Inherit the Wind (1960)

Cast

Gene Kelly
as E. K. Hornbeck
Spencer Tracy
as Henry Drummond
Harry Morgan
as Judge Mel Coffey
Claude Akins
as Rev. Jeremiah Brown

Get more information about Inherit the Wind (1960) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Biography Drama History

8.2 / 10

Teacher B.T. Cates is arrested for teaching Darwin's theories. Famous lawyer Henry Drummond defends him; fundamentalist politician Matthew Brady prosecutes. This is a very thinly disguised rendition of the 1925 "Scopes monkey trial" with debates between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan taken largely from the transcripts.

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

tsopmocful

Stubborn, religious ignorance in th backblocks, may have been excusable in th '20's. But propagating th blatant lies & misrepresentations of creation 'science' today, is another thing altogether. Watch th vid "Evolution Demolition" on YT to see what I mean. It's not 'clinging to a hope', like th movie characters. I consider it malicious & evil propaganda. Taliban style. - @Monday, October 21, 2013 3:26 AM

tsopmocful

Noone has ever hidden th fact that th movie differs from th Scopes trial. It's main theme is freedom of thought, with the subtext being a crticism of McCarthyism. Nevertheless, the reasons why creationists go beyond mere faith, today, & attack legitimate science due to a religious objection, is worth considering. The extent to which they flood th net with ID pseudoscience, & attempting to deceive with a purpose, is no longer a religion, but a social problem. - @Monday, October 21, 2013 3:15 AM

Jane Byrne

I saw this play performed in a local theater a few years ago, I also saw the made-for-TV remake with Jason Robards. But I have never seen the classic film version. God bless TCM. - @Wednesday, February 27, 2013 2:15 AM

James M

It - and the remake, even more so - is very watchable. But that article does not suggest it is unduly accurate creationDOTcom/inherit-the-wind-an-historical-analysis - @Saturday, July 21, 2012 3:37 AM

octopibingo

That site deals with the glaring inaccuracies of the movie as opposed to the reality of what actually occurred. You may say clarity is bias. So be it. - @Monday, July 9, 2012 6:42 PM

Thatmetisdude

You link me to a website based after creationism and attempt to call this biased. Do you have any other sources? - @Sunday, July 8, 2012 12:24 AM

octopibingo

I would say creation.com/inherit-the-wind-an-historical-analysis is a good place to see the inaccuracies of this biased play. If you seek the truth, that is. Most don't. - @Saturday, July 7, 2012 8:00 PM

Thatmetisdude

If I'm not mistaken this was based after the transcripts during the actual courtroom trial. - @Saturday, July 7, 2012 4:55 AM

octopibingo

Perhaps one day someone will write an accurate version of the Scopes Trial. But the left can't handle the truth. - @Monday, June 18, 2012 10:43 PM

Brianna C

"give me that old time religion" hehe - @Thursday, June 14, 2012 10:31 PM

The Funk

Haha what are they singing when brady arrives in town? - @Wednesday, February 1, 2012 4:11 AM

Adam Amsel

I'm doing this play for school :D - @Saturday, January 14, 2012 6:43 PM

jojoinhere

back then they don't even dare to portray it as atheism vs theism view. it's the clash of different theological view... - @Sunday, August 28, 2011 2:01 PM

Mike Rizzo

poor religious dick suckers.... they don't understand science... oh well.... not easy having an IQ of 2 (the same number of inches as their dicks) - @Tuesday, August 9, 2011 4:36 PM

tranquility4all

@Eye2EyeIIIV The movie is a Hollywood Interpretation of the Trial & is not completely accurate. Creationism is Fiction ! - @Thursday, December 30, 2010 7:29 PM

globalchaos1984

I love this movie!!! - @Saturday, November 27, 2010 6:34 AM

Jack Bachagalupe

@advantagesmith I hear you, and I do think Tracey was also quite good in this part. I just don't like March's exclusion and the impression I get that Tracey was one of Holywood's pets. Evidence two years before, his nom for the drek Old Man and the Sea and of course in '67. Plus that in one of his winners Capt C., even co-star Freddie Bartholomew's perf was more Oscar worthy than was his. More often than not, Tracey is just the same old Tracey. - @Wednesday, August 18, 2010 6:41 PM

Tyler Smith

@spagandtuna As much as I love Fredric March (he's one of my favorite actors), it should be noted that the Academy had also given him two Oscars at this point, as well, for "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde" and "The Best Years of Our Lives." Both men were wonderful in the film, but Tracey does manage to look effortless. He really embodies the character, making it appear that he's doing very little when he's actually doing quite a lot. - @Wednesday, August 18, 2010 7:02 AM

amberview30

@Eye2EyeIIIV actually it looks about what is seen from creationists on youtube. - @Wednesday, July 21, 2010 3:26 AM

Jack Bachagalupe

How do you nominate Tracey and ignore March?? Tracey was given 2 oscars already yet the academy still insisted on kissing this guy's ass as late as 67 when in no way did he deserve a nod. Unbelievable. - @Friday, June 25, 2010 3:05 PM

Marielle De León

It is based on a real trial and of course it takes artistic liberties like any "Based on a true story" film would to make it more dramatic. I dont think anyone will assume creation ministries are this crazy and stupid and mean. As a christian, ive seen how they've demeaned themselves on their own. - @Wednesday, March 10, 2010 2:14 AM

What Is Your Worldview? - Creation or Evolutionism?

This movie is fiction... ...and dangerous (because people will use this preconceived idea and "first mention", and superimpose that on creation ministries and see them as mean, abusive, and stupid.) ...Falsehood maliciousness, and slander is NOT how we get along. - @Friday, March 5, 2010 3:03 AM

HitodamaKyrie

I thought god was a mythological being... - @Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:00 PM

Klevis Baholli

@ReformedApologian so god has blood now? i thought god was a divine being...not a person - @Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:36 PM

Klevis Baholli

@aceventura101 u can clearly tell that drummonds is the protagonist and brady the antagonist. drummonds is battling the ignorance that has taken hold of hillsboro - @Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:32 PM

Monkee18

Also eye2eye, quit thinking the world revolves around. As much as you want it to, it really doesnt. - @Monday, September 14, 2009 12:24 AM

Monkee18

No it wasnt. The point of the movie is to express opinions on BOTH sides. Its not win or lose, or right or wrong, "my religion is better than yours". It is purely to provoke thought and ideas and the INDIVIDUAL MIND, which henry comes across at one point. pay attention to what the movie actually is and not what you want it to be - @Monday, September 14, 2009 12:20 AM

AnHonestChristian

franky: If by "some people" you mean 40% of the American population, then I agree with you. I disagree when you say that the Bible is the only piece of evidence for creation science. I recommend you research the Creation Research Institute. I'm afraid I must decline in discussing this further--I know too well how vehement debaters on both sides of this issue can be. - @Friday, May 15, 2009 12:54 AM

fanofmusicals

No. I hope that your production goes well. - @Thursday, March 26, 2009 11:53 PM

fanofmusicals

My high school is doing the play, and I'm playing E.K. Hornbeck! I'm so excited! We'e just started rehearsals! - @Friday, March 13, 2009 2:08 AM

frankydman

You know its funny. Some people still belive in the theory of creation. Funny, because over the years since Charles Darwin, dozens, no hundreds of pieces of evidence have been found that that SUPPORT the theory of evolution, while to this day, there is one, and only ONE piece of evidence that supports creation: the Bible. If people knew that creation was merely a STORY (my msgr confirmed it) then maybe we can accept BOTH Darwin and the Bible, instead of being opinionated. - @Friday, November 21, 2008 8:45 PM

hockeyboy1231

Just remember "If its good enough for Brady than its good enough for me!!!" - @Wednesday, September 3, 2008 1:36 AM

BenAliGtor

"Inherit the Wind" was a great film and play- but it wasn't an historically accurate rendition of what took place in Dayton,TN in 1925.Bryan actually had read "The Origins of the Species"- and on the stand, he admitted that the "7 days" of Genesis could refer to eras of time, not seven 24 hour periods. The real Bryan was far more sophisticated in his outlook than contemporary anti-Darwinist fundies- and he'd find the modern religious right as objectionable as his contemporary social Darwinists. - @Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1:37 AM

vorebuddy5000

Newsflash everyone: God does not exist. He was created by cowardly people like ReformedApologian who feared death. it only irrationally explains what we can't explain. Why the hell do you believe that some God created humans as the superior being? What type of bullshit logic is that? Why would he create a creature like us, who is the true opposite of divine. - @Sunday, April 20, 2008 1:15 AM

sonic8005

It's basically what you just said. "one = three". Look up the Hindu trinity, because either way, it's a b.s way of saying "three gods" but still wishing to say "we only worship ONE god" - @Saturday, April 5, 2008 9:31 PM

sonic8005

Are they the same entity or NOT? Yes or no? You're not making any sense what so ever. - @Saturday, April 5, 2008 9:06 PM

sonic8005

Great, Adam is murdering the animals by having eaten forbidden fruit? lol Getting crucified makes you "king" not "being king" or "being made king by your daddy"? - @Saturday, April 5, 2008 8:48 PM

sonic8005

To you, a "good judge" punishes himself so YOU can get off scott free. - @Saturday, April 5, 2008 8:47 PM

sonic8005

"Adam was the federal head of the human race and de facto king of Earth" Thought "king" was Jesus's rank. Animals die, so, what sin did they perform and why is God punishing them? - @Saturday, April 5, 2008 8:38 PM

jgoemat

Is not God supposed to be the source of right and wrong? Could God not just declare that sins are forgiven? The OT God loved the smell of blood, did he go soft after dying himself on the cross? Since we are all saddled with Original Sin through semen dispersion, did everyone that died before Christ end up in Hell, as supposedly with unbaptized babies and Amazonian tribesmen that have never had a chance to hear the Word? - @Wednesday, April 2, 2008 9:26 PM

sonic8005

"Initially, before the fall of man in Eden, there was no physical death; death is the result of God's curse on sin" Does God punish the sin, or the descendants/absolutly everything around the one who "did it"? So, if animals didn't die, then what purpose did parasites have? Why would God be so cruel to the animals to demand them be burned? - @Monday, March 31, 2008 4:02 AM

sonic8005

"Animal sacrifices didn't remove sin; they covered it temporarily so that man could fellowship with God" Why would a loving god see burning an animal as a "good thing"? - @Monday, March 31, 2008 3:51 AM

sonic8005

"Sin is lawless rebellion against God" And "accepting Christ's blood" and offering sacrifices makes it like it never happened? - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 9:26 PM

sonic8005

"Sin must be paid for" What is "sin" and why MUST it be payed for? Also, what about "Father, why have you forsaken me?" What kind of "righteous" deity demands bloodshed to the point that his son HAS to suffer or everybody be on fire forever? The American Legal system doesn't demand blood to "forgive", or think in terms of eternity for the finite. - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 8:24 AM

sonic8005

Can't Satan point out "Son? That was you as a human, you slay yourself and that makes it right? That's some sick stuff". This is, of course, only making assumptions on the devil character. Bloodshed does not justify evil, sometimes it actually MAKES you evil. - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 7:03 AM

sonic8005

Forgiveness is enough by itself, I mean, he's God, right? Sacrificing yourself by being crucified by a bunch of Romans (or Jews... whoever is telling the story) is not showing anything righteous at all. - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:45 AM

sonic8005

"How does God forgive evil and not be a self-abomination? How would you feel if someone slaughtered your family and the court just let him go because it was 'loving?'" In the Bible, God just that several times with several people. Read about he slaughter of the Midianites. - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:37 AM

sonic8005

A forgiving deity FORGIVES, without bloodshed. God is powerful enough to forgive without violent sacrifices, is he not? - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:18 AM

sonic8005

"God is holy and just, and so even a 'small' sin offends His majesty and thus is an infinite crime" Is being "offended" really that bad to an omnipotent deity that he'd much rather be on a cross for 3 days? - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:08 AM

sonic8005

He sacrificed himself to calm himself down, in order to save us from his own wrath...? - @Sunday, March 30, 2008 5:59 AM