because appearing on behalf of the prosecution will be the famous Matthew Harrison Brady, a noted statesman and 3-time presidential candidate.

A staunch foe of Darwinism and a Biblical scholar, Brady will sit beside the prosecuting attorney, Tom Davenport, in the courtroom of Judge Coffey to teach the naive teacher Cates the error of his ways.

A surprise is in store for Brady, however. The teacher's defense is to be handled by the equally well-known Henry Drummond, one of America's most controversial legal minds and a long-standing acquaintance and adversary of Brady.

An influential newspaperman, E.K. Hornbeck of the Baltimore Herald, has personally seen to it that Drummond will come to town to represent the teacher in this case, and that his newspaper and a radio network will provide nationwide coverage of what began as a minor legal matter.

Rev. Brown rails against the defendant publicly, rallying the townspeople against Cates and his godless attorney. The preacher's daughter Rachel is conflicted because Cates is the love of her life.

The judge clearly admires Brady, even addressing him as "Colonel" in court. Drummond objects to this, so, as a compromise, the mayor reluctantly makes him a "temporary" colonel just for these proceedings.

But each time Drummond attempts to call a scientist or authority figure to discuss Darwin's theories, the judge sustains the prosecution's objections and forbids such opinions to be heard.

His hands tied in every other way, Drummond calls Brady himself to the witness stand. Brady's confidence in his Biblical knowledge is so great that he welcomes this challenge.

But he becomes flustered under Drummond's cross-examination, unable to explain certain apparent contradictions, until Drummond hammers home his point " that Cates, like any other man, demands the right to think for himself.

Cates is ultimately found guilty, to the gallery's relief, but because Drummond has made his case so convincingly with the trial becoming a political embarrassment, the judge sees fit to do no more than make him pay a small fine of $100.

Brady is furious at this and tries to enter a lengthy speech into the record, but Drummond persuades the Judge to disallow it since the trial has concluded.

As the court is adjourned, Brady tries to give his speech but most ignore him outside of his wife and his court opponents who are concerned seeing him become hysterical. During this, he suffers a ruptured stomach and dies in the court room.

Later, after the crowd has cleared out, Hornbeck is talking with Drummond and wants to use the Bible quotation from a religious rally held by Rev Brown and in which Brady had quoted the "inherit the wind" verse because Brown was about to damn his own daughter, but cannot remember it.

Drummond, without looking up, quotes the verse verbatim, which shocks Hornbeck.

He and Drummond argue over Brady and Hornbeck walks out, leaving Drummond alone in the courtroom to pack. Drummond picks up a Bible and Darwin's book, balancing them in his hands as if he was a scale.

Then he puts the two together (with the Bible on top) and walks out with them in hand.

The final scene shows Drummond walking out of the court room alone with the song "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" being sung in the background.

ACTORS

Spencer Tracy	Henry Drummond (patterned after Clarence Darrow)
Fredric March	Matthew Harrison Brady (patterned after William Jennings Bryan)
Gene Kelly	E. K. Hornbeck of the Baltimore Herald (patterned after Henry L. Mencken)
Florence Eldridge	Sara Brady
Dick York	Bertram T. Cates (patterned after John Scopes)
Donna Anderson	Rachel Brown
Harry Morgan	Judge Mel Coffey
Claude Akins	Rev. Jeremiah Brown
Elliott Reed	Prosecutor Tom Davenport
Paul Hartman	Deputy Horace Meeker - Bailiff
Philip Coolidge	Mayor Jason Carter
Jimmy Boyd	Howard (student from Mr. Scopes' class)
Noah Beery Jr.	John Stebbins
Norman Fell	WGN Radio Technician
Hope Summers	Mrs. Krebs - Townswoman
Ray Teal	Jessie H. Dunlap
Renee Godfrey	Mrs. Stebbins

AWARDS

BAFTA - Nominated Best Film & Best Foreign Actor (March & Tracy)

Berlin International Film Festival - Won Silver Bear For Best Actor (March), Best Feature Film Suitable For Young People (Kramer), nominated Golden Bear Award (Kramer)

Golden Globes - Nominated Best Film & Best Actor (Tracy)

This video remake can also be found in Youtube

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© 2013 dw817

Author's Note

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Reviews

Marie

I have seen this movie several times, and it is one of my favorites. Of course, with Spencer Tracy and Frederic March in the lead roles, it could hardly fail. I only wish Gene Kelly had found time to dance...