In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night

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

PG-13 1967 · 109 min · ★ 7.7 (1K) · Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

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.

Directed by Norman Jewison · Written by Stirling Silliphant

Your Rating

Cast

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

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

4h 50m together

In the Heat of the Night

Fiddler on the Roof

Both from Norman Jewison.

Virgil Tibbs TrilogySee all →

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

They Call Me Mister Tibbs! · 1970

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

MovieDramaAction

A police detective's investigation of a prostitute's murder points to his best friend.

The Organization

The Organization · 1971

The Organization

MovieDramaAction

After a group of young revolutionaries break into a company's corporate headquarters and steal $5,000,000 worth of heroin to keep it off the street, they call on San Francisco Police Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs for assistance.

More from Norman JewisonSee all →

Picture Windows

Picture Windows · 1995

Picture Windows

Famous paintings come to life to tell a story by renowned authors, directed by world class directors.

Fiddler on the Roof

Fiddler on the Roof · 1971

Fiddler on the Roof

MovieDramaRomance

In a pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish milkman struggles with the challenges of a changing world as his daughters fall in love and antisemitism grows.

The Hurricane

The Hurricane · 1999

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

...And Justice for All

...And Justice for All · 1979

...And Justice for All

An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is forced to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial under the threat of being disbarred.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Jesus Christ Superstar · 1973

Jesus Christ Superstar

MovieDramaHistory

As played out by a theatre troupe, the last days of Jesus Christ are depicted from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. As Jesus' following increases, Judas begins to worry that Jesus is falling for his own hype, forgetting the principles of his teachings and growing too close to the prostitute Mary Magdalene.

The Thrill of It All

The Thrill of It All · 1963

The Thrill of It All

MovieComedyRomance

A housewife's sudden rise to fame as a soap spokesperson leads to chaos in her home life.

The Cincinnati Kid

The Cincinnati Kid · 1965

The Cincinnati Kid

An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.

Moonstruck

Moonstruck · 1987

MovieComedyDrama

37-year-old Italian-American widow Loretta Castorini believes she is unlucky in love, and so accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Johnny, even though she doesn't love him. When she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, an emotional and passionate man, she finds herself drawn to him. She tries to resist, but Ronny, who blames his brother for the loss of his hand, has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls for Ronny, she learns that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance.

Send Me No Flowers

Send Me No Flowers · 1964

Send Me No Flowers

MovieComedyRomance

When a hypochondriac assumes that he is dying, he makes an elaborate plan to ensure his wife's happiness. However, trouble ensues when she misunderstands his intentions.

The Thomas Crown Affair

The Thomas Crown Affair · 1968

The Thomas Crown Affair

MovieCrimeRomance

A debonair, adventuresome bank executive believes that he has pulled off the perfect multi-million dollar heist--until he must match wits with an insurance investigator who will do anything to get her man.

A Soldier's Story

A Soldier's Story · 1984

A Soldier's Story

MovieMysteryCrime

In a rural town in Louisiana, a black Master Sergeant is found shot to death just outside the local Army Base. Military lawyer, Captain Davenport—also a black man—is sent from Washington to conduct an investigation. Facing an uncooperative chain of command and fearful black troops, Davenport must battle with deceit and prejudice in order to find out exactly who really did kill the Master Sergeant.

Only You

Only You · 1994

MovieRomanceComedy

Two childhood paranormal incidents have convinced schoolteacher Faith Corvatch that her true love is a guy named 'Damon Bradley', but she has yet to meet him. Preparing to marry podiatrist Dwayne in ten days, Faith receives a phone call from Dwayne's old classmate Damon Bradley, who is on his way to Venice. She impulsively decides to fly to Italy with the hope of finally encountering the man of her dreams. Accompanying her on the trip is her sister-in-law and best friend Kate, who has just left her husband, Faith's brother Larry.

F.I.S.T.

F.I.S.T. · 1978

MovieDramaAction

Johnny Kovak joins the Teamsters trade-union in a local chapter in the 1930s and works his way up in the organization. As he climbs higher and higher his methods become more ruthless and finally senator Madison starts a campaign to find the truth about the alleged connections with the Mob.

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! · 1966

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

When a Soviet submarine gets stuck on a sandbar off the coast of a New England island, its commander orders his second-in-command, Lieutenant Rozanov, to get them moving again before there is an international incident. Rozanov seeks assistance from the island locals, including the police chief and a vacationing television writer, while trying to allay their fears of a Communist invasion by claiming he and his crew are Norwegian sailors.

Agnes of God

Agnes of God · 1985

MovieDramaMystery

When a dead newborn is found, wrapped in bloody sheets, in the bedroom wastebasket of a young novice, psychiatrist Martha Livingston is called in to determine if the seemingly innocent novice, who knows nothing of sex or birth, is competent enough to stand trial for the murder of the baby.

Rollerball

Rollerball · 1975

MovieScience FictionAction

In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game.

More Like This

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies · 2009

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

MovieScience FictionAnimation

United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite meteor to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his ‘partner in crime’, Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite—and recruit help—to try and stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the meteor Luthors plot.

Invictus

Invictus · 2009

MovieDramaHistory

Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby union team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

Invisible Ghost

Invisible Ghost · 1941

Invisible Ghost

MovieHorrorCrime

The town's leading citizen becomes a homicidal maniac after his wife deserts him.

Any Number Can Win

Any Number Can Win · 1963

Any Number Can Win

Charles, fresh out of jail, rejects his wife's plan for a quiet life of bourgeois respectability. He enlists a former cell mate, Francis, to assist him in pulling off one final score, a carefully planned assault on the vault of a Cannes casino.

The Butcher Boy

The Butcher Boy · 1998

The Butcher Boy

MovieComedyDrama

Francie and Joe live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent, alcoholic father and a manic depressive, suicidal mother the pressure on Francie to grow up are immense. When Francie's world turns to madness, he tries to counter it with further insanity, with dire consequences.

Saw VI

MovieHorrorThriller

Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.

The Talk of the Town

The Talk of the Town · 1942

The Talk of the Town

MovieComedyDrama

Hilarity ensues when a falsely accused fugitive from justice hides at the house of his childhood friend, which she has recently rented to a high-principled law teacher.

Werckmeister Harmonies

Werckmeister Harmonies · 2001

Werckmeister Harmonies

A naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction.

The Town

The Town · 2010

MovieCrimeDrama

A proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold the manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter