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In the Heat of the Night Overview:

In the Heat of the Night (1967) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by Norman Jewison and produced by Walter Mirisch.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by John Ball published in 1965.

SYNOPSIS

Two powerful actors in a bitter showdown take this murder mystery to a higher level. Backwoods southern sheriff Steiger, in an Academy Award-winning role, doesn't appreciate the assistance offered by black, big-city detective Poitier. The uneasy pair reluctantly join forces to solve the strange murder of a wealthy industrialist. The element of racial tension gives Silliphant's screenplay a dimension and depth most detective tales can't match. Poitier returned as Tibbs in They Call Me Mr. Tibbs! (1970) and The Organization (1971). The characters appeared again in a TV series.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

In the Heat of the Night was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2002.

Academy Awards 1967 --- Ceremony Number 40 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorRod SteigerWon
Best DirectorNorman JewisonNominated
Best Film EditingHal AshbyWon
Best PictureWalter Mirisch, ProducerWon
Best WritingStirling SilliphantWon
See More Oscar Winners

In the Heat of the Night BlogHub Articles:

In The Heat of The Night (1967): They Call Him Mister Tibbs

By 4 Star Film Fan on Feb 12, 2022 From 4 Star Films

In The Heat of The Night is a testament to the collaborative nature of Hollywood. We watch Sidney Poitier step off the train. Haskell Wexler’s cinematography gives an instant texture to the world so the sweaty atmosphere is almost palpable around him. However, one of my immediate recollections... Read full article

Rear Window: In the Heat of the Night

By Devon Powell on Sep 13, 2020 From Hitchcock Master

Exclusive Guest Article By: Robert Jones This article is the first in a series of four guest articles to appear on this page in celebration of Universal’s release of ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection.’  “How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is ... Read full article

In the Heat of the Night (1967) (3)

on Jan 21, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

The 1968 Academy Awards was probably the most important year for film production, rivaled by the heralded “best year in cinema” works of 1939.  The Best Picture nominees of ’68 were a mix of old-guard, big budget family features, and independently financed productions made by youn... Read full article

In the Heat of the Night (1967) (2)

By Beatrice on Jul 3, 2013 From Flickers in Time

In the Heat of the Night Directed by Norman Jewison 1967/USA The Mirisch Corporation Repeat viewing #453 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDb users say 8/10; I say 9/10 Tibbs: Hit whom? Gillespie: “Whom”? “Whom”? Well, you a northern boy? What’s a northern ... Read full article

In The Heat of the Night

By Michael on Apr 11, 2013 From Le Mot du Cinephiliaque

In The Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison, 1967) In a small town of Mississippi named Sparta and during a normal night, a policeman Sam Wood (Warren Oates) finds the body of the richest man in town dead and in blood. His head seems to have been smashed by an object. Passing by the same night is the ... Read full article

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In the Heat of the Night Quotes:

Chief Gillespie: You take care, y'hear?
Virgil Tibbs: Yeah.
Mayor Webb Schubert: What made you change your mind about Tibbs?
Gillespie: Who said I did?
Mayor Webb Schubert: [refering to Tibbs' slapping of a white man] Last Chief we had would've shot Tibbs two seconds after he slapped him and claimed Self Defense !
Gillespie: Whatcha hit him with?
Tibbs: Hit whom?
Gillespie: "Whom"? Are you a northern boy? What's a northern boy doing down here?
Mrs. Leslie Colbert: I came by to make it as clear as I possibly can: that I do not want the Negro officer taken off this case.
Mayor Webb Schubert: Negro officer?
Chief Gillespie: Yeah, well he, uh...he comes from up North, you see, and he was, uh, kinda...passing through--
Mrs. Leslie Colbert: I don't care what he is. If it wasn't for him, your impartial chief of police would still have the wrong man behind bars. I want that officer given a free hand, otherwise I will pack up my husband's engineers...and leave you...to yourselves.
[describing Chief Gillespie]
Harvey Oberst: Got no more smile than a turnip.
See More Quotes from In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night Facts
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #75 Greatest Movie of All Time. It was the first inclusion of this film on the list.
The movie's line "They call me Mister Tibbs!" was voted as the #76 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.
Rod Steiger spoke in the southern dialect consistently for the duration of filming.
The slapping scene between Det. Tibbs and Endicott was shot in just two takes, and the slaps the characters made to each other's faces were real, according to a detailed account Norman Jewison, provided in 2011.
Virgil tibbs arrives in Sparta, and subsequently leaves town, via the old Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad (GM&O). This anchors the films setting in the deep south, and in Mississippi in particular. Yet, ten years earlier the GM&O had suspended all passanger service south of Saint Louis, MO; which Sparta, IL was and is. However, The GM&O had merged the Alton & Southern Railroad (which operated service between Saint Louis and Chicago). Therefore, filming of the operating train station scenes where Tibbs boards the train, as well as the long shot closing credits scenes, were completed at Alton, IL, about 75 miles north of Sparta. Careful viewing of the rail station scene early in the film between Tibbs and Chief Gillespie were at the "Sparta, IL" station but the Sparta station was clearly closed down.
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