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Inherit the Wind (1960)

APPROVED  128 min  -  Drama | History | Romance   -  November 1960 (USA)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 12,682 users  
Reviews: 141 user | 29 critic

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.

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

Nedrick Young (screenplay) (originally as Nathan E. Douglas), Harold Jacob Smith (screenplay), and 2 more credits »
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Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Spencer Tracy ...
Fredric March ...
Gene Kelly ...
Dick York ...
Donna Anderson Donna Anderson ...
Harry Morgan ...
Claude Akins Claude Akins ...
Elliott Reid Elliott Reid ...
Paul Hartman Paul Hartman ...
Philip Coolidge Philip Coolidge ...
Jimmy Boyd Jimmy Boyd ...
Noah Beery Jr. ...
Norman Fell ...
Gordon Polk Gordon Polk ...
Hope Summers Hope Summers ...
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Storyline

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. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Teacher | Politician | Scopes Monkey Trial | Evolution  | See more »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Aki szelet vet See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Because of the criticism directed at producer Stanley Kramer by the American Legion for hiring Nedrick Young, who they considered subversive, Moss Hart as president of The Authors League of America sent Kramer a telegram: "The Authors League of America council, which has always unalterably opposed any form of blacklisting of writers, unanimously voted at a meeting today to commend and applaud you for your courageous stand in rejecting publicly the effort to interfere, on pseudo-patriotic grounds, with the right of writers to work." See more »

Goofs

Continuity: During the trial, Gene Kelly hands the defendant a drawing of a stick figure swinging on a gallows. The defendant wrinkles the paper in his hands immediately. The scene changes and the defendant is holding a cup and not the piece of paper. See more »

Quotes

Henry Drummond: I don't swear just for the hell of it. Language is a poor enough means of communication. I think we should all the words we've got. Besides, there are damn few words that anybody understands.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Who's the Boss?: Inherit the Wine (#7.11)" (1990) See more »

Soundtracks

"(Gimme Dat) Old Time Religion"
(uncredited)
Traditional spiritual
Sung by Leslie Uggams at the start of the movie
Reprised often by the Townfolks
Variations included often in the score See more »