Inherit the Wind

film by Kramer [1960]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Last Updated: Oct 15, 2024 • Article History

Inherit the Wind, American film drama, released in 1960, that was inspired by the famous Scopes Trial of 1925, in which a Tennessee high-school teacher was arrested and prosecuted for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Although the film was based on real events, the names of all the participants were changed. Spencer Tracy and Fredric March portrayed characters based on Clarence Darrow (the defense attorney) and William Jennings Bryan (the prosecutor), respectively. The men square off in famous courtroom battles at the heart of an important chapter in American history. Gene Kelly was cast as a cynical reporter who was modeled after H.L. Mencken.

Inherit the Wind was closely adapted from the Broadway play of the same name by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The film version was directed by Stanley Kramer and was especially noted for the powerful performances by March and Tracy, who received an Academy Award nomination. The compelling drama was remade into several television movies.