In the Heat of the Night (1967) | |
| Director(s) | Norman Jewison |
| Producer(s) | Walter Mirisch |
| Top Genres | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Detectives, Prejudice |
Featured Cast:
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)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actor | Rod Steiger | Won |
| Best Director | Norman Jewison | Nominated |
| Best Film Editing | Hal Ashby | Won |
| Best Picture | Walter Mirisch, Producer | Won |
| Best Writing | Stirling Silliphant | Won |
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 FilmsIn 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 MasterExclusive 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 a f... Read full article
In the Heat of the Night (1967) (3)
on Jan 21, 2014 From Journeys in Classic FilmThe 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 young... Read full article
In the Heat of the Night (1967) (2)
By Beatrice on Jul 3, 2013 From Flickers in TimeIn 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 CinephiliaqueIn 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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Quotes from
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 !
[describing Chief Gillespie]
Harvey Oberst: Got no more smile than a turnip.
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Facts about
Mississippi was eventually ruled out as a location due to the existing political conditions. Sparta, Illinois, was selected as the location, and the town's name in the story was changed to Sparta so that local signs would not need to be changed. The greenhouse was added to an existing home and filled with $15,000 worth of orchids.
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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