Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1960: Gene Kelly in Inherit the Wind

Gene Kelly did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying E.K. Hornbeck in Inherit the Wind.

Gene Kelly's on screen performances for the most part are very similar. They are basically only slight variations on the performance that he gave in his Oscar nominated performance in Anchors Aweigh. Kelly though plays a far more dramatic role here as the news paper writer who comes to town to cover the story of a teacher put on trial for teaching evolution in the classroom. Kelly portrays Hornbeck who is based on H.L. Mencken, who was interestingly also the basis for Arthur Kennedy's character in Elmer Gantry, although his character in that film is given a little less focus than Kelly here.

Kelly plays his part as a cynical showman, and actually he uses well his usual screen persona well refuting it in a way at the same time. He of course as the same voice, and one could argue almost the same delivery as in his musicals as Hornbeck, but with Hornbeck there is always an underlying deep rooted cynicism that always prevails. Kelly infuses every line he has with a great deal of enthusiasm and well showmanship, but below everything that he says there is always an unmistakable amount of venom within it.

This is a fairly limited role for Kelly actually after his speeches early in the film he mostly just has a quick reaction that only ever is brief, which is especially true in the court room scenes where he takes a back seat. That is not to say Kelly is forgotten, and he is good in coming in whenever he can bringing about the sharp wit of his character very well. He does not do a great deal though more until the end when Spencer Tracy's character questions his cynicism. Kelly is quite good in this scene as he shows Hornbeck feign any feelings of self-doubt, and quickly go back to his old ways. This is a pretty simple, Kelly does play it well though, and it shows that he had more in him than the Gene Kelly musical character.