Inherit the Wind - The Age of Rocks

Frederic March and Spencer Tracy shine in this verbatim exchange from the Scopes Trial in 1925. It was used in the highly fictionalized film, “Inherit the Wind”, which is one of my favorites. But this scene is one that changed the direction of my thinking in regard to Intelligent Design/Creationism versus Darwinism/Evolution.

It is more in line with what the late Pope John Paul II had to say about science and religion being compatible with one another; a belief which I share. This movie was banned by the Catholic Church upon its release due to the nature of the subject, which is the theory of Evolution. That theory is under attack more than ever these days as the world seems to slip backwards, just as Clarence Darrow suggested it would in his argument before the court in his infamous delivery of the above words portrayed by Spencer Tracy.

One big difference in the film versus reality is that this argument took place outdoors due to the courtroom being so tightly packed with spectators, not to mention the summer’s heat. You can actually see the footage of this on You Tube at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzEgCIJkac 

The audio is also available on some of the other clips on You Tube. Notice how closely Frederic March resembled William Jennings Bryan; named Matthew Harrison Brady in the film.

This film is a staple in my video collection. Its message may seem divisive to many, but I see both sides to the issue and; as I said earlier; I believe that science and religion can co-exist, with each tempering the other in our search for the truth. With both camps divided it’s good to remember that the truth can usually be found somewhere in the middle.

"Deadline Artists" - Edited by Avlon, Angelo and Louis (2012)

When I was a kid we got two newspapers a day; the World Telegram and Sun in the afternoons and the evening Post, which my father brought home with him from work.  The columnists in both these papers and the Daily News helped to shape my world, often introducing me; through their own writings; to the likes of Harry Golden, Jack London, H.L. Mencken and others. All of these authors are included in this collection along with such icons as Ben Hecht, and  Frank Ward O'Malley.

With these columns from the golden age of newspapers you will recapture the excitement of the daily newspaper;  in an era before the 24/7 news cycle took control; and journalists really worked at their trade, while columnists did their best to distill the bigger picture into the essence of meaning for the masses.

Some of the columns featured here, and chosen by co-editors John Avlon, Jesse Angelo and Errol Louis include such events as the Scopes Trial, the execution of Mata Hari, Ku Klux Klan Klaverns, Civil Rights Marches, Al Capone's Trial, the Black Sox Scandal,the Galveston flood of 1900, and a myriad of others.

Deftly edited , the book covers some of the best columnists; and some of the best columns ever written. In the best tradition of Twain, O. Henry, Damon Runyon, Melville; and so many others; these authors all began their careers as journalists. And in doing so, they have left a portrait of us all; sometimes good; and often bad; of just who we really are.