In the Heat of the Night (1967)
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, (more)
- Director(s):
- Norman Jewison
- Format(s):
- DVD
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Synopsis of In the Heat of the Night
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, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 110 mins
Complete Cast of In the Heat of the Night
- Sidney Poitier - Virgil Tibbs
- Warren Oates - Deputy Sam Wood
- James Patterson - Purdy
- Quentin Dean - Delores Purdy
- Beah Richards - Mama Caleba
- Matt Clark - Packy Harrison
- Kermit Murdock - H.E. Henderson
- Peter Whitney - George Courtney
- Timothy Scott - Shagbag Martin
- Stuart Nisbet - Shuie
- Fred Stewart - Dr. Stuart
- Peter Masterson - Arnold Fryer
- Phil Garris - Engineer
- Clegg Hoyt - Deputy
- Nikita Knatz - 2nd Tough
- Jack Teter - Philip Colbert
- Rod Steiger - Police Chief Bill Gillespie
- Lee Grant - Mrs. Leslie Colbert
- Scott Wilson - Harvey Oberst
- Larry Gates - Eric Endicott
- William Schallert - Mayor Schubert
- Anthony James - Ralph Henshaw
- Khalil Bezaleel - Jess
- William Watson - McNeil
- Larry D. Mann - Watkins
- Eldon Quick - Charlie Hawthorne
- Arthur Malet - Ted Ulam
- Alan Oppenheimer - Ted Appleton
- Jester Hairston - Butler
- Phil Adams - 1st Tough
- Buzz Barton - Conductor
- Sammy Reese - Clerk
- Director(s):
- Norman Jewison
- Writer(s):
- Stirling Silliphant
- Producer(s):
- Walter Mirisch
- Categories:
- Mystery & Suspense
- 1967 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actor
- 1967 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - United Nations Award
- 1967 - Edgar Allan Poe Awards - Best Screenplay
- 1967 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
- 1967 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Screenplay
- 1967 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Drama
- 1967 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1967 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actor
- 1967 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Picture
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