In the Heat of the Night
They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it.
7.7(1,264) 1967-08-02 109 minCrimeDramaMysteryThriller
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.
ProducerWalter Mirisch
Original Music ComposerQuincy Jones
DirectorNorman Jewison
ScreenplayStirling Silliphant
Cast & characters
Sidney Poitier
as Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger
as Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates
as Deputy Sam Wood
Peter Whitney
as Deputy Courtney
Lee Grant
as Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Anthony James
as Ralph
William Schallert
as Mayor Schubert
Scott Wilson
as Harvey Oberst
Larry Gates
as Eric Endicott
James Patterson
as Mr. Purdy
Quentin Dean
as Delores Purdy
No photo
Kermit Murdock
as Henderson
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Larry D. Mann
as Watkins
Matt Clark
as Packy
Beah Richards
as Mama Caleba
Arthur Malet
as Ulam
Fred Stewart
as Dr. Stuart
Timothy Scott
as Shagbag
William Watson
as McNeil
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Eldon Quick
as Charles Hawthorne
Jester Hairston
as Endicott's Butler
Stuart Nisbet
as Shuie
No photo
Khalil Bezaleel
as Jess
Peter Masterson
as Fryer
