Inherit the Wind poster

Where to watch

Each link opens a search on that service. Checked 13 October 2026.

Streaming data from JustWatch

Inherit the Wind

1960 · Movie · 128 min
A

MEANRANK

82/100

Averaged across 8 ratings · 67.3K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

74–93 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is AlloCiné on 74, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 93.

See the most agreed on films →
Compare Trailer

Schoolteacher Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution. The case receives national attention and one of the newspaper reporters, E.K. Hornbeck, arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady is a former presidential candidate, famous evangelist, and old adversary of Drummond.

Details

Released
7 July 1960
Country
United States
Language
English
Runtime
128 min
Rated
NR
Budget
$2.0M
Box office
$2.0M
Awards
3 wins, 10 nominations

This title elsewhere

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy

Henry Drummond

Fredric March

Fredric March

Matthew Harrison Brady

Gene Kelly

Gene Kelly

E.K. Hornbeck

Dick York

Dick York

Bertram T. Cates

Donna Anderson

Donna Anderson

Rachel Brown

Harry Morgan

Harry Morgan

Judge Mel

Claude Akins

Claude Akins

Rev. Jeremiah Brown

Elliott Reid

Elliott Reid

Prosecutor Tom Davenport

Awards & nominations

See all 13 →

2 major awards won · 3 wins from 13 nominations across 5 ceremonies

Berlin International Film Festival 1960 Best Feature Film Suitable for Young People Stanley Kramer Winner
Berlin International Film Festival 1960 Best Actor Fredric March Winner
Academy Awards 1961 Best Actor Spencer Tracy Nominee
Academy Awards 1961 Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith Nominee
Academy Awards 1961 Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Ernest Laszlo Nominee
Academy Awards 1961 Best Film Editing Frederic Knudtson Nominee
BAFTA 1961 Best Film from Any Source Stanley Kramer Nominee
BAFTA 1961 Best Foreign Actor Spencer Tracy Nominee
Show all 13 awards across 5 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.