In the Heat of the Night Movie Review 1967

A wealthy industrialist in a small Mississippi town is murdered. A black homicide expert is asked to help solve the murder, despite resentment on the part of the town's chief of police. Powerful script with underlying theme of racial prejudice is served well by taut direction and powerhouse performances. Poitier's memorable character Virgil Tibbs appeared in two more pictures, "They Call Me Mister Tibbs" and "The Organization."

Distribution

Facets Multimedia, Inc., 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, Phone: (773)281-9075, Toll-free: 800-331-6197, Fax: (773)929-5437, Email: sales@facets.org, URL: http://www.facets.org

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 109 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Small-Town Sheriffs, Mystery & Suspense, American South, Loner Cops, African America

Screenplay

Stirling Silliphant

Cast

Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant

Cinematography

Haskell Wexler

Director

Norman Jewison

Music

Quincy Jones

Other

Hal Ashby

Awards

Oscars 1967: Actor (Steiger), Adapt. Screenplay, Film Editing, Picture, Sound; British Acad. 1967: Actor (Steiger); Golden Globes 1968: Actor--Drama (Steiger), Film--Drama, Screenplay, Natl. Film Reg. 2002;; N.Y. Film Critics 1967: Actor (Steiger), Director (Nichols), Film; Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1967: Actor (Steiger), Cinematog.