IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT!

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This movie epitomizes the term Tour de Force. I never tire of seeing it on reruns late at night. In 1967, this was a groundbreaking movie that directly addressed the ugliness of prejudice in America. And it was Bold (with a Capital "B"). Here's the plot: A wealthy man planning on building a factory in Sparta, Mississippi is savagely murdered. The Police Chief Bill Gillespie (probably the greatest role of the late Rod Steiger's career) is pressured to find his killer quickly. Philadelphia native Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) who is merely passing through town is picked up at the train station with a substantial amount of money found in his wallet. Gillespie jumps to the conclusion he has his killer (because Tibbs is African-American) but is painfully embarrassed when he learns that Tibbs is actually a highly respected Philadelphia homicide detective who had been visiting his mother! Ha! After this racist treatment, a disgusted Tibbs wants nothing more than to leave this racist hell hole as quickly as possible. But fate deals a cool hand when the victim's widow (Lee Grant) recognizes the detective's expertise and threatens to stop construction on the much-needed factory unless he leads the investigation. Gillespie then talks Tibbs' captain into lending his services. The "dramatic tension" between these two characters is palpable, to say the least! What is absolutely amazing about this movie for me is how the character of Gillespie begins to gradually transform from a gum-chewing racist to that of a human being with a conscience. The two men ever so gradually come to respect each other as they are forced to work together and solve the crime. If you hang tight with this movie, I promise you will be rewarded with a masterpiece!

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In the Heat of the Night is based on the John Ball novel published in 1965. In 2002, the United States Library of Congress deemed this film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry! The quote, "They call me Mister Tibbs!," was listed as #16 on the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes". The movie would later become the basis of a television series entitled In the Heat of the Night, starring Carroll O'Connor, Howard Rollins, Hugh O'Connor (sadly all three are deceased) Alan Autry (now Mayor of Fresno, California who reviewed and "loved" my Cable Television series concept-for-pilot: "When Dreams Come True"!), David Hart, and the beautiful Anne-Marie Johnson. It's worth noting that Carroll O'Connor said that the role of Police Chief Bill Gillespie and the television series was the "best role of my life and the series made me prouder than anything I have ever accomplished". Part of the movie was filmed in Sparta, Illinois where many of the film's landmarks can still be seen. This was also one of the first U.S. films where a black person slapped a white person on screen. Watch Rod Steiger's reaction in this scene! I'm telling you, this is what real acting truly is! The ending...well, you'll have to watch and see how things end up. Let's have a look at the cast!

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The Cast: Sidney Poitier : Detective Virgil Tibbs; Rod Steiger : Police Chief Bill Gillespie; Warren Oates : Officer Sam Wood; Lee Grant : Mrs. Leslie Colbert; Larry Gates : Eric Endicott; James Patterson : Purdy; William Schallert : Mayor Webb Schubert; Beah Richards : Mama Caleba (aka Mrs. Bellamy); Peter Whitney : Officer George Courtney; Kermit Murdock : H.E. Henderson (banker); Larry D. Mann : Watkins; Quentin Dean : Delores Purdy; Anthony James : Ralph Henshaw.

This is one hell of a great movie and here are the awards to prove it.

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Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture; Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama; New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture; Academy Award for Best Actor - Rod Steiger; Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama - Rod Steiger; Academy Award for Film Editing - Hal Ashby; Academy Award for Sound - Samuel Goldwyn Studios; Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor - Rod Steiger; BAFTA UN Award - Norman Jewison; Edgar Award - Best Motion Picture Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; (Ball's book also received an Edgar, for Best First Novel).

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ENJOY THE MOVIE!