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IMDbPro

In the Heat of the Night

  • 1967
  • Approved
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
79K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,070
1,308
Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, and Warren Oates in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:46
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaMysteryThriller

A black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the... Read allA black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.A black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.

  • Director
    • Norman Jewison
  • Writers
    • Stirling Silliphant
    • John Ball
  • Stars
    • Sidney Poitier
    • Rod Steiger
    • Warren Oates
  • See production, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    79K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,070
    1,308
    • Director
      • Norman Jewison
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant
      • John Ball
    • Stars
      • Sidney Poitier
      • Rod Steiger
      • Warren Oates
    • 279User reviews
    • 106Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 5 Oscars
      • 23 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:46
    Watch Official Trailer
    In The Heat Of The Night: Mr. Tibbs Slaps Endicott
    Clip 4:15
    Watch In The Heat Of The Night: Mr. Tibbs Slaps Endicott
    In The Heat Of The Night: They Call Me Mr. Tibbs
    Clip 1:32
    Watch In The Heat Of The Night: They Call Me Mr. Tibbs

    Photos159

    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Anthony James, and Warren Oates in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier and Lee Grant in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier, Haskell Wexler, and Norman Jewison in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Timothy Scott, and Scott Wilson in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, and Norman Jewison in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Quentin Dean, and James Patterson in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier and Warren Oates in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, and Lee Grant in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier and Anthony James in In the Heat of the Night (1967)
    Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night (1967)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sidney Poitier
    Sidney Poitier
    • Det. Virgil Tibbs
    Rod Steiger
    Rod Steiger
    • Chief Bill Gillespie
    Warren Oates
    Warren Oates
    • Officer Sam Wood
    Lee Grant
    Lee Grant
    • Mrs. Colbert
    Larry Gates
    Larry Gates
    • Eric Endicott
    James Patterson
    James Patterson
    • Mr. Purdy
    William Schallert
    William Schallert
    • Mayor Schubert
    Beah Richards
    Beah Richards
    • Mama Caleba
    Peter Whitney
    Peter Whitney
    • Courtney
    Kermit Murdock
    Kermit Murdock
    • Henderson
    Larry D. Mann
    Larry D. Mann
    • Watkins
    Matt Clark
    Matt Clark
    • Packy Harrison
    Arthur Malet
    Arthur Malet
    • Ulam
    Fred Stewart
    Fred Stewart
    • Dr. Stuart
    Quentin Dean
    Quentin Dean
    • Delores Purdy
    Scott Wilson
    Scott Wilson
    • Harvey Oberst
    Timothy Scott
    Timothy Scott
    • Shagbag
    William Watson
    William Watson
    • McNeil
    • (as William C. Watson)
    • Director
      • Norman Jewison
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant(screenplay)
      • John Ball(based on a novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sidney Poitier insisted that the movie be filmed in the North because of an incident in which he and Harry Belafonte were almost killed by Ku Klux Klansmen during a visit to Mississippi. That's why Sparta, IL, was chosen for location filming. Nevertheless, the filmmakers and actors did venture briefly into Tennessee for the outdoor scenes at the cotton plantation, because there was no similar cotton plantation in Illinois that could be used. Poitier slept with a gun under his pillow during production in Tennessee. He did receive threats from local racist thugs, so the shoot was cut short and production returned to Illinois.
    • Goofs
      When people are shown going onto the Mississippi River bridge, there is an Arkansas highway sign, something that would not have been seen on the Mississippi side of the river.
    • Quotes

      Gillespie: Virgil? That's a funny name for a n***er boy that comes from Philadelphia. What do they call you up there?

      Virgil Tibbs: They call me MISTER TIBBS!

    • Crazy credits
      No uppercase ("capital") letters are used in the opening and closing credits, including the film's title, cast and characters, crew and job titles, and company credits.
    • Alternate versions
      The 2001 MGM and 2002 United Artists opening fanfares and closing 2001 MGM logo originally appeared in the 2008 DVD and Blu-ray prints. But in the Criterion Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K release, the MGM logos were plastered with the 2012 variants.
    • Connections
      Featured in Film Review: Film Review (1967)
    • Soundtracks
      In the Heat of the Night
      Music by Quincy Jones (uncredited)
      Lyrics by Alan Bergman (uncredited) and Marilyn Bergman (uncredited)
      Sung by Ray Charles

    User reviews279

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    A great whodunit with a unique setting.
    Whodunits are a dime a dozen in my view.What makes In the Heat of the Night so unique in the murder mystery genre is it's setting:The racially tense deep south.This is what I enjoy about the film.You have two major plot lines to keep you engrossed:The investigation into the murder itself,and the racial tensions between Sidney Poitier's Virgil Tibbs character and virtually every other character in the film.The film is loaded with great acting,particularly from Poitier,who,not surprisingly,considers this his best work and is his favorite amongst all the projects he has done.Not only is this recommended viewing,it is recommended for a spot on your home video shelf.
    helpful•31
    3
    • SmileysWorld
    • Sep 3, 2011

    FAQ8

    • Why didn't Gillespie arrest the men who attacked Tibbs in the warehouse? (What they were doing was a crime.)
    • What is 'In the Heat of the Night' about?
    • Is 'In the Heat of the Night' based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 2, 1967 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • U vrelini noci
    • Filming locations
      • Sparta, Illinois, USA(Sparta, Mississippi)
    • Production company
      • The Mirisch Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $27,669
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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