Inherit the Wind (1960)

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers (WGA):

Nedrick Young (screenplay) (originally as Nathan E. Douglas) and
Harold Jacob Smith (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

November 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

It's all about the monkey trial that rocked America.

Plot:

Based on a real-life case in 1925, two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Teacher | Evolution | Darwin | Trial

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Spencer Tracy	...	Henry Drummond
Fredric March	...	Matthew Harrison Brady
Gene Kelly	...	E. K. Hornbeck
Dick York	...	Bertram T. Cates
Donna Anderson	...	Rachel Brown
Harry Morgan	...	Judge Mel Coffey
Claude Akins	...	Reverend Jeremiah Brown
Elliott Reid	...	Prosecutor Tom Davenport
Paul Hartman	...	Bailiff Horace Meeker
Philip Coolidge	...	Mayor Jason Carter
Jimmy Boyd	...	Howard
Noah Beery Jr.	...	John Stebbins
Norman Fell	...	WGN Radio Technician
Gordon Polk	...	George Sillers
Hope Summers	...	Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #19499) | USA:PG (re-rating) | West Germany:12 | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Australia:G | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

The character of E.K. Hornbeck was based on American journalist H.L. Mencken, who had notably covered the Scopes trial.

Goofs:

Continuity: The signage on the buildings shown through the windows behind the judge's bench changes from day to day during the trial (i.e. the "hot and cold" sign).

Quotes:

Henry Drummond: Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it.
Henry Drummond: Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and says, "All right, you can have a telephone but you lose privacy and the charm of distance.
Henry Drummond: Madam, you may vote but at a price. You lose the right to retreat behind the powder puff or your petticoat.
Henry Drummond: Mister, you may conquer the air but the birds will lose their wonder and the clouds will smell of gasoline."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Jungle Goddess (#3.3)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

We'll Hang Bert Cates to a Sour Apple Tree

Stirring performances

It really gets my goad when people comment on this film's "overacting". You have no concept of what overacting is until you have watched Berserk! or Strait-Jacket with Joan Crawford! (You'll see what I mean immediately.) Inherit the Wind is a totally compelling story of the traditional school of thought versus a new scientific one. It centers on a small southern town coming to terms with Darwinism and its implications on Christianity. Spencer Tracy is an eloquent defense lawyer fighting to let evolution stay in the public schools. I bow to the script writers. The court room exchanges are deeply thought provoking and moving. It's very difficult to come up with a criticism. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys those intellectual debating type movies. Not a weak performance to be seen.