Inherit the Wind (1988 film)

Inherit the Wind is a 1988 American legal drama television film directed by David Greene and written by John Gay, based on the 1955 play of the same name by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Jason Robards, Darren McGavin and Jean Simmons. It aired on NBC on March 20, 1988.

Inherit the Wind
Genre	Legal drama
Based on	Inherit the Wind 1955 play by Jerome Lawrence Robert E. Lee
Written by	John Gay
Directed by	David Greene
Starring	Kirk Douglas Jason Robards Darren McGavin Jean Simmons
Music by	Arthur B. Rubinstein
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Peter Douglas
Producer	Robert A. Papazian
Cinematography	Stevan Larner
Editor	Parkie Singh
Running time	96 minutes
Production companies	Vincent Pictures Productions MGM/UA Television
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	March 20, 1988 (1988-03-20)

The original play was written as a parable which fictionalized the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means of discussing the 1950s McCarthy trials.^[1] This version differed from the two previous films by attempting to make Brady more sympathetic and the storyline (according to its producers) "a bit more fair to both sides."^[2]

When announced in early 1987, the film was to co-star Douglas and Gregory Peck, under the title The Monkey Trial.^[3]

Plot summary

Cast

• Jason Robards as Henry Drummond
• Kirk Douglas as Matthew Harrison Brady
• Darren McGavin as E. K. Hornbeck
• Jean Simmons as Lucy Brady
• Kyle Secor as Bertram Cates
• Michael Ensign as Rev. Brown
• Megan Follows as Rachel Brown

Awards

Emmy Awards

• Won: Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special - Peter Douglas (executive producer) and Robert Papazian (producer)
• Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special - Jason Robards
• Nominated: Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special - Stevan Larner

See also

• List of American films of 1988
• Trial movies