Dick York

Based on the famous Scopes Monkey trial of 1925 a Tennessee schoolteacher Bertram Cates (Dick York) 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 (played by Gene Kelly), arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy) to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady (played by Fredric March ) is a former presidential candidate and famous evangelist. The two are old adversaries and clash throughout the film. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Cates's girlfriend is the daughter of the town's bombastic preacher (Claude Akins). Throughout the movie, the sarcastic reporter mocks the bible toting hostile townsfolk. Drummond eventually calls the prosecutor to the stand and prods him to explain various biblical stories such as Jonah and the whale. Eventually, the great Biblical Literalist is forced to concede that certain Biblical accounts cannot be taken literally, but must be interpreted intellectually. With that concession, Drummond is able to assert Cates has every right to hold a differing opinion, including about the Book of Genesis and to deny him that right is unjust. Matthew Brady is so rattled by Drummond's questioning that he collapses under the strain. In the end, despite his badgering of Brady, Drummond is sympathetic to his beliefs. The judge (Henry Morgan) issues a $100.00 fine much to the dismay of many in the courtroom.

The fanatical son of a Nazi general leads a squad of German commandos, disguised as American troops, behind the lines in order to sabotage the Allied forces. Stars Van Johnson, Kerwin Matthews, Dick York and Larry Storch. In the fall of 1944, German officer Hans Von Kroner is infiltrated among Allied POWs in a POW camp in order to spy on them and report their escape plans to the camp commandant. Hans Von Kroner easily passes himself off as an American POW due to the fact he grew up in the U.S. Due to his efforts, several escape attempts are discovered and thwarted. Later, during the last major German offensive of the war in the Ardennes region of Belgium, Hans Von Kroner's skills are sought again by the German headquarters. He is ordered to take command of a group of English-speaking Germans and infiltrate the American Army units fighting in the Ardennes. Posing as American G.I.s, Hans Von Kroner and his men are ordered to create panic and confusion among the retreating American units, to deliver fake H.Q. orders to various American commanders in the field and to commit acts of sabotage against the American forces. These actions are to last from the start of the Battle of the Bulge in mid-December until the day when the German armies reach their final objective at the port of Antwerp. After a rough start, Hans Von Kroner's squad manages to infiltrate the nearest American unit and begins executing its plans. However, Hans Von Kroner, who masquerades as American Sgt. Leonard Richardson, is worried that he and his men will be unmasked and shot as spies. —nufs68

An army major, himself guilty of cowardice, is asked to recommend soldiers for the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Mexican Border Incursion of 1916. After a cavalry charge during the 1916 U.S. "war against Pancho Villa," unheroic awards officer Tom Thorn (who is obsessed with the nature of courage) recommends 4 men for the Medal of Honor. He is ordered back to Cordura with them...and prisoner Adelaide Geary, gringo who sheltered the enemy. On the arduous journey, Thorn's heroes show a different face, and Thorn may have one last chance to prove he's no coward. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu> In 1916, the American Army is hunting Pancho Villa down in Mexico. The awards officer Major Thomas Thorn is assigned as observer in the battlefield to seek out heroes in the regiment of veteran Colonel Rogers during the attack to Ojos Azules villa to be nominated to the Medal of Honor with Pvt. Andrew Hetherington that is riding with him. The villa is owned by the American Adelaide Geary, who welcomes Pancho Villa's men after their raids. However, Colonel Rogers commands the attack and defeats them in Ojos Azules. Thorn identifies acts of heroism by Lt. Fowler, Sgt. Chawk, Cpl. Trubee and Pvt. Renziehausen during the charge. When Colonel Rogers learns that was not nominated by Thorn for the Medal of Honor, he is furious with Thorn. Rogers unsuccessfully tries to change his position reminding Thorn that he was protected by him from an investigation of cowardice in respect to his father. Thorn rides with the five soldiers and Geary, who is accused of giving hospitality to Pancho Villa's men to Candura. Along the difficulties of their journey, Thorn researches the feelings of the men during their heroic acts and learns that one heroic act does not turn men into heroes. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

An idealistic tenderfoot Chicago hotel clerk is taken on a cattle-drive to Mexico by famous trail boss Tom Reece but discovers that cowboy life isn't what he expected. Chicago hotel clerk Frank Harris dreams of making his fortune in the cattle business. He gets his chance when, the father of the Mexican woman he loves breaks off their relationship and Frank bankrolls cattleman Tom Reece to be able to join him on a cattle buying trip to Mexico. Soon, though, the tenderfoot finds out the reality of life on the trail as a cowboy is not what he expected. —Jorge Mourinha <rjmourinha@mail.telepac.pt>

After submitting a story of her beautiful sister, a woman assumes her identity to maintain the attention of a playboy publisher. Ruth and her beautiful sister Eileen come to New York's Greenwich Village looking for "fame, fortune and a 'For Rent' sign on Barrow Street". They find an apartment (such as it is!), but fame and fortune are a lot more elusive. Ruth gets the attention of playboy publisher Bob Baker when she submits a story about her gorgeous sister Eileen. She tries to keep his attention by convincing him that she, (a "spinsterish old-maid writer") and the gorgeous, man-getting Eileen are one and the same person.