Let us begin by stipulating that "Inherit the Wind" did not tell the truth about the Dayton trial, and I am not just talking about the usal Hollywood spin on a story. Bryan, for instance, opposed evolution in part because he opposed social darwinism. Because of his populism and his opposition to the war, he was already in ill favor with the Eastern Establishment. But it goes beyond that. Darrow was may "enlightened" but he was also as nasty as the Horbeck character that Gene Kelley played. Even though "Hornbeck" was supposed to be Mencken, much of what he said actually came out of Darrow's mouth at the time.