Inherit the Wind is a blend of history and fiction. Austin Cline, About.com’s Guide to Atheism / Agnosticism expressed his admiration for the play, but also added:
“Unfortunately, a lot of people treat it as far more historical than it really is. So on the one hand I'd like more people to see it both for the drama and for the bit of history that it does reveal, but on the other hand I wish that people would be able to be more skeptical about how that history is presented.”
Wikipedia adroitly lists the key differences between fact and fabrication. Here are some highlights worth noting:
Brady, in answer to Drummond's question about the Origin of Species, says he has no interest in "the pagan hypotheses of that book". In reality, Bryan was familiar with Darwin's writings and quoted them extensively during the trial.When the verdict is announced, Brady protests, loudly and angrily, that the fine is too lenient. In reality, Scopes was fined the minimum the law required, and Bryan offered to pay the fine.
Drummond is portrayed as involved in the trial out of a desire to prevent Cates from being jailed by bigots. In reality Scopes was never in danger of being jailed. In his autobiography and in a letter to H.L. Mencken, Darrow later acknowledged that he took part in the trial simply to attack Bryan and the fundamentalists.
-- Source: Wikipedia
