Inherit the Wind

Stanley Kramer did not believe in that Hollywood maxim, "if you want to send a message, call Western Union." The director of such social conscience classics as Judgment at Nuremberg, The Defiant Ones and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Kramer was the ideal choice to bring to the screen Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's play based on the 1925 "Scopes Monkey Trial." Spencer Tracy gives a magnificent performance as Henry Drummond, (a fictionalized Clarence Darrow) who defends a schoolteacher (a pre-Bewitched Dick York) arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. Fredric March is a worthy opponent as Bible-thumping prosecutor Matthew Brady (inspired by William Jennings Bryan). The jury is out on Claude Akins as a fire and brimstone preacher, but Harry Morgan is excellent as the judge presiding over the controversial case that became a media circus. In a dramatic departure, Gene Kelly cracks wise as the cynical reporter whose newspaper hires Drummond. While Kramer lays on "the old time religion" rather thick, this is a titanic courtroom battle whose issue is still hotly debated (as witness the Kansas schoolboard who only a few years back removed evolution from its curriculum). This DVD edition boasts a near pristine presentation of the film and contains no extras, save a very curious preview featuring Kramer as a boxing ring referee comparing his film to a title fight. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—June 2, 2015—Kino Lorber, 128 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1960's Inherit the Wind features a nice transfer but no bonus features. Bottom line: an out-of-print classic makes a welcome return.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Jan. 9, 2018—Kino Lorber, 128 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 1960's Inherit the Wind features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by film historian Jim Hemphill. Bottom line: this classic courtroom drama shines on Blu-ray.]