Inherit the Wind

Specifications

This movie was made in 1960 from a play by the same name that opened on Broadway in 1955. It stars Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly.

Status

I've watched the DVD from the library, and yesterday (November 29, 2007) it was shown on TCM. I also own the a copy of the play, and have read it.

Significance

This movie is significance because the subject matter, intolerance, is, unfortunately, always with us. Although this purports to be about the Scopes Trial of 1925, it is really about McCarthyism. Much of the differences from the actual trial make sense when you realize this background.

Also, the last scene is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen in a movie. That is, Spencer Tracy picks up a copy of Darwin's work in one hand, his left, then the Bible in the right hand. He looks at one, then at the other, then back and forth again. Finally, he puts the Bible on top of Darwin, and holds them both in his left hand, clutched to his chest.

The meaning of this scene is clear, he accepts both Evolution and the Bible. This, to me, is the truth of the matter, and its statement is actually very rare.

It is also significant since I have been dogged by Creationist for a long time. As a graduate student in the 1980's, there were many students at Iowa State where I went that pushed this stupidity, and people equally as stupid pushing evolution. At the time I decided to attend a Christian Bible study group, in fact there were several groups. In each case I was asked to leave for reasons I still cannot fully understand. It may have had something to do with my openness to not accepting the interpretations of the scriptures, and life as the priests wanted me to.

More recently, I currently live in Kansas where Creationism, relabeled "Intelligent Design," is once more an issue. (Probably not as much of an issue as people outside Kansas think - the citizens of Kansas by and large don't want Creationism taught in the Kansas Schools, as seen by the fact that as soon as it has become possible to vote for those people who push this, they have been voted out by a wide margin.) Therefore, once again this movie is significant.

(I recall my daughter's school changed their play for the year that the State Board decided to require Creationism to the play form of this movie from something else, so I have seen this as a stage play.)

Looking back on what I've written, I think it should be said that this movie/play is one of the most important plays of the twentieth century.

Review

Movie begins with Bert Cates being arrested for teaching evolution in his biology class. That is, four adults, including the local minister, and the sheriff come to Cates classroom as he is teaching his students that people descended from lower animal types. This happens under the song, "Give me that old time Religion" which is a theme for the movie.

Then there is a scene where the local town council, I think, talk about how the national papers are depicting them was being backwards. It is during this scene that Matthew Harrison Brady (the William Jennings Bryan stand in) is announced to have volunteered to have prosecuted the case.

The next scene, Cates is shown in jail, with the Minister's daughter, Rachel, coming to visit. At this time it is announced that Henry Drummond will be defending.

The town people have a big celebration to welcome Matthew, but Henry just sneaks into town. The newspaper reporter, Hornbeck, who has been sent to cover the case starts to express his cynicism, and he is very cynical.

Then the trial begins with the selection of the final jurist. One man is rejected by the defense without any questions (or the question, "How are you?" after being objected to) because he expresses unquestioned acceptance of the Bible and Brady. Another man is accepted because he "works and the feed store" and really doesn't do much else.

Then there is a rally by the Minister (Brown) in which he gets so worked up condemning people, especially Scopes, and when Rachel objects, he condemns her as well. At this point, Brady intervenes and quotes the scripture (from Proverbs) "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind," from which the title of this movie it taken. He defends Rachel, and by proxy, Cates. So Rachel comes to him and talks with him privately, and in confidence.

The next day at the trial, Brady calls Rachel as a witness, breaking her confidences. She ends up in a state, and has to be excused after her words are twisted by Brady (as lawyers will do). This ends the prosecution case.

The defense tries to put on a case, but the judge rules all his witnesses, experts in the fields of science, as irrelevant. After this, Henry becomes upset, and tells the judge off, for which he as is sent to jail. He makes bale as one farmer, named Stebbins, puts his farm up as collateral. Stebbins son was drowned in an accident, and Rachel reported that Cates became disenchanted with the church when the minister condemned his son to hell because he had not yet been baptized. This event turned Cates from the church.

The next day, Henry is at a loss because none of his witnesses have been allowed to testify. When he is in his hotel room, and telling this to the reporter, the reporter throws him a Gideon Bible, and tells him that its full of miracles. (Henry says he needs one.)

The next day, Henry apologizes for insulting the judge, and the case continues. He calls Brady as a witness, being an expert on the Bible. Then he shows points where what the Bible says is somewhat questionable, and Brady makes a fool of himself. The crowd laughs at him.

The next morning, Rachel goes to Brady, and is met by his wife. She is very (understandably) upset, and ready to condemn everything Brady stands for. His wife points out that he has flaws, but he is really a good man.

Brady comes in, and Rachel leaves. He is very upset because the crowd laughed at him, and he starts to get worked up. But he decided to write a speech.

The next day, the jury is to return a verdict. The courtroom is packed, and there is a microphone set up for a radio station, so the verdict can be heard live.

The jury finds him guilty. Cates says he will continue to fight this unjust law. The judge gives him a $100 fine, which Brady objects to as being too low. Henry points out that the amount of the fine doesn't make any difference, since they won't pay it in any case.

Then Brady starts a speech as people are leaving. The speech ends when he dies, with the words, "Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to thee till death..." on his lips.

The final scene, Henry praises Brady in a low key way, but Hornbecker attacks. Hornbecker looks up the scripture Brady quoted at the beginning, but Henry quotes the scripture from memory, "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind. And the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart."

Then Henry defends Brady's life against Hornbecker. He doesn't express any love for Hormbeck, but rather feels sorry for him, because he doesn't believe in anything.

Then Hornbecker leaves, and the final, very powerful scene described above takes place.

Comments

As I have said, this movie is not historically accurate, but the inaccuracies can be understood if it is noted that this is a reaction to McCarthyism.

To understand the atmosphere of the real trial, one need only look at how it came about. First, of course, the State of Tennessee passed the stupid law. The ACLU then made it known that they wanted to challenge the law, and they would pay for the lawsuit of any teacher who was willing to offer themselves as a test case.

At that point, the city council of Dayton, Tennessee, decided it would be good if the trial were held there. The town was dying, and they wanted something to put them on the map, and this could be it. (It worked, too. Even today the Dayton WEB site makes mention of that trial as a tourist attraction.) One of the council members knew Scopes, who was his friend.

I've not seen is said, but I suspect that Scopes, a first year teacher, decided he didn't like teaching, and he was going into engineering, where he spent most of his life.

Scopes, a general science teacher, had taught biology for one day when the biology teacher was sick. Some sources even suggest that evolution wasn't covered that day, so Scopes was, in fact, innocent, but he was framing himself. Therefore, the suit was brought against Scopes.

As one would expect, he was more likely a hero in the town rather than a villain. Scopes, in his online statement made in the 1960's said that the only opposition he got was after the trial was over, and he was in a town close by.

It is true the William Jennings Bryan was welcomed like a king, as the movie indicates. However, Scopes points out that Clarence Darrow was welcomed with exactly the same celebration. (He said the same people went, and sat in the same chairs, and ate the same food.)

It had a carnival atmosphere as the movie indicates, as well, with reporters from all over the world. All hotel rooms were booked, and the many vacant houses were filled with reporters. (There was some problem with everyone being able to find an outhouse, from the reports.)

Therefore, although some of the words and scenes are taken directly from the trial, the movie itself is really about McCarthyism, which was a big issue the year it was written.

In particular, the minister is not mentioned in the trial at all, but is very prominent in the movie. He represents the fanatically anti- communist which were making a mockery of the United States at the time. Brady was his tool, and probably represents McCarthy, with his double dealing, and fanatical speeches. Scopes represented the victims, and Henry Drummond the defenders of the victims. Of course, Hornberker represents the press in the matter, all to willing to do anything for a story, believing in nothing, and only using the press to stir the pot.

I suspect that Rachel has a spot in this analogy as well. She would represent the fact that even the children of the fanatics would not follow them. "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."