Oklahoma is forcing courts – as they did in Tennessee in 1925 – to wrestle with the question of how much religion is permissible in public schools.

Hollywood didn’t ignore the play’s success either. In 1960, Inherit the Wind became a multiple Oscar-nominated film, featuring stars Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, and Gene Kelly. Three made-for-TV movies followed in 1965, 1968, and 1999 with impressive casts of their own.