A Piece of “InheritThe Wind” … Robert Whiting & Robb Tubbs 1995- Maui courtroom

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Published on 07/07/1996 by Jason Schwartz

A Piece of “InheritThe Wind” … Robert Whiting & Robb Tubbs 1995- Maui courtroom as its set, Robert Whiting and Robb Tubbs share their roles as Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan at the famous “Scopes” trial and the theories of Charles Darwin. Stellar performances by the entire cast.

Maui neutral zone meeting room with people and wooden furnishings. Summary of Video Content (00:03 → 30:32)

  • [00:03 → 10:35] The Biblical Literalism and Scientific Debate
    • Colonel Matthew Harrison Brady is presented as a self-declared authority on the Bible, asserting that he has studied and lived by the scriptures, specifically the King James Version, extensively memorizing large portions.
    • Brady refuses to engage with Darwin’s Origin of Species, dismissing it as a pagan hypothesis and rejecting evolutionary theory outright.
    • The questioning highlights Brady’s strict literal interpretation of the Bible, including miracles such as Jonah being swallowed by a “great fish” rather than a whale, and Joshua making the sun stand still.
    • Brady’s faith in biblical miracles is absolute, rejecting scientific explanations such as heliocentrism (the earth revolving around the sun), instead asserting that natural laws can be suspended by divine will.
    • The questioning exposes apparent contradictions or gaps, such as where Cain’s wife came from given Adam and Eve as the first humans, which Brady dismisses, refusing to question the Bible’s sufficiency.
    • Brady equates faith and literal biblical interpretation as paramount, suggesting that divine intervention supersedes natural law, and criticizes science as failing to grasp this.
    • He defends the Bible as the only ultimate truth, strongly opposing scientific theories challenging biblical creationism and natural history (e.g., the age of the earth and fossils).
    • Brady cites Bishop Ussher’s chronology, dating creation to 4004 BC, with the creation day interpreted literally as a 24-hour day, though some uncertainty is expressed on exact timing.
    • The debate touches on the tension between faith and reason, with Brady insisting that God’s word is absolute and any scientific knowledge must bow to scripture.
  • [10:35 → 14:02] Conflict Between Religious Dogma and Scientific Progress
    • Brady’s opponent challenges the idea that the Bible should dominate education and legislation, questioning whether divine revelation could have been given to Darwin.
    • Brady asserts that he receives direct orders from God to oppose Darwinian teachings, and equates opposition to him with opposition to God.
    • The courtroom drama emphasizes the conflict between religious authority and scientific inquiry in education.
    • The tone reflects the cultural struggle over whether evolution or biblical creationism should be taught in schools.
  • [14:02 → 20:59] The Trial, Jury Deliberation, and Verdict
    • The narrative shifts to the ongoing trial, focusing on the tension and uncertainty about the jury’s decision.
    • The defense lawyer reflects metaphorically on the law and justice, comparing law to a horse race where one must back the favorite to win.
    • The defense lawyer shares a personal anecdote about a rocking horse named “Golden Dancer,” symbolizing disillusionment with appearances vs. reality, mirroring the courtroom themes.
    • The jury returns with a guilty verdict against the defendant, a schoolteacher charged for teaching evolution, under an unjust law.
    • The defendant, a humble schoolteacher, accepts the verdict yet vows to continue opposing the unjust legislation.
    • The court imposes a fine of $100, with bond set at $500, and the prosecution plans to appeal.
  • [20:59 → 24:17] Closing Remarks and Reflection on the Trial Outcome
    • The trial is adjourned, and the defense lawyer prepares to deliver further remarks.
    • The narrative conveys a sense of ongoing struggle between progress and tradition, faith and reason.
    • The defense lawyer expresses hope that the case will inspire others to stand up for intellectual freedom.
    • The defendant’s personal life is touched on, showing the hardship faced after conviction but also a sense of resolve and hope.
  • [24:17 → 30:32] Personal and Philosophical Reflections Post-Trial
    • The schoolteacher (defendant) reflects on his journey from ignorance and fear of thinking, to embracing the necessity of confronting ideas, whether good or bad.
    • He likens thoughts to children that must be born, suggesting intellectual courage and openness as vital.
    • The defense lawyer and others discuss the death of Brady, expressing mixed emotions—acknowledging his fervor but criticizing his intolerance.
    • The film ends with a reflection on the complexity of faith, doubt, and human progress, emphasizing that true religious faith should allow room for questioning and growth.
    • The closing scenes hint at ongoing cultural conflict but also camaraderie and hope for future understanding.

Key Themes and Insights

  • Literal Biblical Interpretation vs. Scientific Inquiry
    • Brady’s unwavering commitment to a literal reading of the Bible contrasts sharply with emerging scientific understanding (e.g., evolution, geology).
    • The clash highlights the broader societal conflict over education, faith, and knowledge.
  • Miracles and Suspension of Natural Law
    • Brady argues that God can override natural laws, making miracles possible and rendering scientific laws secondary to divine will.
  • Faith as a Political and Cultural Force
    • Brady claims divine authority in lawmaking, reflecting the entanglement of religion and politics.
    • The dialogue reflects fears about losing religious foundations amid scientific progress.
  • Justice and Legal Struggles
    • The trial illustrates the difficulty in balancing personal beliefs, legal standards, and educational freedom.
    • The verdict, while legally guilty, is morally ambiguous, signaling a societal divide.
  • Intellectual Courage and Open Inquiry
    • The defendant’s reflections champion the importance of thinking freely and facing difficult ideas.
    • The metaphor of thoughts as children emphasizes nurturing intellectual growth despite uncertainty.
  • Legacy and Reflection on Religious Zeal
    • Brady is portrayed as passionate but ultimately flawed, with his death marking an end to a certain era of rigid dogmatism.
    • The narrative encourages a more tolerant, thoughtful approach to faith.

Timeline of Key Events

Timestamp Event Description
00:03 Brady declares himself a Bible authority, rejects Darwin
02:30 Discussion of biblical miracles and literal interpretation
04:25 Brady challenged on Cain’s wife and biblical inconsistencies
09:23 Debate on fossil evidence and age of the earth
12:15 Brady asserts direct communication with God
14:02 Jury deliberates amid courtroom tension
17:36 Jury returns guilty verdict against defendant
19:23 Defendant vows to continue opposing the law
20:59 Trial adjourned, reflections on law and justice
24:17 Defendant reflects on intellectual courage and growth
26:26 Death of Brady noted, reflections on religious zeal
30:32 Film concludes with themes of faith, doubt, and hope

Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition/Context
Literal Interpretation Taking the Bible’s text as exact and factual truth
Darwin’s Origin of Species Foundational scientific text on evolution, rejected by Brady
Bishop Ussher’s Chronology Biblical calculation dating creation to 4004 BC
Natural Law Scientific laws describing the natural world
Miracle Event defying natural law, attributed to divine intervention
Original Sin Doctrine that all humans inherit sin from Adam and Eve
Agnostic/Atheist Person uncertain or denying the existence of God
Unjust Law Law deemed morally wrong or oppressive

Notable Quotes

  • “I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted exactly as it is written.”
  • “Natural law was born in the mind of the heavenly Father; He can cancel it, change it, do with it as He pleases.”
  • “Faith is the important thing.”
  • “A thought is like a child inside our body; it has to be born. If it dies inside you, part of you dies too.”
  • “The Bible is a good book, but it’s not the only book.”
  • “Show me a shouter and I’ll show you an also-ran.”

Conclusion

This video dramatizes the historic conflict between religious literalism and modern science, focusing on a courtroom trial emblematic of this cultural battle. Through the figure of Colonel Matthew Harrison Brady, it illustrates the rigidity of biblical literalism, while the defense challenges this with appeals to reason, scientific inquiry, and intellectual freedom. The trial’s outcome and aftermath reveal the complexities of balancing faith, law, and progress in society. Ultimately, the content highlights the need for open-mindedness, courage to face difficult ideas, and tolerance in the ongoing dialogue between science and religion.

 

00:03
colonel matthew harrison brady sir am i correct in calling you an authority on the bible i believe it is not possible to say that i have studied the scriptures as much as any layman and i have tried to live every day of my life according to its precepts i suppose chapter and verse straight through the king james verse there are many portions of the holy bible that i have committed to memory ever memorized any uh passages out of darwin’s origin of species i am not the least bit interested in the

 

00:40
pagan hypotheses of that book ever read it i never will then how in tradition do you have the god to look up a holy war against something you know nothing about how can you be so cocked sure that the scientific body of knowledge that’s systematized in darwin’s writings is in any way incontrovertible to the spirit of the book of genesis would you repeat that question please sir here on page 19 darwin states colonel brady has been called as an authority on the bible now the gentleman from chicago is using

 

01:18
this opportunity to read into the record scientific testimony which you your honor have previously ruled irrelevant it is to examine colonel brady on the bible let him stick to the bible the holy bible and the only bible yeah we’re playing you up colonel let me get this straight let’s just get it clear this is the book that you’re an expert on is that right that is correct and do you believe that everything in this book should be taken literally i believe everything in the bible should

 

01:56
be accepted exactly as it is written there here it says that jonah was swallowed by a whale does that really happen well it does not say a whale it says a big fish well as a matter of fact it says a great fish but that’s not explosive now how do you feel about that well i believe in a god that can make a man and can make a whale and can make both do as he pleases amen yes and i want those amens in the record now now i recollect something in here where it says that joshua made the sun stand still as an

 

02:32
expert on the bible are you telling me that’s as true as the jonah business i do not question or scoff at the miracles of the lord do you think houdini could do that no colonel have you ever stopped to ponder what would naturally happen to the earth if the sun stopped well you can testify to that when i eat you understand what if they say the sun suck they must have thought that the sun revolved around the earth is that the way of things colonel i mean do you or don’t you believe that the

 

03:04
earth revolves around the sun i have faith in the bible oh you don’t have faith in the solar system the sun stopped good joshua stopped the sun in the sky the earth stopped spinning on its axis continents merged into one another mountains flew off the planet and the sun became the earth rather because it was arrested in its orbit shriveled to a cinder and flew into the sun now how come they missed this tidbit of news well they missed it because it did not happen well it must have happened according to natural law

 

03:40
or those who believe in natural law do you uh do you want to drive copernicus out of the classrooms as well as darwin you want to pass a law that that holds all of man’s progress through the ages since joshua revelations period natural law was born in the mind of the heavenly father he can cancel it change it do with it as he pleases it constantly amazes me that you apostles of science for all your supposed wisdom failed to grasp this simple fact oh here genesis 4 16 and cain uh left the presence of the lord went to

 

04:25
dwell in the land even on eastern the land of not on the east of eden and kane knew his wife where the hell did she come from mrs king kane’s wife i mean from the beginning it was only adam and eve and kane nabel where did this extra woman sprint from ever figure that out no sir and i shall leave it to you agnostics to hunt for her never bothers you never bother never try to find out no you think someone came along and just pulled off another creation in the next county the bible satisfies me it is enough

 

04:59
it just frightens me to think of the condition of learning in this world if everybody had your driving sense of curiosity now this book goes on and it gets into all the beginning and so on and so forth are these pretty important folk they are the generations of the holy men and women of the bible and how do they go about all the spaghetti what do you mean well the people we got in those days the way they began today the process is pretty much the same i don’t think your scientists have improved upon it

 

05:33
in other words people who are conceived and brought forth through the normal biological function on the sex what do you think of sex colonel brady in what spirit is that question asked well i’m not asking you as a father or as a husband or as a presidential candidate i’m asking you as a biblical scholar what’s the biblical evaluation of sex it is considered original sin so all these holy folk will begat from original sin all of this sinning make them any less holy your honor where is this ladies where does

 

06:05
this have to do with the state versus bird from kate’s right the court must be satisfied that this line of question has some bearing on the case your honor you ruled out all my witnesses you’ve got to allow me to examine the one witness you’ve left me in my own way your honor i’m willing to sit here and endure mr drummond’s sneering at his disrespect for he is pleading the case of the prosecution by his contempt for all that is holy [Music] that something is holy to this celebrated agnostic

 

06:42
oh yeah the individual human mind ability to do a multiplication table is more as more sanctity than all your shouted amen hosannas and hallelujahs the idea is more of a monument to the cathedral and man’s progress is more miraculous than turning sticks into snakes in the parting of the waters ladies and gentlemen uh we just stop progress because colonel brady frightens us with a theory i mean progress has never been a bargain you gotta pay for it sometimes i think there’s a man behind the counter that says

 

07:21
all right you can have a telephone but you’ll have to give up your privacy the charm of distance and lady oh you could have the right to vote but you’re not gonna be able to hide behind your powder pop your petticoat anymore and sure so you can conquer the air but the birds will forever lose their wonder the clouds will smell like gasoline you know darwin moved us to a hilltop from which we could look back and see the way we’ve come and what for this this view this insight this knowledge we’ve got to abandon our faith

 

07:54
in the pleasant poetry of genesis faith is the important thing then why did god plague us with the power to think mr brady why do you refute the one faculty that separates mind from all the other species of the planet the ability to reason after the mosquitoes are more prolific and even the simple sponge is more durable or does a sponge think i do not know i’m a man not a sponge do you think a sponge thinks if the lord wishes a sponge to think it thinks amen doesn’t man have the same privilege as a sponge of course

 

08:41
well this man wants the same privilege as a sponge he wishes to if your think is wrong he is deluded he has lost his way i’m sad that we don’t know i have all your wisdom and to know the perfect knowledge of right and wrong dr page are you afraid you will now i ask you this how old do you think this rock is i am more interested in the rock of ages than i am in the age of rocks well doctor paige of open in college tells me that this rock is over 10 million years old well well colonel trump seems to me

 

09:23
you’ve been able to sneak in some of that scientific testimony after all look don’t you see the fossil remains of this prehistoric marine creature that lived in this very country millions of years ago ah when these very mountain ranges were submerged in water i know the bible gives a fine account of the flood but your expert is a little mixed up on his dates because that rock could not possibly be more than 6 000 years old how do you know well the fine biblical scholar bishop usher has determined for us the exact date and

 

09:56
hour of creation it occurred in the year 4004 bc that’s bishop russia’s opinion it’s not an opinion it is a literal fact the good bishop arrived at through careful computation of the ages of the prophets as set down in the old testament in fact creation occurred on the 23rd day of october in the year 4004 bc at uh 9 a.m eastern time rocky mountain time couldn’t have been deadly because the law didn’t make the sun until the fourth day well that is correct now that first day was it a 24 hour day the title since it

 

10:35
was a day well there was no sun i didn’t know how it was the bible says it was a day a normal day a literal day a 24-hour day i do not know what do you think i do not think about things that i do not think about you ever think about things you do think of is them possible but it was 25 hours there was no way to measure it there was no way to tell could it have been 25 hours it is possible oh song you interpret that the first day recorded in the book of genesis was a day of indeterminate language

 

11:18
no i need to state that the day referred to was not necessarily a 24 hour game a month a year he wants to destroy everyone’s fate in the bible and in god [Music] and you ignoramuses thank you from trying to control the united states education diplomacy and you know it how dare you attack the bible the bible is a book it is a good book but it’s not the only book it is the revealed word of the almighty god spake to the men who wrote the bible and how do you know that god didn’t speak to charles darwin

 

12:15
because god tells me to oppose the teachings of that evil man so god speaks to you yes and he tells you what’s good and what’s bad yes and so you matthew harrison brady through legislation our authority or whatever receives god’s orders passes to the wand of the rest of the world ladies and gentlemen need the prophet from nebraska tells you what’s good no and to be against brady is is to be against god no each man is a free agent then what spurs from kate’s doing in the hillsborough jail

 

12:49
suppose virgin cape had enough influence and long power to railroad to the state legislature a law that said only darwin is to be taught in the classroom that is ridiculous very ridiculous there is only one great truth in the world the gospel we’re going to brady yes god tells brady but he tells the world baby baby brady almighty well why don’t we just extend the testament shall we we’ll pass the pentateuch and we’ll create a book of brady i will slip you in neatly between numbers in deuteronomy this

 

13:19
witness is excused my followers your honor you you know what i stand for you know what i believe in the best of genesis exodus numbers deuteronomy joshua judges morning first samuel striking all this they’re laughing at me mother i hate it when they laugh at me ladies and gentlemen please remain seated while a jury deliberates is the jury still out squatting flies and wrestling with justice in that order i’ll hate to see the jury filing in won’t you colonel i’ll miss hillsborough

 

14:02
especially this courthouse a melange of moorish and methodists must have been designed by a congressman what’s going to happen mr german what do you think is going to happen you think they’ll send me to prison they could they don’t ever let you see anybody in prison do they just talk to a visitor through a window like the show at the movies not as bad as all that these people when they started this fire they never knew how they were gonna light up the whole sky and some shoes getting pretty hot by

 

14:43
about now you can’t be sure he seems so sure he seems to know what the verdict’s going to be nobody knows he’s been a lawyer as long as i have a thousand years more or less you begin to smell the way you’re thinking what are they thinking right now you know one of these days i want to get me an open and shut case yeah i got a friend in chicago big trial lawyer oh lord how the money rolls in you know why he never takes a case and that’s a sure thing well just like a horse trace jockey

 

15:22
doesn’t ride in a horse race unless he can ride the favorite you should pick the launch out this time mr durbin you know sometimes i think the law is like a horse race it seems like in the beginning i ride like fury i want to end up back where i started might as well be a merry-go-round rocking horse a golden dancer what’d you say a golden dancer that was the name of my first long shot golden dancer was in the big side window in the variety store at wakeman ohio and i stand in the street and say to

 

16:03
myself if i could have golden dancer i would have everything in the world that i wanted i was seven years old and i was quite a judge of rocking horses golden dancer and a bright red mane blue eyes it was gold with purple spots all over her and when the sun hit her stairs so she was a dazzling sight to see but she was a week’s no she was a month’s wages for my father so golden dancer and i only had a a plate glass window between us see it wasn’t christmas must have been my birthday yeah i woke up and there was golden

 

16:48
dance right in front of my bed i mean ma i skimmed on the groceries and fired and worked nights for a month and i jumped out of bed and i leaped into the saddle and i rocked and i rocked and broke it’s splitting too wood was wrong it was all made of spit and ceiling wax it’s all shined and no substance anywhere bert if you ever run into anything that’s bright and shiny and it goes all over with purple spots look behind the paint and if you see a line show it up to what it’s worth

 

17:36
ladies and gentlemen have you reached the decision yeah yes your honor the decision of the jury is unanimous russian case has been found guilty as charges for the middle ages of charlemagne i regret this omission in the confusion that i neglected uh mr casey you would like to make a statement before sentences passed why you may proceed romney i’m not a public speaker i don’t have the eloquence of some of the people you’ve heard the last few days we’re just a school teacher i feel it

 

19:23
i feel i’ve been convicted of violating unjust law i’ll continue in the future as i have in the past to oppose this law in any way i can [Applause] number 31428 is charged this violation is punishable by fine and or imprisonment but since there’s been no previous violation in the statute there’s no precedent to guide invention in passing sentence the court deems improper um sentence versus case to pay a fine of uh one hundred dollars did your honor say 100 dollars that’s correct uh this seems to be

 

20:15
the prosecution takes exemption whether the issues are so tight [Applause] days from here our appeal granted um the court fixes bond at 500 i believe this concludes the business trial therefore i declare this question i have a few short remarks i have prepared your careless when the prosecutor made a few short remarks law remarks or whatever initial talk would take our business in hillsborough was concluded i hope that this court is objective your honor and we are all anxious to hear them sir but colonel drummond’s

 

20:59
opponent procedure is well taken i am sure everyone here will wish to remain after the course of the journey to hear your address therefore i declare the sport is adjourned popcorn get your popcorn friends and followers friends of the unseen audience from the hollowed hills of sinai in the days of remote antiquity came the law the law was our bulwark and our [Music] i will oh something happens to an also ramp something happens to the feet of a man who always comes in second in a foot race he becomes a national unloved child an

 

22:17
overweight orphan an aging adolescent who never got the biggest piece of candy show me a shouter and i’ll show you and also ran i might have been and almost was did you see his face i’m terrible i’m surprised more people haven’t keeled over in this heat he’ll be all right give him an hour or so to sweat away the pickles and the pumpernickel to let his tongue forget the acid taste of vinegar victory mount brady will erupt again by nightfall spouting lukewarm fire and irrelevant

 

22:53
ashes what’s the matter boy i’m not sure did i win or did i lose you the guilty film the jury found me guilty live story 12 people millions of people who read that papers tonight and they’ll see that you won to smash the bad law you made a joke out of it yeah what happens now i don’t have a job but the boarding house won’t even let me back in so life’s not going to be a church surgery it’s going to be a little tough but you’ll live meanwhile i guess you helped the next storm

 

23:32
what do you mean well sure as hell tomorrow someone’s going to have to stand up by themselves it’s not this is not over now you know you help to give them the guts to do it mr meeker don’t you have to lock me up they fixed bail you know you strike the school teacher to have five hundred dollars this is philadelphia put up the money for the year’s subscription to the baltimore herald we give away at no cost or obligation a year of freedom rachel hello bert i won’t need any more shirts i’m free

 

24:17
for a while anyway these are my things bert i’m going away where are you going i’m not sure but i’m leaving my father rachel first it’s my fault the jury found you guilty hardly my fault i helped this is your book i’ve read it all the way through i don’t understand it what i do understand i don’t like i don’t want to think that men come from apes and monkeys but i think that’s beside the point you’re right that is beside the boy mr drummond i hope i haven’t said anything to offend

 

24:49
you you see i haven’t really thought very much i i was always afraid of what i might think so it seems safer not to think at all but now i know a thought is like a child inside our body it has to be born if it dies inside you part of you dies too maybe what mr darwin wrote is bad i don’t know bad or good it doesn’t make any difference the ideas have to come out like children some of them healthy as a bean plant some sickly i think the sickly ideas die mostly don’t you bert and imagine this world without matt

 

25:47
comparison what killed him did they say matthew harrison brady died of a busted belly me frank why should we weep for him he cried enough for himself the national tear duct from weeping water nebraska who flooded the whole nation like a one-man mississippi you know what he was a barnum buncombe bible beating bastard you smart alec you have no business to spit on his religion or to spit on my religion or my lack of it now what do you know henry drummond for the defense there’s much greatness in that man

 

26:26
shall i put that in the obituary please how do you write an obituary for a man who’s been dead 30 years in memoriam mhb then what hail the apostle whose letters to the corinthians were lost in the mail ten years two years taurus will ask the guide who died here matthew harrison who what did he say to the minister it fits he delivered his own obituary here it is his book proverbs wasn’t it he that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind and the fool shall serve the kind of heart well well colonel drummond we’re growing

 

27:11
an odd crop of agnostics this year oh you’re not getting that tie to you why you never pushed it down against the verb except to blow up something that’s a typical lawyer’s trick accuse the accuser what am i accused of i charge you with contempt of conscience self-perjury kindness of forethought sentimentality in the first degree why because i refuse to erase a man’s lifetime giant once lived in that body kind of bigots weak since brady’s dead we must be kind god how the world is

 

27:48
rotten with kindness and afraid he got lost that’s all he was looking for god too high up too far away you hypocrite you fraud you’re more religious than he was excuse me gentlemen i must get me to a typewriter and hammer out the story of an atheist who believes in god colonel drummond ah bird i’m going to hand in my commission to the state militia you and i could be on that train too i’ll get my stuff i’ll help you oh i say you forgot uh [Applause] so so [Music] [Laughter] [Music]

 

30:32
that he said goodbye and then [Music] in love [Music] it’s you [Music] you
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