Inherit The Wind reviews (1960)

Inherit The Wind

1960

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

from 1130 members

The Evolution vs. Creationism argument is at the center of the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee Broadway play Inherit the Wind. Lawrence and Lee's inspiration was the 1925 Monkey Trial, in which Tennessee schoolteacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in violation of state law. Scopes deliberately courted arrest to challenge what he and his supporters saw as an unjust law, and the trial became a national cause when The Baltimore Sun, represented by the famed (and atheistic) journalist H. L. Mencken, hired attorney Clarence Darrow to defend Scopes. The prosecuting attorney was crusading politician William Jennings Bryan, once a serious contender for the Presidency, now a relic of a past era. While Bryan won the case as expected, he and his fundamentalist backers were held up to public ridicule by the cagey Darrow. In both the play and film versions of Inherit the Wind, the names and places are changed, but the basic chronology was retained, along with most of the original court transcripts. John Scopes becomes Bertram Cates (Dick York); Clarence Darrow is Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy); William Jennings Bryan is Matthew Harrison Brady (Fredric March); and H. L. Mencken is E. K. Hornbeck (Gene Kelly). Dayton, Tennessee is transformed into Hillsboro -- or, as the relentlessly cynical Hornbeck characterizes it, Heavenly Hillsboro. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inherit The Wind details

Format:	U DVD
Starring:	Gene Kelly, Dick York, Florence Eldridge, Fredric March, Spencer Tracy, Donna Anderson, Claude Akins
Director:	Stanley Kramer
Genres:	Drama - Historical, Romance
Studio:	MGM ENTERTAINMENT

DVD 1 disc

Name	Discs
Inherit The Wind	U Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	2 hours 3 minutes
Rental release:	03 May 2004
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review Inherit The Wind

Just Perfection

By Wullie Dulley from scotland , 28 Aug 2004

[Highly rated reviewer]

This film by Stanley Kramer is juat a work of art.Based on a true story this story line depicts how ignorance and blind faith can generate a mob mentality.Tracy and March have bond in this movie which is seldom matched.This has to be my favorite film of all time and it has been a pleasure to watch it.
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OK film but do check out the actuality

By Tilly123 (2 reviews) from Uk , 18 Jul 2011

Reasonably enjoyable but beware some hugely patronising stereotyping.

I did an internet search and found www.themonkeytrial.com which gives some info on this trial that you wouldn't guess from watching the film.

A case of not quite letting the facts get in the way of a good story...?
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As Good As They Get

By odja (46 reviews) from Tayport , 23 Feb 2011

Saw this film as a teenager when it first came out. Hired it to see if it was as good as I remembered...and it certainly is. Tracy and March are in top form in one of the best films I've ever seen.
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Court Case Crushes Creation Controversey!!

By Charles Brickley from Andover, Hampshire England , 09 Feb 2011

This classic monochrome movie starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March and Gene Kelly debate Dick York's right to teach Darwin's Theory of Evolution to his school class.

Based upon the 'Scopes monkey trial' of 1925 this courtroom drama is presided over by the even handed Harry Morgan as the trial judge.

Beautifully directed by Stanley Kramer (On the Beach, Judgement at Nuremberg and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?) this film deals with the clash between the religious zealots and those who believe the theory that man has evolved (i.e. from monkeys).

The principle revolves around making it illegal to have free thought and links this film to several others which debate awkward subjects.

I thought that it was well made with a good pace and a fair hand.

Well worth the money.
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nice

By elton (1 review) from Hertfordshire , 17 Dec 2009

very nice film to se
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Inherit the wind

By kerky (4 reviews) from Hounslow , 17 Aug 2009

Not really into black and white films, but the moral behind this is really good. Musis very dramatic too.
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