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.

New state laws requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms are facing legal challenges.