Inherit the wind
Posted on: March 28, 2009 - 9:09pm
Inherit the wind
I just turned on the boob tube an a really good movie is on PBS ch.12 until 10:00 pm ,it 's the Scopes monkey trial,Inherit the Wind.
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Well, I don't pay for cable and have pretty much never been able to get more than a station or two from an antenna. With the internet being what it is, I don't much miss out on anything but even before the internet, I did that. Even so, there are four versions of the movie. Which one are you watching?
1960: Spencer Tracey as Henry Drummond. Fredric March as Matthew Harrison Brady.
1965: Melvyn Douglas as Henry Drummond. Ed Begley as Matthew Harrison Brady.
1988: Jason Robards as Henry Drummond. Kirk Douglas as Matthew Harrison Brady.
1999: Jack Lemmon as Henry Drummond. George C. Scott as Matthew Harrison Brady.
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Great versions all - I was privileged enough to do the play at a community theatre where I used to live.
Local churches picketed the run. Our director's attitude?
"Let them continue. They're selling tickets for us - they just don't know it."
"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin
There is some good reading on the trial this work is based on. While the play is very good, it does take certain liberties, as with The Crucible. A very well written play, and the trial testimonies are pretty much left in tact. Only the motivations of some of the participants are altered for dramatic effect. There's a good video, produced by the town, called Inherit the Truth, a faithful documentary of the events leading up to the trial.
there is some good reading on the story The Crucible(whats the name of the book?)and then you tell me about a good documentary called Inherit the Truth(where can I see this ? is there a link that you can give me?) I'll have to check them out.Thanks for the info.
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Oh, sorry, I mispoke! I was comparing Inherit the Wind to the Crucible; both plays based on historical events that take dramatic liberties.
I don't know if you can view it online, but here's the link to the main website. It's actually produced by Bryan College, which is a Christian school (so take it with a BIG grain of salt). However, I have to admit, they take a fairly even handed approach. I found it interesting for the historical context (for example, the teacher who was tried presented a lecture after having stated publicly that he intended to force the state to prosecute, or over turn the law.)
Perhaps the best source of information is here: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopesvideo.html
These are the original source videos of the trial. If you're going to watch Inherit the Truth, or Inherit the Wind, watch these first. It gives you a good idea of where the playwrite took liberties, and of where the christians twisted scope's words.
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