In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

John Ball (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (writer)

Release Date:

26 February 1968 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime

Tagline:

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

Plot:

An African American detective is asked to investigate a murder in a racist southern town.

Plot Keywords:

Culture Clash | Cop | Title Mentioned In Song | Sheriff | Investigation

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Sidney Poitier	...	Det. Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger	...	Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates	...	Off. Sam Wood
Lee Grant	...	Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Larry Gates	...	Eric Endicott
James Patterson	...	Purdy (Delores' brother)
William Schallert	...	Mayor Webb Schubert
Beah Richards	...	Mama Caleba, aka Mrs. Bellamy
Peter Whitney	...	Off. George Courtney
Kermit Murdock	...	H.E. Henderson (banker)
Larry D. Mann	...	Watkins
Arthur Malet	...	Ted Ulam (mortician)
Fred Stewart	...	Dr. Stuart
Quentin Dean	...	Delores Purdy
Scott Wilson	...	Harvey Oberst (murder suspect)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

South Africa:(Banned) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1968) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:Approved | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Belleville, Illinois, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Set in a hot Mississippi summer but filmed during Autumn in Illinois, many of the actors had to keep ice chips in their mouths (and spit them out before takes) to prevent their breath from appearing on camera during the night scenes.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When all three men, Virgil, Sam, and Police Chief Bill go into the diner, we see Virgil's breath. Although the film is set in warm, humid Mississippi, it was filmed in chillier Illinois.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Another Gay Movie (2006)

Soundtrack:

In the Heat of the Night

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.