In the Heat of the Night Reviews

• Two Great Actors in a Great Movie

  
  By A8F2AZWB20X1H on 2002-05-19
  Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger almost set the screen afire in this film that deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1967. Superbly directed by Norman Jewison, the movie brings us into deepest Mississippi one summer midnight, when a northern industrialist with plans to build a new factory is found murdered in the middle of Sparta's main street. At the same time, Virgil Tibbs, a black detective from Los Angeles, is waiting at the station for the train that will take him back home from visiting his mother. This being Mississippi, and a black man out after dark, it must have been the black man who committed the murder, right? Tibbs is hauled into the sheriff's office and brought face to face with Bill Gillespie, the epitome of every redneck law officer south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Gillespie's reaction to Tibbs is first contempt (this is a black man after all), suspicion at his full wallet ("Boy, that's more in a week than I make in a month, now where did you earn that?"), and finally shock, when Tibbs hurls the response into his face, "I'm a police officer." Gillespie is further stunned to realize that Tibbs' contempt for him is at least as great as his for Tibbs, when he hears Tibbs telling his superiors over the phone "They got a murder on their hands, they don't know what to do with it." Tibbs' boss volunteers Tibbs's services as a homicide expert to Gillespie, who doesn't particularly want to accept, but he doesn't have much of a choice; the industrialist's widow says if her husband's murder isn't solved and fast, there won't be any factory anywhere. The resulting reluctant partnership between the two men is a pairing unlike any seen on screen; they resent each other but they can't solve the crime without each other; Gillespie needs Tibbs' expertise, and Tibbs needs Gillespie's protection from the local rednecks who want him dead. The movie wonderfully evokes the atmosphere of a small town in the deep south, the abject poverty in which most of the blacks in the area lived, and the attitudes of the whites in town that made it dangerous for any black man to stand tall as a man. At the movie's end, Gillespie hasn't changed his views about blacks, but he has come to respect Tibbs as a lawman and as a human being; and Tibbs comes to realize that inside of Gillespie's hardshell racist attitudes is a decent man struggling to show himself. The acting, the directing, and above all, Quincy Jones's magnificent score, made this one of the best movies of the 1960's and for years beyond.
  
  

• Cast, storytelling turns on Heat

  
  By A1YD20Z43RESOQ on 2001-01-15
  "In the Heat of the Night" excels not only because of the story but also because of a composite cast that works so well. The acting is sometimes over the top (as the director admits during the DVD commentary), but such shenanigans fit in this type of film. Multiple viewings help in the understanding of how detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) unravels the mystery of who killed the rich Northerner in a Southern town. Though somewhat dated because of the racist subject, it still holds together as a who-done-it and deserved better recognition from the American Film Institute when that group named its 100 best films of the century. Among that Top 100 was another 1967 Poitier film, "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner," which does not hold up well today. And for the record, Poitier was likely overlooked by the Academy Awards here because he starred in three box office bonanzas in '67, the third being "To Sir With Love." Instead, the Oscar went to 'Heat of the Night' co-star Rod Steiger. As for the DVD, there are some visible scratches in the film, and there is only a commentary track with no other extras. A "making of" documentary would have been nice, but the four-person commentary (director Norman Jewison, cinematographer Haskell Wexler and actors Lee Grant and Steiger) serves well. This one is worth owning for the low price attached, although the video transfer and packaging could have been handled with more repect. It deserves it.
  
  

• THEY CALL ME MR TIBBS!

  
  By AJYPB6DJRYTHE on 2002-02-25
  I lost track of how many times I've watched this movie over the years and yet, I still find it stimulating to my system. Taking place in the redneck driven byways in the Mississippi of the 1960's, not only does it make a sweeping social statement on racial bias and ignorance, but it's also one entertaining vision of cinema. Sidney Poitier is masterful as Virgil Tibbs, a "colored" homicide detective from Philadelphia, in the wrong place at the right time as a sleepy little river town comes to grips with the death of a big business man who was to be the holy grail of local commerce until his untimely death. It is Rod Steiger, however who burns brightest as a midlife police chief with no family and a metric ton of issues which he vents through misplaced anger and cools at night in a bottle of bourbon as he attempts to bring the murder case to resolution as quickly as possible, regardless of the truth."No pity. No thank YOU!" One of my all time favorites.
  
  

• There is no better insight into the 60's

  
  By A18VICK1AMJS6B on 1999-02-13
  

  This is my all-time favorite movie. I've seen it dozens and dozens of times, and it never ceases to amaze me. There is not one throw-away scene nor one misstep by an actor. And Quincy Jones' score foreshadowed the brilliance that was to come from him later on.

  If you want a true insight into the South of the 60's, this is the video for you.

  Steiger and Poitier chew up the scenery, each in his own formitable way.

  While the film isn't comedy, it's certainly entertaining and always leaves me wanting more. The follow-up films are a disappointment to me. "Heat" is Poitier at his zenith.
  
  

• TENSIONS FLAIR IN THE HEAT OF THIS NIGHT!

  
  By A1M9DQDGE07Q0U on 2004-06-09
  "In The Heat of the Night" is the racially charged melodrama that made Sidney Poitier a star. Poitier is Det. Virgil Tibbs, an out of state detective assigned to investigate a racially motivated crime in the deep South. Tibbs' initial congenial good nature immediate brand him a push over by both his fellow officers and the populous. But Tibbs is a man of conviction. He immediately runs into interference from Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), a bigoted and pompous law man who begins to change his ways when it turns out that Virgil's hunch on the case might just turn out to be true. Both the central performances of Poitier and Steiger, and the unlikely bond and ultimate friendship that ensue, are electrifying reasons to revisit this powerful drama of the 1960s. Lee Grant, Beah Richards and Warren Oates costar. In the late 80s "In The Heat of the Night" became a prime time television series starring Caroll O'Connor. But by then much of the tempestuous and confrontational aspects of its subplot had been removed. Colors are severely dated with a lot of fading present throughout the print. Age related artifacts are everywhere and sometimes distract. Black levels are often weak. Pixelization is primarily responsible for an unstable image. The audio is mono and badly dated as well, strident and poorly balanced. There are no extras.
  
  
• Cinema's all-time best detective thriller.
  By A1J487H5M7MBUJ on 2003-12-30
  Between the dark film noir of "The Maltese Falcon" and the creepy gorefests inspired by "The Silence of the Lambs," the detective film wasn't exactly a vital film genre. But at least one entry into the genre made a major impact during those years, and that was 1967's "In the Heat of the Night." Since it was released, much has been made of the movie's status as a powerful story of race relations during the time of segregation, but the fact is, these elements are somewhat secondary to its brilliant character studies and expertly-handled mystery investigation. This is THE detective film, and quite possibly THE police film as well.

  The film begins with Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) -- sheriff of the small town of Sparta, Mississippi -- investigating the scene where a powerful businessman has been murdered. Gillespie's deputies arrest a traveller named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) for the murder simply on the grounds that he is black, but he turns out to be a homicide detective from Philadelphia who was just passing through. After being cleared, Tibbs is anxious to leave Sparta, but Gillespie -- in need of such an expert -- convinces him to stay and help solve the case. And from there, we have our movie.

  Besides the story, the main thing "In the Heat of the Night" has going for it are the performances of its lead actors. It would have been incredibly easy to portray Tibbs as a noble black crusader, forced by his innate nobility to offer his help in the face of hatred (Poitier had played this type of good-natured gentleman in many of his other films). It would have been even easier for Gillespie to come off as a mindless racist redneck. Neither description comes anywhere close to describing the characters in this film. Virgil Tibbs is arrogant and aloof when we first meet him. He's no hero; he's a real human being who reacts to the way the Sparta police have treated him in the understandable manner of trying to get out of town as quickly as possible. He doesn't want to help them, and even when he's forced to, he lets his prejudices against Southern whites cloud his investigation (Tibbs spends the majority of the film believing one of the victim's business rivals -- a detestable racist -- to be the murderer, only to be proven wrong).

  If Poitier's portrayal of Tibbs as a realistic human being rather than a flawless screen hero is admirable, then Rod Steiger's handling of the Sheriff Gillespie character is downright masterful. Bill Gillespie does not like or trust African-Americans, and he makes no secret of this. And yet the filmmakers didn't fall into a cliche trap and take care to show that even though Gillespie is a bigot, he's also a good cop. Unlike certain similar characters (and even some of his deputies in this film), Gillespie doesn't allow his prejudices to stand in the way of his investigation (a character flaw that, oddly enough, Tibbs gives in to while Gillespie does not). This is no "Bull Connor" character; this is a man who knows his job, and does it well. Tibbs and Gillespie begin the movie as two prejudiced men who begrudgingly admit to needing each other's help due to the circumstances (Gillespie's lack of a homicide expert; Tibbs' being forced to remain in an unfamiliar and hostile environment), and end it with a powerful respect for one another.

  "In the Heat of the Night" won Best Picture at the 1968 Academy Awards (the first detective film to do so), and Steiger took home the Best Actor award for his career-best portrayal of Gillespie. (Because this, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," and "To Sir, With Love" were all released in the same year, Poitier was unable to consolidate enough votes for any one film and thus failed to be nominated; Norman Jewison lost Best Director to "The Graduate"'s Mike Nichols.) That perfectly sums up this film's legacy: a brilliant film with two powerful lead performances, and an all-time classic of the detective genre.
  
  

• Two Greats Mesmerize Film Audiences
  By A2Q457CES5ZUZ on 2005-03-05
  Rare and exciting events in cinema annals occur when two great performers are at the top of their craft and are drawn by each other's energy to scale soaring heights. This occurred in David Lean's "The Bridge on the River Kwai" with Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. It happened again with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine in "Sleuth" after, as the latter actor noted, he told his co-star at the film's outset, "Take your best shot, Larry!"
  
  The same kind of brilliant one-on-one chemistry emerged in the 1967 classic produced by Walter Mirisch and directed by Norman Jewison, "In the Heat of the Night." From the very outset, when Sidney Poitier as a visitor to a small rural Mississippi town is arrested by enthusiastic deputy Warren Oates as he sits on a train station bench, believing that he has solved a recently committed murder, viewers were aware that this film contains a special kind of magic. Oates eagerly takes Poitier to the police station and presents his murder suspect to his boss, the town's police chief played by Rod Steiger.
  
  It is a very small rural town buried deep in racial stereotypical tradition. When Poitier is spotted on a bench awaiting the next train after a wealthy northern white man has been murdered, it is assumed that the stranger is guilty. Both Steiger and Oates receive a tremendous jolt when the well dressed Poitier explains that not only is he a visitor from the northeast, specifically Philadelphia, who was preparing to leave town after visiting his mother; he is a top homicide officer from the major eastern city who makes considerably more money more than Steiger.
  
  The interesting character to observe for the film's character arc is Steiger. While a police chief in a small town deeply rooted in a segregationist past, he immediately demonstrates not only a pragmatic willingness to adapt that is not evident in his deputies and others in town; he exhibits ethical fairness when it comes to evaluating Poitier. He concludes that Poitier possesses an expertise for shrewd murder investigation that none of the members of his force, including himself, possess.
  
  Considering the controversy of using an African American detective from the northeast to solve a local case, the issue becomes a hot potato for Steiger. The deciding element becomes Lee Grant, widow of the murdered man, who was a rich northern manufacturer planning to build a factory in town amid great controversy. Grant concludes that solving her husband's death will be greatly enhanced by Poitier heading the investigation.
  
  The decision is naturally a controversial one and town bullies immediately seek to attack Poitier, who is assisted by Steiger, to the fury of the racist element, that feels Steiger is a traitor to his race and class. Two strong men from different backgrounds and cultures, there is a natural clash between Poitier and Steiger, but the film's ultimate message of hope is that the latter is able to learn and put past prejudices behind him in the pursuit of justice.
  
  In the most memorable clash between the two men, occurring early in the film, Poitier responds with the most single memorable line of his distinguished movie career. When, after Poitier has been referred to as "boy" with great frequency and is asked by Steiger what he is called among his colleagues in Philadelphia, he stiffens with determination, stares determinedly at Steiger, and emphatically responds:
  
  "They call me Mr. Tibbs!"
  
  As the film progresses and the hunt for the killer intensifies, we learn that Steiger is a natural outsider within the small town he serves as chief of police. Like Poitier he is married to his job, as both are bachelors. When he invites the African American visitor inside his house one evening the chief of police reveals that Poitier is treading where townsfolk do not. Steiger is a man dominated by privacy.
  
  Steiger won a highly deserved "Best Actor" Oscar for his brilliant portrayal, assisted by the powerful work done by Poitier, who had secured an Academy Award less than five years earlier for the 1963 release "Lillies of the Field." In addition to Steiger's award, the film was honored as "Best Picture" while Stirling Silliphant won in the "Best Screenplay" category and Hal Ashby took home the Oscar for "Best Editor".
  
  In addition to being a powerful visual experience, "In the Heat of the Night" is also memorable for Quincy Jones's brilliant musical score with Ray Charles opening the film on a brilliant note by singing the film's title song.
  
  
• Great film
  By A1L0HZI35HF8OF on 2003-05-01
  One of the decade's best Oscar winning films (but lamentably, not for its true star, Sidney Poitier). those who only know the television series which is tepid by comparison have really missed out. It is a marvelous study in race relations, driven by two of the best performances ever by Sidney Poitier (portraying a Philadelphia homicide detective called a "powerful piece of po-lice manpower by Rod Steiger, as the redneck sheriff of a small Mississippi town). They are thrust together when confronted with the murder of the most influential man in town.

  For some, the confronting of race in this film does not seem as dated as another reviewer suggests. It is fascinating to see Poitier, one of the only African American stars of the time play a role here in such contrast to his roles as a most polite, non threatening Negro in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and "To Sir, With Love". We can tell this is a different kind of man, from the first time he confronts the Sheriff. When asked if he will be the cause of any trouble, his response "no trouble at all" is delivered with quiet but chilling self- assuredness that lets everyone know that even in the Sheriff's office, HE is the one in control.

  There is one interesting change of the original script. Legend has it that the script originally called for Poitier's character to stoically accept a slap in the face from an old Southerner he's questioning admirably portrayed by William Schallert). Poitier opined that it would be a much more powerful scene in instead of turning the other cheek, he returned the same slap. He did, and made it one of the more powerful moments in the film.

  Great quotable movie line, exclaimed by Rod Steiger: "I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead!" Super supporting cast, including the aforementioned Schallert, Warren Oates, Scott Wilson, and Lee Grant. Its great right down to the title song, sung with more soul than can be contained in any one man - save Ray Charles.

  A movie to be seen time and time again, and certainly one for the library.
  
  

• Superbly Portrayed Mid-Sixties Prejudice
  By A37WR02ICSDPJO on 2003-05-17
  This milestone 1967 racial commentary spawned two sequels and a long-running TV show, and won that year's Best Picture Oscar.

  Sidney Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, a Philadelphia homicide expert visiting family in Sparta, Mississippi. When a Northern industrialist is found dead, Tibbs is immediately arrested to confront Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Best Actor Oscar-winner Rod Steiger), who, after learning Tibbs' credentials and calling his chief, must grudgingly accept Tibbs' help in solving the murder.

  Steiger's performance as the dedicated chief is brilliant ("I am familiar with the laws in the state of Mississippi, thank YOU!), as he somewhat breaks the film stereotype of Southern sheriffs. However, Warren Oates' superb portrayal of Deputy Sam Wood reinforces those stereotypes; so much so that the disgusted widow (Lee Grant) asks, "What kind of place is this? Who are you people."

  What follows is the pair's struggle to work together despite tremendous opposition from the town. In one memorable scene, Tibbs exchanges slaps in the face with the white owner of Endicott Cotton, who compares his fragile plants to "the Negro," in that they "need special care." Endicott is Sparta's most influential businessman who'd least appreciate an influx of Afro-American labor.

  As Tibbs brilliantly eliminates suspects, backtracks, and continually re-evaluates evidence, his time is running short as his sophisticated detective efforts begin to pay off.
  
  

• Classic and Classy Film...Stirring Performances
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2003-05-17
  This review refers to the MGM DVD Contemporary Classics edition of "In the Heat of the Night"....

  "In the Heat of the Night" is a classic and esstential film, that should be a part of every film library. The gripping performances by the likes of such class actors as Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates and Lee Grant, the expert direction by Norman Jewison, the camera angles and the music(Quincy Jones) will hold you hostage every second of this compelling story.

  It is the mid 1960's and a murder has occured in the small town of Sparta, Mississippi.Virgil Tibbs, a black homicide investigator(Poitier),from the North, who happens to be passing through town, gets caught up in the town's rush to judgement in finding the killer. First he is automatically assumed to be the first and only suspect by the bigoted towns people, then is coerced into staying and helping out on the case when Chief of Police Gillespie(Steiger), realizes who he is.

  Each with their own form of prejudices, Tibbs and Gillespie have very differnt ideas about solving the case. They find it is important to put those feelings aside and work together though. Together they fight off the town bigots, and put the pieces of the puzzle together, meeeting adversity every step of the way. The twists and turns of the story will draw you in and keep you.

  It is an excellent mystery as well as character studies, and most definatley deserved all the accolades and awards it was honored with. Among the awards it took home at Oscar time were Best Picture(1967), Best Actor(Rod Steiger) and Best Screenplay among others.

  I was prepared to go 5 stars on this film, and the film on it's own deserves that at least. The picture has been beautifully transfered to DVD.It is presented in the original theatrical released widescreen (1.85:1). The colors looked fresh and the picture was clear in all scenes, including the darker night time scenes. The sound is my only little complaint and reason for going with 4 stars. Although the tech info here(as of today) say this DVD is in Dolby 2.0 surround, it is not. The sound is in MONO and this esstential film, that is an American classic, scored by Quincy Jones really deserves better treatment on this aspect of it.

  The DVD has commentary by Norman Jewison, Lee Grant,Rod Steiger and Haskell Wexler(the fabulous cinematographer of the film). It also includes a booklet with some great information on the making of the film. It may be viewed in French and Spanish and has subtitiles in those languages as well.

  I love this film and for the most part the DVD. Maybe MGM has a special edition in the works with a remastered soundtrack?..In the meantime I will still enjoy this one with any kind of sound!

  get the popcorn ready and enjoy....Laurie
  
  

• Career Best For Steiger
  By A3CIYAHOSN4F0Z on 2005-10-14
  In the mid to late 60's, Sidney Poitier starred in a series of high profile dramas that earned him the honor of being the preeminant black leading man of all time. 1967 was his watershed year with In the Heat of the Night, To Sir, With Love and Look Who's Coming to Dinner. This won the best picture academy award based on the strength of its acting and its portrayal of race relations in a small town in Mississippi. Steiger was in well over 100 movies and this is the defining movie of his career. He gives a pitch perfect portrayal of a rascist but sensible and responsible Chief of Police. He is, at first, suspicious and distrustful, condescending and mocking. After he witnesses first hand the integrity and professional excellence of the educated, well dressed, thoughtful, Northern black police detective, he begins to see the light and to see Virgil Tibbs as an equal. The movie is not about Mr. Tibbs. He enters and leaves the movie unchanged. Heat of the Night is about a dyed-in-the-wool rascist cracker seeing the light and changing for the better.
  
  
• The characters are the story, as in real life in the South
  By A1VPX9Q2WA8IN4 on 2000-01-26
  This movie is marvelously entertaining. It delivers on all levels-- plot, action, performances of the actors and most importantly, the complexity of a region that has fascinated America for years--- the deep south. Like the land that it depicts, the story lies within the characters of this movie. The story is stereotypical to some, but for those who have spent time in the south, these characters remind everyone of the truth of life in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, etc. There are more characters per square mile in the backlands of the South than anywhere else that I have experienced. This movie captures these characters with an expertise matched by very few films. I would have to say that this is one of my all time favorites, and for repeated watchability, it is way up there. It is a great movie to own, since it will get watched instead of just collecting dust.
  
  
• Poitier Deserved an Oscar
  By A31U2QT7SAL7K on 2000-05-28
  Yes, Rod Steiger won for his blistering portrayal of Chief Gillespie, but the award for Best Actor should have been shared with Sidney Poitier. Both men are superb as they "play off" each other in this intriguing social commentary.

  Also, Warren Oates is memorable as a dim-witted deputy. He was one character actor who excelled in every role given him.

  The "Heat" is a scorcher!
  
  

• Great film, not-so-great DVD commentary
  By on 2001-05-15
  Another superb movie where the DVD documentary is definitely sub-par - to the point where I can't in good conscience give it 5 stars.

  The picture and sound quality of the DVD are first rate. And, as director Norman Jewison (happily) points out, the film was perhaps somewhat controversial and risky for it's time. But Jewison's comments are typical of the liberal Hollywood elitist mindset. It is clear that instead of commenting on the movie's finer points, technical intricacies, trivia etc., he prefers to spend most of his speaking time from the soapbox to demonstrate to all how "advanced" his political beliefs were at the time. (i.e. Bobby Kennedy told him how "important" the film could be, many cast members were blacklisted for their support of civil rights causes, blah, blah.) Jewison is so busy with his pontifications that he fails to give insight on key points in the film when they pass by. And his pronunciation of the word `again' ("a-GAIN"), which he repeatedly uses, is just plain annoying.

  Cinematographer Haskell Wexler's comments are much more useful (lots of technical camera explanations) but he occasionally likes to use the descriptor "f---ing" for no apparent reason other than to get your attention - make sure the kiddies are out of the room. Steiger's comments are interesting but very limited. Lee Grant's contribution is also quite small and, in my opinion, rather dull.

  An excellent movie no matter how many times you've seen it. Besides the obvious stellar performances and chemistry of Steiger and Poitier, Warren Oates is a sleeper as Officer Woods. But if you've already got a great VHS copy and don't need the widescreen version, you may want to rethink the DVD purchase. Film, 5 stars. Commentary, 3 stars.
  
  

• Extremely Poor Quality of the DVD
  By A30YZNN60PXUZE on 2003-05-26
  I was very disappointed with the "In the Heat of the Night" DVD. It had a lot of tiling and it was incomplete. When the tiling started, the audio quality was extremely poor. I would like my money back.
  
  
• An all-time favorite
  By A2I5CX6EVXIZDB on 2003-10-14
  One of my favorite movies ever. I have watched this movie dozens of times and never tire of it. It is truly great and deserving of all the awards it received.
  
  
• STEIGER AND POITIER AT THEIR HEIGHTS OF POWER
  By A3ODVVP9XO42L on 2004-06-07
  In 1967, Sidney Poitier again stirred the red-necks with "In the Heat of the Night", where he plays Virgil Tibbs, a competent Philadelphia cop stuck overnight in a Mississippi town. It must be 110 degrees at night. The white boys sweat like stuck pigs while Virgil is as cool as a cucumber in a Savoy Row suit. The sheriff, Rod Steiger, is discomfited by circumstances in which Tibbs is "lent" to him to solve a murder that happens to occur when he is there. In working together, layer after layer of characterization is stripped away in marvelous fashion, through the skill of director Norman Jewison (who tells everybody he is not a Jew, he is Methodist), until understanding between the two men become a metaphor for the healing of a divided America. Very good stuff.

  STEVEN TRAVERS
  AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
  STWRITES@AOL.COM
  
  

• "They call me Mr. Tibbs!"
  By A3Q1FVRV0CRYTH on 2006-04-07
  I remember growing up watching the television series "In the Heat of the Night" with my parents before bed every night, but I saw this film for the first time last night, and when I heard Ray Charles singing the theme song I was flooded with good memories. Now I have to say, this film is damn near perfect. It has all the elements for a great film, from a riviting storyline, great acting and interesting charactors. Sidney Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, an African-American cop who's falsly arrested for the murder of a rich white man. Virgil was visiting his mother in a small Mississippi town of Sparta when the bigot sherrif accuses him of murder. After revieling his identity his services are offered since he works homicide and may be able to help solve the murder. From that point on we watch as the town fights to kick Virgil out, and we see Sherrif Bill Gillespie (played by Rod Steiger in his Oscar winning role) learn to accept Virgil. Theres a scene where Virgil and Bill are drinking and talking in Bill's home and Bill is talking about how he has no one, no kids, no wife, no friends, and you start to see him as the man he is and not the bigot he was. This is far more than just a movie about murder, it's a movie about acceptance and change and how one town, brought up with one way of thinking can change that way when they realize their faults. It's great to see how Virgil goes from the outcast to the respected partner. Sidney and Rod are great together here, as is Lee Grant as the widow, who in her two short scenes shows enough feeling and emotion to earn her a Golden Globe nod...and the scene where she learns of her husbands misfortune is acting at it's greatest. Brilliant movie!
  
  
• CLASSIC POITIER FILM THAT INSPIRED THE TV SERIES!
  By A1ER6IYOMM8VCT on 2007-09-24
  I saw "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs" as a kid in the theater. I never saw this film and didn't realize "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs" was a sequel to this film then. I also didn't know that the TV show was based on this movie when it was first run. This Academy Award winning movie is a bit different than the show, but the basic concept is there. Poitier and Steiger are terrific in this film about a murder case and raciam in the south. The DVD transfer is very good.
  
  
• A great movie you can watch again and again
  By A2DTEU2045AVZ3 on 2001-05-19
  All the classic elements, and some touchy subjects, (black and white relations in a small southern town) but acting from Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier make anything else irrelevent.

  Get your popcorn and drink, sit back, unhook the phone, and savor this tremendous film.

  And not to worry, you'll feel real good when it's over.
  
  

• "They call me MISTER Tibbs!"
  By A3U56M0Y8LYO6J on 2003-02-14
  There's an entire generation out there who grew up knowing "In the Heat of the Night" only as a television series. Hopefully, some of them will track down this film to see how superior it is to its television counterpart. Some of the images and messages director Norman Jewison tried to get across may seem out of step with the current times but the film still should be seen so that the twin performances by Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger can be admired. Steiger plays Bill Gillespie, a police chief in the deep South in the 1960's. The dead body of a prominent businessman turns up one night and Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) is pegged as the murderer while waiting for a train out of town. It turns out that Tibbs is actually a fellow police officer from Philadelphia who is an expert in the type of investigation he was just falsely accused of. The businessman's widow demands that Tibbs be kept on her husband's case and Gillespie is forced to adhere to her demands. Both men develop an admiration for the other as the investigation progresses and manage to overcome their prejudices despite the pressures being exerted on them by their surroundings. As a police thriller, "In the Heat of the Night" seems rather pedestrian by today's standards. It's murder mystery may have seemed fresh thirty years ago but current day soap operas and prime-time police dramas have diluted its impact in showcasing similar storylines. Yet, the film still maintains a power to it in its snapshot portrayal of this country at a turbulent time when the color of a person's skin triggered passionate feelings. Steiger won a richly-deserved Academy Award for his performance but it is Poitier's performance that lingers in the public consciousness to this day. "In the Heat of the Night" will always be referred to as a "Poitier film" and will remain a cherished entry in his filmography.
  
  
• "What kind of a place is this"?
  By A1Q7329LOIJG6M on 2003-06-13
  Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) sits alone at a train station in Sparta, Mississippi. He came to visit his mother and is going back on the 4:05 to Memphis. Suddenly, he is disturbed by the deputy sherriff (Warren Oates). "On your feet boy". Oates, after having found a dead man lying on a side street, is looking for a prime suspect and is sure he's found him. Sam (Oates) hauls Virgil into the police station and is questioned by sheriff Gillespie (Rod Steiger). Gillespie's preconceived notions of Virgil's guilt are dispelled when during the interrogation he discovers that Virgil is a top homicide investigator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (not Mississippi). "Look, they pay you 162 dollars and 39 cents a week to look at dead bodies, why can't you look at this one"? This is the sheriff's attempt to persuade Virgil to inspect the deceased. Once Gillespie refers to Virgil as an "expert", he relents and decides to inspect the body. Virgil really doesn't want to be involved in this but seems compelled after Gillespie calls Philadelphia to talk to Virgil's superior officer, who encourages Virgil to help with the investigation. Virgil not only runs into many human roadblocks along the way but even finds his life in peril. They keep trying to pin this homicide on the wrong person in an effort to close the case but Virgil knows they are barking up the wrong tree. His efforts to protect the innocent are going to fail if he doesn't live long enough to find the real killer.
  
  
• Powerful intense drama with two legends in the lead
  By A38S8RD8XOXLVS on 2005-02-11
  In the Heat of the Night tells the story of crime and punishment in the 1960's South. With racial tensions brewing we learn that the facts of a murder case aren't all black and white. The views of the individual often color their interpretation of the story.
  Rod Steiger plays Sheriff Gillespie; a small-town cop trying to crack the case of the murder of a to close the case quickly, he soon brings in Virgil Tibbs (played by Sidney Potier) for questioning. It turns out MISTER Tibbs is actually a Philadelphia police homicide expert visiting his mother. On their quest to find the killer both men are forced to deal with their racist views about the other and their perceptions of society overall. The plot has many twists and turns; and the real killer's motivation for the committing is truly a surprise worth waiting for.
  Rod Steiger and Sidney Potier give powerful performances, each scene they're in together brews with intensity. You feel every emotion as they virtually disappear into the background and let Gillespie and Tibbs come to life to tell their story. Steiger won the Oscar for best actor that year; it was well deserved. The opening song by Ray Charles sets the tone for the entire movie the slow tense down home beats take you into the Deep South and transplant you back to the 1960's.
  
  Overall a Shawn James five star essential movie. This one is a must buy. It truly is worth the purchase price. While you're buying this, get Potier's version of A Raisin in the Sun and A Patch of Blue and see one of the legendary black actors show you how its done.
  
  
  
• Very powerful in 1967 and still a superbly acted artifact of its time
  By AUHG8KSHI529U on 2005-09-06
  If you look at the pictures and actors nominated for Academy Awards in 1967, you will remember Dustin Hoffman and "The Graduate" or Paul Newman and "Cool Hand Luke" or Warren Beatty and "Bonnie and Clyde" or even Spencer Tracey and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" before you remember that Rod Steiger and "In the Heat of the Night" beat them all. Why is this? Well, the time the picture depicts was just passing in 1967 and the audience could feel comfortable about feeling superior to all those southern racists with their incestuous cracker sensibilities.
  
  Nowadays, audiences of young people would be confused that many of the topics touched on in this film were so controversial. A girl having sex outside of marriage, pregnancy, and abortion causing so much trouble? Or a visiting cop as clearly intelligent and decent as Sidney Poitier's Virgil Tibbs causing a problem simply because of his race? And no 911 or cell phones? Still, this is a powerful drama and so well acted.
  
  The movie seethes. There is the racism, the sexuality, the lies and hidden truths, the hypocrisies of small town life. It is filmed so that you feel the summer heat and darkness that hides so much. As you experience the film it has more the feel of a poem than a documentary.
  
  The main characters are Tibbs (Poitier) and Chief Gillespie (Steiger). They are both decent and intelligent people who are much more sensitive than their exterior personalities will allow. They have developed a misanthropic loneliness as a protective shell and both suffer. There is a scene where they both explore behind this shell until Tibbs rebuffs the Chief's question about his experience of being lonely and the Chief instantly returns to his tough and bitter shell. So, we learn that it is an emotional exoskeleton rather than something that grows out of his heart. This allows him to like him and for Tibbs and Gillespie to part with a friendship at the end of the movie.
  
  Did this movie deserve the Oscar™ over the other films? Who knows. They are all classics and worth seeing. This movie was a creature of its time and affected its audiences powerfully. Heck, it even spawned a long running TV show that I never watched, but millions did.
  
  
• Timeless
  By A2CZPM110DW516 on 2005-09-30
  One of the great films of the 1960s, "In the Heat of the Night" hasn't dated one bit in the 38 years since its release. It now deserves to be recognized as one of the great films of all time.
  
  The first rate direction of Norman Jewison and Haskell Wexler's brilliant cinematography make you feel the humidity in the Mississippi town in which black detective Virgil Tibbs and redneck sheriff Bill Gillespie form an unusual and often antagonistic alliance to solve the murder of an important industrialist.
  
  As the sheriff, Rod Steiger is perfect in the role for which he won the Oscar he had earned but was denied two years earlier for "The Pawnbroker." Sidney Poitier was at the height of his popularity in 1967 with three blockbusters in release ("To Sir, With Love" and "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" were the others) but in Virgil Tibbs he found his best role and gives his finest performance. He has many memorable moments throughout, most notably his famous admonition to Steiger that became the title of the less impressive 1970 spin off: "They call me MISTER Tibbs!"
  
  Unlike too many films dealing with important social issues, "In the Heat of the Night" makes its point without resorting to the heavy-handedness or sanctimonious preaching that often mar films with a "message." The changes that occur in the relationship between the lead characters is suggested rather than hammered-home, and is all the more powerful for its subtlety.
  
  The supporting cast is as perfect as the stars with veterans Lee Grant, Warren Oates, and Beah Richards all providing memorable moments without overshadowing the equally fine work of newcomers Scott Wilson, Quentin Dean, and Anthony James. The score by Quincy Jones, featuring Ray Charles' rendition of the title song, captures the proper mood throughout.
  
  In a year when the odds-makers were predicting an Oscar victory for either "Bonnie and Clyde" or "The Graduate," this beautifully atmospheric thriller with depth was the surprise victor, taking the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as four other awards (Steiger, Stirling Silliphant's screenplay, Hal Ashby's editing, and sound). Considering its theme of racial tolerance, it was an appropriate choice at a ceremony that was postponed after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Academy made the right choice. "In the Heat of the Night" may have been timely then, but thanks to the artistry of all involved, it remains timeless.
  
  Brian W. Fairbanks
  
  
  
• Cross-generational film
  By A5AHHE0WIDHR9 on 2006-02-20
  A good indication of how "timeless" this film is; it's very big with my 27 year old son and his group. They refer to Poitier as the "Denzel of the 60's". An aspect of film that I've always found interesting is the attention to detail the Director adds to the screen. Look for Gillespie drinking Dr. Pepper. Back then that particular soda was only available in Dixie.
  
  
• Random Thoughts from a Twisted Mind
  By A30LMTLC9XVWKJ on 2006-05-26
  From Quincy Jones' score to Haskell Wexler's cinematography "In the Heat of the Night" is worthy of inclusion on anyone's top ten films list.
  
  But as ground breaking as the film was on the subject of 1967 race relations, the most amazing thing is how well it has held up almost 40 years later. I think it rings so true because of way they elected to play several key scenes.
  
  Watch for the carefully orchestrated scene between Mrs. Colbert (Lee Grant) and Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) when alone in the chief's office early in the film. He has just told her that her husband has been murdered and she recoils from his first two attempts to comfort her. Given the upfront racism exhibited in the film up to that point, you assume that it is more of the same. But this is Mrs. Colbert's first scene and when she does not rebuff his third attempt to comfort her you realize that she is completely unaware of his race, she is just devastated by what he has told her and would have rebuffed anyone as she struggled to accept what she has just learned. The attentive viewer realizes that their own prejudice, kindled by what they have seen up to that point in the film, caused them to jump to the wrong conclusion about her character's motivation.
  
  Then watch for the evolving attitude of Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) toward Tibbs. Early on he comes to professionally respect him (as he respects the town's black mechanic), then he comes to respect Tibbs as a man when he slaps Endicott (something no other man-black or white-would dare), and finally he comes to respect him as a human being when Tibbs reveals a lust to take Endicott down. The irony being that it is finding Tibbs capable of a higher level human weakness (not a strength) that opens Gillespie's eyes to the fallacy of racism.
  
  Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
  
  
• Still great fun due to the Poitier-Steiger pairing...
  By A5A2QE6NECFR5 on 2006-10-13
  The racism in this film may be a bit dated now, even in the deep south, where blacks holding high positions in police work is no longer a novelty. The movie, however, still holds my attention when I find it on television, although I must have seen it 20 times since its first release. I like Steiger's work best, but Sidney is also at a high level here. The supporting cast is uniformly good as well. If you have never seen this, take a rental and enjoy yourself. The film's success eventually led to a multi-season TV series starring Carroll O'Connor, and that had some good moments, too, but never equalled the big screen version.
  
  
• What Can I Say
  By A248YV1PRDUFV0 on 2007-08-01
  This movie is a classic and one that truly eans the title. Top Notch acting, fine mellow-drama and a mystery that still works today. This is the movie where the classic line of "They call me Mr. Tibbs" is uttered and it is still as powerful today as iut must have been upon its theatrical release. In my opinion, this is the movie that Sidney should have won the Oscar for (A Raisin in the Sun should have been a winner too, but he wasn't even nominated for it), and not the bland, Lillies of the Field, as he truly shows his power as an actor. Rod Steiger delivers a strong performance as well and the ending scenes (especially the one at his home) really cause you to think about who his character is in relation to his surroundings. If you haven't seen it, take a chance on thee purchase, yuou will not be disappointed.
  
  
• Rod Steiger At His Best ! ! !
  By A3629VST2J2MMS on 2003-01-21
  There is always something about a film that any person finds appealing; You might be totally consumed with the story, or the music, or even ironic twists in the plot. It could even be the costumes, or the dialogue that captures your endless attention.

  For me, in this film, it was the acting of Rod Steiger.

  He was approached before the film, and told that if he could put on a nice belly, he could win an award in this movie. For a month, he sat and ate pecan pies until the belly was plump enough to partner with the slightly tight shirt, orange tinted sun glasses, officers hat, arms of bulging iron, and that endless sweat on his forehead that made him into the mississippi sheriff that no one can forget after viewing this movie.

  Rod Steigers performance was quite remarkable, and commands the observant viewers respect and admiration. When he was ready to go into a rage at anyone who pulled his strings too tight, there was that momentary pause, where his gum almost exploded in his mouth, his forehead looked like every blood vessel would burst, and his face was turned away as he waited for the person to stop irritating him. oh, how well he did it. How much gum did they go through for this movie, we will never know.

  Taking nothing away from the remainder of the cast, Gilespie is the center of the story, as he mirrors the racial bias of the remainder of the town, but over time, comes to appreciate and respect Virgil. Gilespie has to fight his inherit racial bias in order to see that Virgil is correct in his approach, and execution of the criminal investigation. How dare anyone come to his town, and do his job better, especially a black man from the north.

  You can credit Sidney Poitier for his performance as well, but for the most part, he silently consumed all the anger and racial hatred with little response. His strength in this film is his restraint in situations where anyone else would have little tolerance. Rod Steiger had a much stronger role, and was able to act more demonsterativly, as he was the white sheriff in the white southern town, silently commanding respect from the towns residents, but never over doing it.

  This film was made at a time when racial barriers needed to be brought down. It was most effective, and was appreciated by many for its message. In this country, and in this world, the same message needs to be learned. It is unfortunate that we need to study history to keep from making the same mistakes over again. Thank goodness there are films like this one, and others like Mississippi Burning that point out selective hatred and bias in our society, and teach us where we can go wrong.

  Two thumbs up for a daring story line, and command performances from some of Hollywood's great actors.

  When the Academy gives out awards for best picture, they have their reasons. Sometimes they are wrong, but in this case, they were so right.
  
  

• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (40th Anniversary Edition)
• Lilies of the Field
• To Sir, With Love
• A Patch of Blue
• The Defiant Ones