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.
Spencer Tracy
as Henry Drummond
Fredric March
as Matthew Harrison Brady
Gene Kelly
as E.K. Hornbeck
Dick York
as Bertram T. Cates
Donna Anderson
as Rachel Brown
Harry Morgan
as Judge Mel
Claude Akins
as Rev. Jeremiah Brown
Elliott Reid
as Prosecutor Tom Davenport
Paul Hartman
as Bailiff Mort Meeker
Philip Coolidge
as Mayor Jason Carter
Jimmy Boyd
as Howard
Noah Beery Jr.
as John Stebbins
