▁Ep stein , ▁based ▁on ▁N ug ent ▁and ▁Th ur ber ' s ▁play . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁also ▁directed ▁by ▁Elli ott ▁N ug ent . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Tommy ▁Turner ▁( Hen ry ▁F onda ) ▁is ▁an ▁English ▁teacher ▁at ▁football - c raz ed ▁Mid western ▁University . ▁Although ▁he ▁is ▁un in vol ved ▁with ▁the ▁politics ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁Tommy ▁suddenly ▁finds ▁himself ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁a ▁free - spe ech ▁debate ▁on ▁campus . ▁An ▁editor ial ▁in ▁a ▁student ▁magazine ▁pra ises ▁him ▁for ▁planning ▁to ▁read ▁Bart ol ome o ▁V anz etti ' s ▁sent encing ▁statement ▁to ▁his ▁class ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁el o quent ▁composition , ▁even ▁in ▁broken ▁English ▁composed ▁by ▁a ▁non - prof essional . ▁ ▁The ▁school ' s ▁conserv ative ▁trust ees , ▁led ▁by ▁Ed ▁K eller ▁( E ug ene ▁Pal lette ) ▁threaten ▁to ▁fire ▁Tommy ▁if ▁he ▁doesn ' t ▁withdraw ▁the ▁reading ▁from ▁his ▁lecture . ▁The ▁subject ▁of ▁free ▁speech ▁and ▁Tommy ' s ▁d ile m ma ▁of ▁conscience ▁anchor ▁the ▁dram atic ▁sub plot ' s ▁social ▁significance . ▁The ▁l ighter ▁com ic ▁triangle ▁plot ▁concerns ▁a ▁return ▁visit ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁big ▁football ▁game ▁by ▁Joe ▁Fer g us on ▁( Jack ▁Car son ), ▁a ▁former ▁football ▁hero ▁and ▁on etime ▁love ▁interest ▁of ▁Turner ' s ▁wife ▁Ellen ▁( O liv ia ▁de ▁Hav ill and ). ▁Joe ▁is ▁recently ▁divor