Anyone familiar with the original with Spencer Tracy and Frederick March. Dick (Darrin Stephens) York has a role too. It’s a fictional account of The Scopes Monkey Trial from 1925 when a public school teacher, John Scopes, was persuaded to break a Tennessee law (as a test case) that prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. If anyone is interested in discussing or commenting on the movie, fine, but I’m not getting into an creation-evolution debate.

The movie has its flaws but I really enjoy watching Tracy and March go at it in the courtroom. Some of the dialogue was taken from the trial transcript.

I love that movie, every time it comes on TV I try to catch it. I also like Gene Kelly in it as that reporter. When the man's asking him 'are you a evolutionist? A sinner? An infidel?' and he replies, "The worst kind, I work for a newspaper!"

I never heard of it Alan but it sounds interesting I would like to see it.

I love this movie! It's part of my movie collection, though I haven't seen it a few years. Frederic March looked so different in this movie compared to "The Best Years of Our Lives." But anyway, stellar performances by both March and Tracy.

March even looked a little like William Jennings Bryan on whom his character Matthew Harrison Brady was based. Tracy as henry Drummond didn't resemble Clarence Darrow that much but he didn't need to.



Gene Kelly's character E.K. Hornbeck was based upon H.L. Mencken had another great line.

Townswoman: You're the stranger, ain'tcha? Are you looking for a nice, clean place to stay?
E. K. Hornbeck: Madam, I had a nice clean place to stay... and I left it, to come here. (But he says it so politely and with a sweet smile.)

What's funny is that BOTH March and Tracy had previously played Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Nope.