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Inherit the Wind is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. It is frequently cited as being a fictionalized account of the Scopes Trial, with the real-life opposing attorneys William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow being re-named Matthew Harrison Brady and Henry Drummond, respectively. In reality it is no such thing. Instead it is, like Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a literary device wherein the theoretically historical events lightly conceal an attack on the notorious House of UnAmerican Activities Committee under the control of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his assistant Roy Cohn. (The "McCarthy Witch Hunt" came to an end in June, 1954; the play first appeared on Broadway in January, 1955; and the first film version was released in 1960.)
The true nature and purpose of the play is demonstrated by the fact that Matthew Harrison Brady's final fit of ranting and raving in the courtroom, whilst even his wife and closest supporters turn away in shock and embarrassment, has no counterpart in the 1925 trial. It is, however, a very direct depiction of Senator McCarthy's behaviour on June 17th, 1954, when the proceedings of the House of UnAmerican Activities Committee were brought to an abrupt end and McCarthy began his relatively brief descent into alcoholism leading to his untimely death.
Although the play reflects on one of the darkest events in American history (see also "The Majestic", 2001), it has been hailed one of the great American plays of the 20th Century with themes about religious tolerance, belief and freedom of thought that have considerable resonance to this day. Having said that, nowadays the films and the play seldom receive much attention outside the USA.
The play has been made into three made-for-television movies, and a screen version, in 1960. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Claude Akins, Noah Beery Jr. and Florence Eldridge.
The film was adapted by Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith. It was directed by Stanley Kramer.
The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Spencer Tracy), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
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