In the Heat of the Night

About In the Heat of the Night

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer.

In the Heat of the Night (1967) is a crime mystery film directed by Norman Jewison. It runs 109 minutes and was released in August 1967.

The film is filed under thief, whodunit, poverty, and southern USA.

Sidney Poitier stars as Virgil Tibbs, Rod Steiger as Police Chief Bill Gillespie, Warren Oates as Deputy Sam Wood, and Peter Whitney as Deputy Courtney. The screenplay is by Stirling Silliphant. Produced by The Mirisch Company. American members can watch it on History Vault and IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel.

The Intruder, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Thelma & Louise make useful companions to In the Heat of the Night, all filed under deep south, racial segregation, and racial tension. TMDB voters put it at 7.7 out of 10 across 1,303 votes and it carries a PG-13 rating.