I'd be interested in engaging with others about one of my favorite old movies, 'Inherit The Wind'.
Done in 1960 it depicts the historic 'Scopes Monkey Trial' of 1925. I've read that much of the courtroom dialogue is taken verbatim from court transcripts. I'll link the opening scene which is available on youtube at the bottom, its the first of 12 clips. I imagine many older members have probably seen the film already.
But first I'll provide some of my own commentary.
For those unfamiliar this trial is widely credited as the first 'media trial'. With telephones and telegraphs widely in use only recently at the time proceedings were broadcast across the United States and possibly in other countries as well. A substitute teacher in Tennesee was charged with teaching a false doctrine, introducing Darwin's theory of evolution to his students. The state of Tennessee had enacted a law that made it a crime to teach anything other than the Biblical account of creation in the public school system.
The movie depicts it as something that happened organically, while in point of fact it was very much contrived....with reports that it was staged to draw attention and publicity for the town of Dayton. The teacher Scopes was later quoted as saying he couldn't even recall if he ever taught evolution to his students.
What made the trial even more compelling was the presence of two prominent figures acting as opposing attorneys. For the prosecution was Willam Jennings Bryant, a fundamentalist Christian politician and former Democratic nominee for POTUS in three elections (he lost all 3 times). A man who also served as Secretary of State in the government of Woodrow Wilson. Acting for the defence was Clarence Darrow, probably the most famous lawyer of that time.
The actor playing Willaim Jennings Bryant is Frederic March, and I assume he was chosen in large part because of his physical resemblance to Bryant. I do have issue with the buffoonish manner in which he portrays WJB however....the way he depicts this monunmental character makes it hard to believe he could have won the nomination of the DNC in three consecutive elections. I've seen another made for TV version of the same movie with actor Kirk Douglas playing Bryant and in my opinion he did a much better job.
Here's the clip, do note that all the names are fictionalized. The teacher Scopes is named Cates, William Jennings Bryant's name is Matthew Harrison Brady and Clarence Darrow is changed to Henry Drummond, the town of Dayton is Hillsboro.
The question I will pose is this: Do you think this movie, and the manner in which it depicts Christians, that it might have lead some to abandon the Christian faith? I think it weakened my own faith when I first saw it, but now watching it again, now it strengthens my faith:
Done in 1960 it depicts the historic 'Scopes Monkey Trial' of 1925. I've read that much of the courtroom dialogue is taken verbatim from court transcripts. I'll link the opening scene which is available on youtube at the bottom, its the first of 12 clips. I imagine many older members have probably seen the film already.
But first I'll provide some of my own commentary.
For those unfamiliar this trial is widely credited as the first 'media trial'. With telephones and telegraphs widely in use only recently at the time proceedings were broadcast across the United States and possibly in other countries as well. A substitute teacher in Tennesee was charged with teaching a false doctrine, introducing Darwin's theory of evolution to his students. The state of Tennessee had enacted a law that made it a crime to teach anything other than the Biblical account of creation in the public school system.
The movie depicts it as something that happened organically, while in point of fact it was very much contrived....with reports that it was staged to draw attention and publicity for the town of Dayton. The teacher Scopes was later quoted as saying he couldn't even recall if he ever taught evolution to his students.
What made the trial even more compelling was the presence of two prominent figures acting as opposing attorneys. For the prosecution was Willam Jennings Bryant, a fundamentalist Christian politician and former Democratic nominee for POTUS in three elections (he lost all 3 times). A man who also served as Secretary of State in the government of Woodrow Wilson. Acting for the defence was Clarence Darrow, probably the most famous lawyer of that time.
The actor playing Willaim Jennings Bryant is Frederic March, and I assume he was chosen in large part because of his physical resemblance to Bryant. I do have issue with the buffoonish manner in which he portrays WJB however....the way he depicts this monunmental character makes it hard to believe he could have won the nomination of the DNC in three consecutive elections. I've seen another made for TV version of the same movie with actor Kirk Douglas playing Bryant and in my opinion he did a much better job.
Here's the clip, do note that all the names are fictionalized. The teacher Scopes is named Cates, William Jennings Bryant's name is Matthew Harrison Brady and Clarence Darrow is changed to Henry Drummond, the town of Dayton is Hillsboro.
The question I will pose is this: Do you think this movie, and the manner in which it depicts Christians, that it might have lead some to abandon the Christian faith? I think it weakened my own faith when I first saw it, but now watching it again, now it strengthens my faith:
