Mystery Movie Review - In the Heat of the Night

The incredible Sidney Poitier (the first Black actor to win an Oscar for best actor--for the movie Lilies of the Field) died a few days ago.  This is a perfect time to review one of the best 1960s mystery/thriller movies that stared Poitier. Some people may remember the telelvision police series that ran 1988 – 1995 starring Carol O'Connor, but the movie came first.  Of course it all started with the 1965 Novel In the Heat of the Night by John Ball which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It's hard to find his novels, but I have read a few and loved them.  Here is a link to the book that the movie is from and inspired a television series (click here).

FYI, this is reportedly the favorite film of actor Danny Glover.  Besides Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger and Lee Grant also stared in this early color movie released Aug 2, 1967.

What it's about

It's the 1960s in Mississippi.  Detective Virgil Tibbs (Philadelphia PD's number one homicide expert) was simply waiting for his next train at the station in Sparta, Mississippi when he is arrested after the murder of a prominent businessman. Upon discovering who he actually is, the police chief and Tibbs very reluctantly work together. The murdered man, Mr. Colbert, had come to Sparta from the North to build a new factory and his wife and business associates immediately point the finger at the most powerful man in the county and the one who had the most to lose if a major new employer comes to the area. Tibbs' life is clearly in danger but he perseveres in a highly charged and racially explosive environment. 

Rotten Tomatoes 95% 

Critic Jeff Beck "Thanks to its compelling narrative, memorable characters, and above all, a towering performance from the legendary Sidney Poitier, In the Heat of the Night continues to resonate with audiences over 50 years after its release."

Critic Wanda Hale "It's a pleasure, all too rare, to watch two splendid actors pitted against each other with equal force such as Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in the exceptional murder mystery, In the Heat of the Night."

The Oscars presentations in 1967 (in which this won) was postponed for two days due to the assassination of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968.  This film won the Oscar for Best Picture and received multiple other award nominations and wins.  This was the only film directed by Norman Jewison to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

--The movie's line "They call me MISTER Tibbs!" was voted as the #16 greatest movie quote by the American Film Institute.

-- Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) was ranked Hero #19 in the Heroes category on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes and Villains list.

-- In 2007 the American Film Institute ranked this as #75 Greatest Movie of All Time.

Trivia (mostly from IMDB)

-- This was reportedly the first major Hollywood film in color that was lit with proper consideration for an actor with dark skin. Haskell Wexler recognized that standard lighting used in filming produced too much glare on dark complexion. He toned down the lighting to feature Sidney Poitier with better results.

-- Sidney Poitier insisted that the movie be filmed in the North because of an incident in which he and Harry Belafonte were almost killed by Ku Klux Klansmen during a visit to Mississippi. That's why Sparta, Illinois, was chosen for location filming.  The filmmakers and actors did venture briefly into Tennessee for the outdoor scenes at the cotton plantation, because there was no similar cotton plantation in Illinois that could be used. Poitier slept with a gun under his pillow during production in Tennessee. He did receive threats from local racist thugs, so the shoot was cut short and production returned to Illinois.

-- The town's name in the story was changed to Sparta so that local signs would not need to be changed. The greenhouse was added to an existing house and filled with $15,000 worth of orchids.

-- Ray Charles sings the theme song and the song played on a little transistor radio, "Bow-Legged Polly", was written and performed for the film by Glen Campbell.

-- Rod Steiger was asked by director Norman Jewison to chew gum when playing the part. He resisted at first, but then grew to love the idea, and eventually went through 263 packs of gum during shooting.

-- According to Sidney Poitier, Tibbs' retaliation slap to Endicott (Larry Gates) was not in the original script nor in the novel on which the film is based. Poitier insisted that Tibbs slap Endicott back and wanted a guarantee that the scene would appear in all prints of the film.

-- The movie is set during a hot Mississippi summer, but filmed during autumn in Illinois, so many of the actors had to keep ice chips in their mouths (and spit them out before takes) to prevent their breath from appearing on camera during the night scenes.

My Thoughts:

The movie is stellar and makes an impact from the beginning to the end.  But it makes me uncomfortable because, like many of us today, the in-your-face racism of the day is on full display.  It completely transports you so you feel the character's fear and frustration as well as determination to uncover the truth.  

The mystery in the tale is solid and the red herrings cause serious complications.  The atmosphere created by the expert direction and camera work is pervasive.  The dialog snaps and crackles, even with the 60s slang thrown in.  This is taut and gritty and Poitier/Stieger play off each other masterfully.  Yes, racism in the South is clearly at the forefront, but it is also distrust of "outsiders" on full display in a small town that ratchets tension ever higher.  

Considering the headlines of the last years, this movie doesn't seem 55 years old as its message is still relevant today.  The script, plot, acting and character development, dialog, and camerawork are top notch (particularly when shooting in color was new) and work to make this a stellar police procedural movie and tremendous drama.  

If you haven't seen this movie, consider watching it and see the talented and incomparable Sidney Poitier and one of his best performances.

Here is the movie trailor: