Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond

E642705

Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond is the principled defense attorney in the film "Inherit the Wind," who champions intellectual freedom and challenges religious fundamentalism during a dramatized version of the Scopes "Monkey" Trial.

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Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictionalCharacterPortrayal
filmCharacter
adaptedFrom Inherit the Wind (play) NERFINISHED
appearsIn Inherit the Wind (1960 film) NERFINISHED
awardsContext Spencer Tracy received an Academy Award nomination for this role NERFINISHED
basedOn Clarence Darrow NERFINISHED
centralConflict legality of teaching evolution in public schools
characterName Henry Drummond NERFINISHED
conflictsWith Matthew Harrison Brady NERFINISHED
countryOfSetting United States NERFINISHED
defends Bertram Cates NERFINISHED
defendsFor teaching evolution
dialogueStyle rhetorically powerful
witty
filmGenreContext courtroom drama
drama
ideologicalStance civil libertarian
pro-academic freedom
pro-evolution
legalCaseDepicted Scopes Monkey Trial (fictionalized) NERFINISHED
legalStrategy cross-examines Matthew Harrison Brady on the Bible
medium feature film
moralAlignment heroic
principled
narrativeFunction champion of rational inquiry
critic of dogmatism
notableScene final speech defending the right to think
occupation defense attorney
opposes religious fundamentalism
portrayalReception critically acclaimed performance
portrayedBy Spencer Tracy NERFINISHED
primaryThemeAssociation conflict between science and religion
freedom of speech
freedom of thought
intellectual freedom
relationshipToRealEvents fictionalized version of Clarence Darrow in Scopes Trial
releaseYearOfWork 1960
roleInStory protagonist
setting fictional town of Hillsboro
symbolizes individual conscience
modernism
scientific reasoning
timePeriodDepicted 1920s

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Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Fredric March as Matthew Harrison Brady conflictsWith Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond