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.
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