In the Heat of the Night

7.644

109 minutes

8/2/1967

Overview

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.

Cast List

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
Kermit Murdock
as Henderson
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
Eldon Quick
as Charles Hawthorne
Jester Hairston
as Endicott's Butler
Stuart Nisbet
as Shuie
Khalil Bezaleel
as Jess
Peter Masterson
as Fryer
Phil Adams
as 1st Tough
Nikita Knatz
as 2nd Tough
Sam Reese
as Clerk
Jack Teter
as Philip Colbert (uncredited)
Alan Oppenheimer
as Ted Appleton (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt
as Deputy (uncredited)
Buzz Barton
as Conductor (uncredited)