Tonight at a glance
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Age rating
- PG-13
- Language
- English
- Country
- United States
- Violence
- Moderate
- Frights
- Mild
Why tonight?
- Reviewed better than most films in the catalogue.
The story
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.
- small town
- southern usa
- police chief
- stolen money
- racial segregation
- racist
- thief
- murder
- youth gang
- racism
The look
A few frames, chosen rather than collected.
The bill
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
- Directed
- Norman Jewison
- Written
- Stirling Silliphant
Production
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 · 1,258 ratings
- Studio
- United Artists, The Mirisch Company
The Collection
The complete story, in order.
1967 · You’re hereIn the Heat of the Night
Where it starts.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
1970
If this stayed with you
Then these are the nearest things Cue holds — chosen for what they share with it, not for what happens to be popular.
