In the Heat of the Night (1967)

An African American police detective is asked to investigate a murder in a racially hostile southern town.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Stirling Silliphant (screenplay), John Ball (based on a novel by)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates

Won 5 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger	...	Gillespie
Warren Oates	...	Sam Wood
Lee Grant	...	Mrs. Colbert
Larry Gates	...	Endicott
James Patterson	...	Mr. Purdy
William Schallert	...	Mayor Schubert
Beah Richards	...	Mama Caleba
Peter Whitney	...	Courtney
Kermit Murdock	...	Henderson
Larry D. Mann	...	Watkins
Matt Clark	...	Packy
Arthur Malet	...	Ulam
Fred Stewart	...	Dr. Stuart
Quentin Dean	...	Delores

Storyline

Detective Virgil Tibbs is caught up in the racial tension of the US South when he is arrested after the murder of a prominent businessman. Tibbs was simply waiting for his next train at the station in Sparta, Mississippi and the confusion is soon resolved but when local police chief Gillespie learns that Tibbs is the Philadelphia PD's number one homicide expert, he reluctantly asks for his assistance. The murdered man, Mr. Colbert, had come to Sparta from the North to build a new factory and his wife and business associates immediately point the finger at Endicott, the most powerful man in the county and the one who had the most to lose if a major new employer comes to the area. Tibbs' life is clearly in danger but he perseveres in a highly charged and racially explosive environment until the killer is found.

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Plot Keywords:

african american | racial tension | racist | small town | suspect | 

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Taglines:

They got a murder on their hands . . . they don't know what to do with it.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1967 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Al calor de la noche

Filming Locations:

Belleville, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's line "They call me Mister Tibbs!" was voted as the #76 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

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Goofs

Sam apprehends Virgil at the train station and takes him to the Police Station. As they approach the entrance both the inside and outside doors are closed.The inside shot of them entering the station has only the screen door closed. The inside door is open.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ofcr. Sam Wood: Where you keeping the pie tonight?
Ralph Henshaw, diner counterman: I ate the last piece just before you came in.

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Crazy Credits

No uppercase ("capital") letters are used in the opening and closing credits, including the film's title, cast and characters, crew and job titles, and company credits.

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Connections

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)

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Soundtracks

It Sure Is Groovy!
(uncredited)
Music by Quincy Jones
Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Performed by Gil Bernal

User Reviews

The essence of modern-day film noir

One of the best films of all time, a Best Picture Oscar winner, and a highly deserved one at that. After reading a plot summary, it would be easy for someone to classify Norman Jewison's IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT as a simple buddy-cop movie, but it is so much more - this is film-making at it's finest. An absolutely merciless mystery, NIGHT contains some incredibly intense scenes that might make some viewers uncomfortable (the garage confrontation comes immediately to mind).

The film is expertly put together, with the feel of heady film noir. The performances are first rate: both Poitier and Rod Steiger were nominated for Best Actor, with the Oscar actually going home to Steiger (the film won four other Oscars as well). The Poitier-Steiger pairing is one of the most potent in film history, and their slowly growing friendship is one of the most touching. is a glowing example of what happens when an excellent cast, director, and screenplay combine to make an exceptional film.