By Corbett B. Daly

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Spencer Tracy is coming to the UA to exercise his rights.

In "Inherit the Wind," a 1960 movie, Tracy plays Tennessee defense attorney Clarence Darrow, who represents a biology school teacher arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in the famous "Scopes" trial of 1925.

The film, which will play at Gallagher Theatre this coming Sunday, is the first of three free films to be shown in Tucson as part of the third annual Bill of Rights Film Festival sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.

On May 8, "Absence of Malice" will be shown at Gallagher, followed by "Oxbow Incident" on May 15 at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. All the films will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Each film will be followed by a panel discussion of constitutional issues raised in the film.

The festival began as a "way to stimulate interests in Bill of Rights issues," said James Todd, a University of Arizona adjunct assistant political science professor and one of the festival's co-organizers. "We're going to talk about freedom of religion, the press and speech" among other law-related topics.

The first panel will be moderated by Stanley Feldman, chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.

Feldman said he is pleased to moderate the panel, because May 1 is Law Day Ä a nationwide day for observation of importance and respect for law and the courts.

"Law Day is the day we try to remind people what these institutions are," he said. "I think many people take (the Bill of Rights of the Constitution) for granted, and many don't know about it at all."

This is Feldman's repeat appearance with the festival. In 1992, Feldman was the moderator for "Let Him Have It," an English film directed by Peter Madak about capital punishment.

Other panelists for the first film in- clude Joel Feinberg, a regents philosophy professor; Toni Massaro, UA law professor; Deborah Mathieu, associate political science professor; and Kathleen Mayer, a county attorney.

Todd said the panelists will talk for about half an hour after the film and then field audience questions.

The following Sunday, Thomas Sullivan, dean of the UA College of Law, will moderate the panel for Absence of Malice, starring Paul Newman and Sally Field.

On May 15, Oxbow Incident, a 1943 film starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn, will be shown followed by a panel hosted by Celestino Fernandez, UA vice president for academic outreach and chairman of the Arizona Humanities Council Board of Directors.

Last year, the festival was held in Scottsdale and this year expanded to three cities, including Yuma and Tempe. Read Next Article