Film

In the Heat of the Night

1967 · 1h 49m · Crime · Drama · Mystery

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

IMDb

7.9

Rotten Tomatoes

96%

Metacritic

76

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.

Sidney Poitier

Virgil Tibbs

Rod Steiger

Police Chief Bill Gillespie

Warren Oates

Deputy Sam Wood

Peter Whitney

Deputy Courtney

Lee Grant

Mrs. Leslie Colbert

Anthony James

Ralph

William Schallert

Mayor Schubert

Scott Wilson

Harvey Oberst

Larry Gates

Eric Endicott

James Patterson

Mr. Purdy

Quentin Dean

Delores Purdy

Kermit Murdock

Henderson

Larry D. Mann

Watkins

Matt Clark

Packy

Beah Richards

Mama Caleba

Arthur Malet

Ulam

• Norman JewisonDirector
• Stirling SilliphantScreenplay
• John BallNovel
• Walter MirischProducer
• Haskell WexlerDirector of Photography
• Quincy JonesOriginal Music Composer
• Hal AshbyEditor
• Lynn StalmasterCasting

Official TrailerTCM Big Screen Classics 55th Anniversary Spot

Release date

August 2, 1967

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 49m

Rated

PG-13

Budget

$2,000,000

Revenue

$27,379,978

Genres

Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

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