In the Heat of the Night (Exclusive Series) (HBO Max)
- Matt Palmer
- Jan 23, 2022
- 3 min read
R.I.P. Sidney Poitier
Initial release date: August 2, 1967
Studio: MGM/United Artists
Tagline: They got a murder on their hands … they don’t know what to do with it.
Plot: 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. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.
Cast
Sidney Poitier - Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger - Gillespie
Warren Oates - Sam Wood
Lee Grant - Mrs. Colbert
Larry Gates - Endicott
James Patterson - Mayor Sehubert
Beah Richards - Mama Caleba
Peter Whitney - Courtney
Kermit Murdock - Henderson
Larry D. Mann - Watkins
Matt Clark - Packy
Arthur Malet - Ulam
Writer: Stirling Silliphant (The Enforcer; The Towering Inferno; The Poseidon Adventure; Shaft in Africa)
John Ball (based on a novel by)
Director: Norman Jewison (The Hurricane; Moonstruck)
Not Rated (110 min)
Acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier sadly passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 94. To commemorate the award-winning actor, I checked out the critically acclaimed 1967 film ‘In the Heat of the Night.’
This 1967 classic is definitely one of those films that has to be on everyone’s “must watch” lists. ‘In the Heat of the Night’ is a racially-charged film that was released during the civil rights movement.
The film is really powerful and full of suspense. The performances of Sidney Poitier (Tibbs aka “They call me Mr. Tibbs!”) and Rod Steiger (Gillespie) are incredible. For a while, these two characters don’t get along due to the obvious race issues. Over time, during the course of their murder investigation, they do start to work together and sort of get along (and still butt heads every so often.)
This classic also does a great job with the suspense and mystery of who is the murderer the police are looking for. It also does keep you interested right to the very end and is a great film to watch!
‘In the Heat of the Night’ is available to stream on the HBO Max streaming platform.
Here are some interesting tidbits for ‘In the Heat of the Night’:
Poitier insisted that the movie be filmed in the North because of an incident in which he and Harry Belafonte were almost killed by the KKK during a visit to Mississippi. That’s why Sparta, IL, was chosen for location filming.
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).
Frequently cited as Sidney Poitier’s favorite of all the films he’s done.
The movie’s line “They call me Mister Tibbs!” was voted as the No. 16 movie quote by the AFI (American Film Institute).
The distributors hesitated to release the movie in the southern states because of the potential for trouble and violence due to its theme of racial conflict. As it turned out, there were no reports of violence occurring at any venues in which this film played.
Producer Walter Mirisch used creative accounting to prove to United Artists that the film would make a profit even if it didn’t play in the South at all.
Virgil Tibbs was ranked Hero No. 19 in the Heroes category on the AFIs 100 Heroes and Villains list.
In 2007, the AFI ranked this as the No. 75 Greatest Movie of All Time. It was the first inclusion of this film on the list.
In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
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