In the Heat of the Night poster
7.7/10 1967 1h 49m Released

They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it.

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

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Top Cast

Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates
Warren Oates
Deputy Sam Wood
Peter Whitney
Peter Whitney
Deputy Courtney
Lee Grant
Lee Grant
Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Anthony James
Anthony James
Ralph
William Schallert
William Schallert
Mayor Schubert
Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson
Harvey Oberst
Larry Gates
Larry Gates
Eric Endicott
James Patterson
James Patterson
Mr. Purdy
Quentin Dean
Quentin Dean
Delores Purdy
Kermit Murdock
Kermit Murdock
Henderson
Larry D. Mann
Larry D. Mann
Watkins
Matt Clark
Matt Clark
Packy
Beah Richards
Beah Richards
Mama Caleba
Arthur Malet
Arthur Malet
Ulam

Reviews

GenerationofSwine 10/10

I have a love/hate thing for how this ended. It looked good but it was too dark... visually. I think they were going for a source lighting thing and failed a bit. It was realistically dark but not Hollywood viewer in mind dark. Anyway the bad is out of the way, the good is the performance, it was really Oscar worthy in the truest sense, and the evolution of both the lead character and the supporting cast right…

CinemaSerf 7/10

Warren Oates ("Wood") steps from his patrol car in the quiet town of Sparta and discovers the body of "Colbert" - a controversial local employer. Shortly afterwards he discovers "TIbbs" (Sidney Poitier) sitting waiting for the 4.05 train. He is black and there is a wealthy white murder victim on the street - ergo, two and two... Next thing, though, the police chief "Gillespie" (Rod Steiger) is interrogating their…

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FAQ about In the Heat of the Night

What is In the Heat of the Night about?
African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track…
When was In the Heat of the Night released?
In the Heat of the Night was released in 1967.
What genres does In the Heat of the Night belong to?
In the Heat of the Night is categorised as Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller.
Who stars in In the Heat of the Night?
The cast of In the Heat of the Night includes Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Peter Whitney, Lee Grant.