Episode 138 - In The Heat Of The Night

In the Heat of the Night” from 1967 takes us to the small town of Sparta, Mississippi and the suspicion, tension and conflict surrounding the murder of Phillip Colbert a wealthy business owner who is building a manufacturing facility in the community. Director Norman Jewison weaves together a drama of mystery, race relations, dangerous misunderstandings, statutory rape, abortion and resistance to change against the backdrop of the 1960’s in the U.S. Virgil Tibbs played by Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger as Police Chief Gillespie have a relationship that travels from anger and control to a grudgingly hard won respect for each other. Several films from Mr. Poitier’s exceptional career have been presented in our earlier podcasts of “To Sir, with Love” Episode 27, “No Way Out” Episode 87, “The Defiant Ones” Episode 101 and “Lilies of the Field” Episode 106. In addition, for his performance as Chief Gillespie Mr. Steiger won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Lee Grant as Mrs. Colbert, Police Officer Sam Wood played by Warren Oates and Larry Gates as the powerful political figure Endicott along with a large and excellent cast deliver an unforgettable movie as relevant today as it was in 1967. We recommend “In the Heat of the Night”