zardoz-13
"The Thomas Crown Affair" director Norman Jewison made this breakthrough African-American/White-American murder mystery when he lensed John Ball's novel "In the Heat of the Night," and captured the Oscar for Best Picture of 1967. Not only did the film win for Best Picture, but also Rod Steiger won a Best Actor Oscar, along with Hal Ashby taking home a statuette for Best Editing, and scenarist Stirling Silliphant for his adaptation of Ball's novel. Incidentally, the novel was John Ball's first murder-mystery, and it received the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. United Artists and producer Walter Mirisch were so worried about the subject matter that reportedly, Mirisch projected what the film might gross if the studio decided to bypass releasing it in the South. Racial tensions were still high below the Mason/Dixon Line, and Poitier insisted that Jewison shoot the bulk of the film in Illinois rather than Mississippi. Indeed, the 'N' word is spouted several times, but more often than not, Tibbs is scornfully referred to as a 'boy.' Eventually, Jewison persuaded Poitier to shoot a few scenes in Tennessee where he meets the county's leading citizen, Eric Endicott (Larry Gates of "Lucky Luciano") whose own racism is as conspicuous as his lily-white complexion. The slapping scene may have been controversial in some spots in the South. No sooner does Endicott slap Virgil Tibbs than he responds in like with a similar slap!
Basically, a Northerner entrepreneur named Colbert has decided to build a factory in rural Mississippi. However, before construction commences, Colbert is murdered, and his wallet stolen. Sparta, Mississippi, Deputy Sam Wood (Warren Oates of "Return of the Seven") discovers the corpse in the middle of a side street. Wood's superior Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger of "Waterloo") dispatches Wood to check certain other nightspots. Wood pokes his head into the local railway depot, and he arrests a neat, well-dressed African-American male. Proudly, Wood brings his prisoner in for questioning. Imagine Chief Gillespie's surprise and shock when he learns Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier of "Duel at Diablo") is the best homicide detective on the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Police Department. Moreover, he is further disturbed that Tibbs makes $162.39 a week. Eventually, Gillespie confirms Tibbs' story with a brief telephone conversation with his superior. Trouble emerges when Tibbs finds himself stuck in a tight-spot. Either he can assist Chief Gillespie with the murder investigation (something his superior in Pennsylvania suggest), unless Tibbs is prejudiced. Ultimately, "In the Heat of the Night" depicts the uneasy relationship between a seasoned Northern black detective and a bigoted white Southern town marshal. Neither Tibbs nor Gillespie wants to have anything to do with each other. Nevertheless, they are forced to cooperate when Colbert's widow (Lee Grant of "Voyage of the Damned") approaches Mayor Schubert (William Schallert of "Hour of the Gun") and insists that they take advantage of Tibbs' expertise with crime scene investigation. Tibbs conducts a post-mortem inspection of Colbert's remains, and he concludes based on evidence that the individual who killed Colbert used his right hand. The second suspect that Gillespie's deputies haul in after a strenuous chase, Harvey Oberst (Scott Wilson of "In Cold Blood"), is cleared of murder because he is a southpaw. Mrs. Colbert was at the police department when this scene occurred. Reluctantly, Gillespie drops the murder charges against Oberst, but he holds him for theft. Mrs. Colbert threatens to pack up her husband's engineers and return to Chicago, Illinois, unless Gillespie uses Tibbs. Mayor Schubert advises Gillespie to avail himself of Tibbs' services. Schubert explains that Mrs. Colbert has insisted, but also neither Gillespie nor he will suffer any blowback if Tibbs' botches the case. Later, Tibbs admits to the black family that gives him a roof over his head that he is 'a whipping boy.'The investigation relies primarily on evidence that Tibbs amasses rather than wily Sherlock Holmes' sleuthing. The actual murder is caught, and he confesses that he committed the homicide. Nobody gives a bad performance, and everybody seems to have some character trait that comes out when they appear. For example, Chief Gillespie chews gum constantly. When Tibbs interviews Mrs. Colbert in her motel room, she spends the time extracting strands of his husband's hair from his hair brush. A café owner, Ralph (Anthony James of "High Plains Drifter"), likes to shoot flies with a rubber band. Poitier is especially good. Watch is body language when he decides to accompany Gillespie back to town to solve the murder.I've lived in the South for most of my life, and I was amazed at how much Sparta, Illinois, resembled Starkville, Mississippi, as well as other towns in the prairie.
MikeNTxs
SPOILER: While this film is typically regarded as a great film about changing race relations during the 1960s, it is never considered a "Pro-Choice" film. Looked at in that way, it's worth considering that all the consequential action in the story - the murder, Tibbs being Shanghaied off the train by Gillespie, the racist assaults and epithets and even the final solving of the crime - all come back to one 16-year-old girl needing an abortion, and no legal, private, confidential abortion service being available for her. Had abortion been legal in Mississippi in 1967, there would have been no murder, no robbery, no Tibbs-Gillespie drama, and no story.
Wuchak
RELEASED IN 1967 and directed by Norman Jewison, "In the Heat of the Night" chronicles events in the town of Sparta, Mississippi, in the mid-60s when a rich entrepreneur (who's going to open a new factory in the area) is murdered and the white redneck police force led by Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) enlists the aid of a prim & proper expert detective from Philadelphia, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), who just so happens to be black.This is basically a fish-out-of-water movie with Tibbs having to adjust to the prejudiced social dynamics of a small town in the Deep South just after The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The effect of those laws was only beginning to be understood, particularly the latter one. Sparta had a new voting block and blacks might even be the majority in that county. Regardless, they now had a voice in the democratic process.Times were a changin' and people like Gillespie and the mayor (William Schallert) needed to keep this in mind if they wanted to keep their jobs. Unfortunately, the uncultured deputies weren't necessarily up on this, which explains why, after the mogul is found murdered, Deputy Wood (Warren Oates) rashly zeroes-in on a black stranger in town. Of course they're all shocked to discover Tibbs' identity.Not used to murders of this magnitude, Gillespie humbly realizes that he might need Tibbs' expertise for his own welfare (i.e. to keep his job). A begrudging relationship develops where Tibbs slowly comes to respect Gillespie for his openness to change, insights and blunt honesty. The closing scene is actually heartwarming.There are, unfortunately, a couple of "Yeah, right" moments, like Tibbs' amazing knowledge of fern root. I'm sure that bit o' knowledge came in handy in Philadelphia! THE FILM RUNS 109 minutes and was shot in Sparta, Freeburg, Belleville and Chester, Illinois; Dyersburg, Tennessee; and (studio) Hollywood, California. WRITERS: Stirling Silliphant based on John Ball's novel. ADDITIONAL CAST: Lee Grant plays the mogul's wife while Quentin Dean appears as a sultry teen.GRADE: A-/B+
