In the Heat of the Night (1967)

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The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as four other Oscars), In the Heat of the Night is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed northern African-American, comes to town, Gillespie instinctively puts him under arrest as a murder suspect. Tibbs reveals himself to be a Philadelphia police detective; after he and Gillespie come to a grudging understanding of one another, Tibbs offers to help in Gillespie's investigation. As the case progresses, both Gillespie and Tibbs betray a tendency to jump to culture-dictated conclusions. Still, the case is solved thanks to the informal teamwork of the two law officers. Based on the novel by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night inspired two sequels, both starring Poiter as Virgil Tibbs. In 1987, a TV series version of In the Heat of the Night appeared, with Carroll O'Connor as Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Tibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

110 mins

Director(s):

Norman Jewison

Writer(s):

Stirling Silliphant

Producer(s):

Walter Mirisch

Categories:

Mystery & Suspense

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• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Best Adapted Screenplay
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Best Picture
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Best Editing
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Best Actor
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - United Nations Award
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actor
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Golden Globe - Best Screenplay
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actor
• 1967 - In the Heat of the Night - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Picture