In the Heat of the Night1967
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Tense, funny, and thought-provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger, director Norman Jewison's look at murder and racism in small-town America continues to resonate today.
In the Heat of the Night Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Police Chief Bill Gillespie
as Det. Virgil Tibbs
as Sam Wood
as Mrs. Colbert
as Purdy
as Delores Purdy
as Endicott
as Schubert
as Henshaw
as Harvey
as Mama Caleba

as Philip Colbert

as Packy Harrison

as H.E. Henderson

as Jess
as George Courtney

as Harold Courtney

as Shagbag Martin

as Dennis
as Watkins

as Shuie

as Charlie Hawthorne

as Dr. Stuart
as Ted Ulam

as Arnold Fryer

as Ted Appleton

as Mark Crowell

as Engineer
as Henry

as Deputy

as Young Tough

as Young Tough

as Baggage Master

as Conductor

as Clerk
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Critic Reviews for In the Heat of the Night
All Critics (83) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (4) | DVD (6)
The two stars play their roles to the hilt. You don't feel they are trying to surpass each other. Rather, it seems Steiger and Poitier are acting together like a team, each with his eye on the ball every second and not missing a single chance to score.

In the Heat of the Night is one of the year's best detective stories and most remarkable films.

Norman Jewison's brilliant direction and Stirling Silliphant's trenchant screenplay have turned out a powerful picture, with bitter confrontations between two master actors, Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, as diametrically opposed forces.

Stirling Silliphant's screenplay is commendably unusual in that the relationship between the black and white protagonists is never conveniently defined.

Poitier is simply one of the finest actors anywhere, and reconfirms it here. And it's hard to recall a role in which Steiger has seemed more engaging, and less the studied actor.

Steiger's portrayal of the paunchy, cagey police chief is what reminds you that a really good actor is like a virtuoso who excels on a dozen instruments. Director Norman Jewison may have mapped the action, but the characterization belongs to Steiger.
Audience Reviews for In the Heat of the Night
Sidney Poitier stars as Virgil Tibbs, a detective from up north (Philadelphia) who gets stuck in the middle of a murder investigation in small town Sparta, Mississippi (actually, the movie was filmed in Sparta, Il, not too far from here). The year is 1967, and Mississippi is a hotbed of racism. The sheriff of Sparta, a man by the name of Gillespie (Rod Steiger) is a bit more pragmatic than his cartoonishly one-dimensional subordinates. While racism is pretty ingrained from birth, it's clear no one in this town has ever met anyone quite like Tibbs, a man who's well-dressed and better educated than any of them. The murder mystery is pretty engaging, but it's the dynamic interaction between Tibbs and the townsfolk, and in particular with Sheriff Gillespie that makes the movie. Neither man is a villain or a saint, but by the end both learn to have a little respect for the each other. It's a microcosm of racism's history and it's future, where we were and where we'd like to be.

Super Reviewer
A black homicide detective from the big city becomes embroiled in a murder case in a small backwater town in 1960s Mississippi. A thinly disguised commentary on prejudice in the times of the civil rights movement, In The Heat Of The Night is also a smartly plotted and suspenseful Film Noir style murder mystery that showcases Sidney Poitier's not inconsiderable charisma. He dominates the screen whenever he appears and his scenes with the comparably excellent Rod Steiger's red neck sheriff crackle with tension as their worlds collide amidst their verbal sparring. Featuring a colourful backdrop of local culture and antiquated attitudes based upon the belief that slavery was the "natural order", it contains many memorable lines and strong performances. The resolution to the story seems a little anti-climactic considering the power of the build up, but it's definitely one of the best examples of politically savvy thrillers around and worth it for the scenes involving Poitier and Steiger butting heads alone.

Super Reviewer
"They call me Mr. Tibbs!" Great film! Not really one i'd call a classic, but this is timeless piece that was completely ahead of it's time. Released in 1967, during the Civil Rights movement, In the Heat of the Night is about a Black Philadelphia cop who gets involved in a murder case in a small rascist Mississippi town. The film dared to go where so many other films of the time dared not, and it's for that reason it will remembered forever. Strong performance by Sidney Poitier, but the whole film is driven by the masterful performance by Rob Steiger! He definitely deserved the Oscar. In the Heat of the Night is a great crime/mystery film! I recommend it to everyone!

Super Reviewer
In the Heat of the Night Quotes
Police Chief Bill Gillespie: | I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead. |
Virgil Tibbs: | They call me Mister Tibbs! |
Virgil Tibbs: | They call me Mister Tibbs |
Virgil Tibbs: | They call me Mister Tibbs. |
Police Chief Bill Gillespie: | Your not going to do nothing. Your just going to stand there and shut up. |