


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
Henry Drummond

Fredric March
Matthew Harrison Brady

Gene Kelly
E.K. Hornbeck

Dick York
Bertram T. Cates

Donna Anderson
Rachel Brown

Harry Morgan
Judge Mel

Claude Akins
Rev. Jeremiah Brown

Elliott Reid
Prosecutor Tom Davenport

Paul Hartman
Bailiff Mort Meeker

Philip Coolidge
Mayor Jason Carter

Jimmy Boyd
Howard

Noah Beery Jr.
John Stebbins

Norman Fell
WGN Radio Technician
Gordon Polk
George Sillers

Hope Summers
Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman

Ray Teal
Jessie H. Dunlap

Renee Godfrey
Mrs. Stebbins

Florence Eldridge
Sarah Brady
John Alban
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Leon Alton
Townsman (uncredited)
Stanley Kramer
Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith
Released