In the Heat of the Night ( film ) - wikipedia In the Heat of the Night ( film ) In the Heat of the Night Theatrical release poster Directed by Norman Jewison Produced by Walter Mirisch Screenplay by Stirling Silliphant Based on a novel by John Ball Starring Sidney Poitier Rod Steiger Music by Quincy Jones Cinematography Haskell Wexler Edited by Hal Ashby Production company The Mirisch Corporation Distributed by United Artists Release date August 2, 1967 ( 1967 - 08 - 02 ) Running time 109 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $2 million Box office $24.3 million In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 American mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison. It is based on John Ball 's 1965 novel of the same name and tells the story of Virgil Tibbs, a black police detective from Philadelphia, who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi. The movie changes various details found in the book from relatively minor ones ( in the book, Tibbs is a police officer in California ) to more major ( basic details of the murder, including the victim, are different ). It stars Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, and was produced by Walter Mirisch. The screenplay was by Stirling Silliphant. The film won five Academy Awards, including the 1967 awards for Best Picture and Rod Steiger for Best Actor. The film was followed by two sequels, They Call Me Mister Tibbs ! in 1970, and The Organization in 1971. In 1988, it also became the basis of a television series adaptation of the same name. Although the film was set in the fictional Mississippi town of Sparta ( with supposedly no connection to the real Sparta, Mississippi ), most of the movie was filmed in Sparta, Illinois, where many of the film 's landmarks can still be seen. The quote `` They call me Mister Tibbs ! '' was listed as number 16 on the American Film Institute 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of top film quotes. In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant ''. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 2.1 In opening credits 2.2 In closing credits 3 Song credit 4 Production 5 Reception 6 Evaluation in film guides 7 Home media 8 Other appearances 9 Preservation 10 Gallery 11 Accolades 12 See also 13 Sources 14 References 15 External links Plot Phillip Colbert, a wealthy industrialist from Chicago, is constructing a factory in Sparta, Mississippi. One night in September 1966, when driving back into town after a meeting at the plantation home of one of Sparta 's leading citizens, Eric Endicott, he is murdered. His body is found on the pavement at the front of an alley 's entrance onto Main Street by Police Officer Sam Wood at about 3 : 30 a.m. Police Chief Bill Gillespie arrives on the scene where the body has been discovered and takes direct charge of the investigation. A local undertaker and a freelance photographer have been summoned to the scene to assist the police with their investigation. The undertaker tells Gillespie that it is his immediate guess that the death occurred no more than a couple of hours earlier than the time of Wood 's discovery of the body, around 3 : 00 a.m. Gillespie, speculating that the crime may have been committed by a transient, orders Wood to verify that the pool hall is closed ( its hours had it open until 1 : 00 a.m. ), the streets and alleyways are clear, and that the train and bus depots are clear as well. At the town train depot, Wood finds a black man, Virgil Tibbs, sitting quietly with his luggage in a business suit after 3 : 00 a.m., waiting for what seems to be no specified train. Officer Wood immediately arrests him ( at gunpoint ), cursorily searches him, and finds more than $200 in cash in his wallet. Wood takes him into the Sparta police station, where he presents him to Gillespie. Prejudiced against blacks, Gillespie jumps to the conclusion that he has his culprit and attempts to get Tibbs to confess. However, he is embarrassed to learn that Tibbs is a police officer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who happens to make more money in a week than Gillespie does in a month. Gillespie phones Tibbs ' chief to confirm the story. The chief informs Gillespie that Tibbs is his top homicide investigator and recommends that Tibbs stay and assist the investigation. Tibbs wants nothing more than to leave as quickly as possible, and Gillespie politely tells the chief that Tibbs ' assistance wo n't be necessary. But as Tibbs prepares to head back to the train station, Gillespie swallows his pride and asks for help. Tibbs relents. Leslie Colbert, the victim 's widow, already frustrated by the ineptitude of the local police, is impressed by Tibbs ' expertise when he clears another wrongly accused suspect whom Gillespie has arrested on circumstantial evidence. She threatens to stop construction on the much needed factory unless Tibbs leads the investigation. Unwilling to accept help, but under orders from the town 's mayor, Gillespie talks a reluctant Tibbs into working on the case. Despite the rocky start to their relationship, the two policemen are compelled to respect each other as they are forced to work together to solve the crime. Tibbs initially suspects wealthy plantation owner Eric Endicott, a racist who publicly opposes the new factory, as its workforce will consist primarily of black people. When Tibbs attempts to interrogate Endicott about Colbert, Endicott slaps him in the face, but Tibbs instantly slaps him back ( `` the slap heard round the world '' ), which leads to Endicott sending a gang of hooligans after Tibbs. Gillespie rescues him from the fight and orders him to leave town for his own safety, but Tibbs is convinced he is on the trail of the murderer, and refuses to leave until he has solved the case. Tibbs ' examination of Colbert 's body has already placed the murder much earlier in the night than either Gillespie or the Sparta police had initially thought. He examines Colbert 's car, and deduces that it was used to drive the dead man 's body back from an as yet unknown location where Colbert was actually killed. Tibbs asks Wood to retrace his steps from his patrol on the night of the murder. Tibbs knows that an earlier time of death for Colbert means that Colbert 's body was driven around Sparta and dumped into an alley while Wood was on patrol. Tibbs and Gillespie accompany Wood on his patrol route, stopping at a diner where the counterman, Ralph Henshaw, refuses to serve Tibbs. When Tibbs notices that Wood has deliberately changed his route, Gillespie starts suspecting Wood of the crime. Tibbs indicates that he knows why Sam has changed his route but will not disclose the reason to Gillespie. When Gillespie discovers that Wood made a sizable deposit into his bank account the day after the murder ( which Wood claims is gambling winnings ) and Lloyd Purdy, a local, files charges against Wood for getting his 16 - year - old sister Delores pregnant, Gillespie arrests Wood for the murder, despite Tibbs ' protests. Purdy is offended that Tibbs, a black man, was present for his sister 's interrogation about her sexual encounter with Wood, and he gathers a mob to get his revenge on Tibbs. Tibbs is able to clear Wood by finding the original murder scene, the site where Colbert 's factory will be built, and pointing out that Sam would not have been able to drive his police patrol car and the victim 's car at the same time. Tibbs also admits that he knew immediately that Wood changed his route not to hide being a murderer, but to hide being a peeping Tom ( peeping on Delores Purdy, who herself is an exhibitionist ), and declined to publicly reveal this in order to spare Wood embarrassment. Acting on a hunch, Tibbs tracks down the local back - room abortionist, who reveals that someone had paid for Delores to have an abortion. When Delores arrives, Tibbs pursues her outside, where he is confronted by the murderer, Henshaw. Purdy 's mob has tracked down Tibbs and is holding him at gunpoint when he proves to Purdy that it was Henshaw, not Wood, who got Delores pregnant. Henshaw shoots Purdy dead before being disarmed by Tibbs. Henshaw is arrested and confesses to the murder of Colbert. He had robbed Colbert to gain money to pay for Delores 's abortion but had accidentally killed him in the process. His job done, Tibbs finally boards the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio train out of town, after being bid farewell by a now respectful Gillespie, `` Virgil,... you take care,... you hear. '' Cast In opening credits Sidney Poitier Rod Steiger co-starring Warren Oates Lee Grant Larry Gates James Patterson with William Schallert Beah Richards Peter Whitney Kermit Murdock Larry D. Mann Matt Clark Arthur Malet Fred Stewart and introducing Quentin Dean Scott Wilson Anthony James In closing credits Sidney Poitier Virgil Tibbs Rod Steiger Gillespie Warren Oates Sam Wood Lee Grant Mrs. Colbert Larry Gates Endicott James Patterson Mr. Purdy William Schallert Mayor Schubert Beah Richards Mama Caleba Peter Whitney Courtney Kermit Murdock Henderson Larry D. Mann Watkins Matt Clark Packy Arthur Malet Ulam Fred Stewart Dr. Stuart Quentin Dean Delores Scott Wilson Harvey Oberst Timothy Scott Shagbag William C. Watson McNeil Eldon Quick Charles Hawthorne Stuart Nisbet Shuie Khalil Bezaleel Jess Peter Masterson Fryer Jester Hairston butler Phil Adams 1st tough Nikita Knatz 2nd tough Sam Reese clerk Anthony James Ralph Harry Dean Stanton ( uncredited ) policeman Clegg Hoyt ( uncredited ) policeman ( final acting role died two months after film 's release ) Song credit `` In the Heat of the Night '' sung by Ray Charles Song lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman Production The film contains a famous scene in which Tibbs and Gillespie visit the home of Eric Endicott to question him, following Tibbs ' discovery of trace evidence in the murder victim 's car ( a piece of osmunda ). Upon realizing that Tibbs is suggesting he murdered Colbert, Endicott slaps Tibbs, whereupon Tibbs slaps him back. Reportedly, Tibbs 's action was originally omitted from the screenplay, which stayed true to the novel with Tibbs not reacting to the slap. However, when Poitier read the script, he was purportedly uncomfortable with that reaction, as it was not true to the values his parents instilled in him. He requested that the producers alter the scene to Tibbs slapping Endicott back. This was important because of the ongoing battle for civil rights, which was still raging in 1967, despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was one of the first times in any major motion picture when a black man reacted to provocation from a white man in such a way. Referring to the scene Poitier said, `` ( The scene ) was almost not there. I said, ' I 'll tell you what, I 'll make this movie for you if you give me your absolute guarantee when he slaps me I slap him right back and you guarantee that it will play in every version of this movie. ' I try not to do things that are against nature. '' However, Poitier 's version of the story is contradicted by Mark Harris in his book, Pictures at a Revolution. Harris states that copies of the original draft of the screenplay that he obtained clearly contain the scene as filmed, which is backed up by Jewison and Silliphant. The film is also important for being the first major Hollywood film in color that was lit with proper consideration for a person of African descent. Haskell Wexler recognized that standard strong lighting used in filming tended to produce too much glare on that kind of dark complexion and rendered the features indistinct. Accordingly, Wexler toned it down to feature Poitier with better photographic results. Reception In contrast to films like The Chase and Hurry Sundown, which offered confused visions of the South, In the Heat of the Night offered a tough, edgy vision of a Southern town that seemed to hate outsiders more than itself, a theme reflecting the uncertain mood of the time as the Civil Rights Movement attempted to take hold. On this count, the film became an overnight hit. In a San Francisco pre-screening, Jewison was concerned when the young audience was laughing at the film as if it were a comedy. The audience 's stunned reaction to the famous slapping scene convinced Jewison that the film was effective as drama. That scene helped make the film so popular for audiences, finally seeing the top black film actor physically strike back against bigotry, that the film earned the nickname, Super-spade Versus the Rednecks. During the film 's initial run, Steiger and Poitier occasionally went to the Capitol Theatre in New York to amuse themselves seeing how many black and white audience members there were, which could be immediately ascertained by listening to the former cheering Tibbs 's retaliatory slap and the latter whispering `` Oh ! '' in astonishment. Canadian director Jewison wanted to tell a story of a white man and a black man working together in spite of difficulties. He also hated the way black Americans were treated by the white establishment at the time. Jewison, Poitier, and Steiger worked together and got along well during the filming, but Jewison had problems with the Southern authorities, and Poitier had reservations about coming south of the Mason -- Dixon Line for filming. However, despite their reservations, Jewison decided to film part of the film in Dyersburg ( Endicott 's house ) and Union City, Tennessee, anyway while the rest was filmed in Sparta, Chester ( Harvey Oberst chase scene ), and Freeburg ( Compton 's diner ), Illinois. Jewison said that this film proved a conviction he had held for a long time : `` It 's you against the world. It 's like going to war. Everybody is trying to tell you something different and they are always putting obstacles in your way. '' Then - freshman critic Roger Ebert in 1967 gave In the Heat of the Night a positive review and placed it at number ten on his top ten list of 1967 films. AD Murphy of Variety magazine felt it was a good but uneven film. With the release of the film in the United States in August, Poitier was starring in two movies simultaneously at the box office, as To Sir, with Love had been released the previous June. The film, as of July 2017, holds a 96 % `` Certified Fresh '' rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, out of 44 reviews collected with an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. It 's consensus states, `` Tense, funny, and thought - provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger. Evaluation in film guides Steven H. Scheuer 's Movies on TV ( 1972 -- 73 edition ) gives In the Heat of the Night its highest rating of 4 stars, recommending it as an `` ( E ) xciting, superbly acted and directed film about prejudice, manners and morals in a small Mississippi town '', with the concluding sentences stating, `` ( D ) irector Norman Jewison does an outstanding job in creating the subsurface tension of life in a ' sleepy ' Southern town, and the supporting performances are uniformly fine. A first - rate film in all respects. '' Leonard Maltin 's TV Movies & Video Guide ( 1989 edition ) follows Scheuer 's example with its own highest rating of 4 stars, concluding that `` ( M ) arvelous social thriller has n't dated one bit -- tough, funny, and atmospheric, with unbeatable acting and splendid Quincy Jones score. Five Oscars include Best Picture... '' Mick Martin 's & Marsha Porter 's DVD & Video Guide ( 2007 edition ) also puts its rating high, at 4 stars ( out of 5 ), finding it `` ( A ) rousing murder mystery elevated by the excellent acting of Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier. '' British references likewise show high regard for the film, with David Shipman in his 1984 The Good Film and Video Guide giving 3 ( out of 4 ) stars, noting that `` ( A ) s mystery or detective story this film is only fair but it has enormous tension. Within its given framework, it is good on the colour question. There is tension in the eyes of the black ( Sidney Poitier ), who happens to be a homicide officer, and malevolence in those of the local police chief ( Rod Steiger ). These are two remarkable performances, well supported by Warren Oates, Lee Grant and Larry Gates. '' Home media In the Heat of the Night was first released on DVD in 2001. In 2010, the film was digitized in High Definition ( 1080i ) and broadcast on MGM HD. In 2014, MGM released the film on Blu - ray. Other appearances In episode 6 of Doctor Who 's `` Web of Fear '', a poster for this film is shown in the background, with the movie title replaced by the words ' Block - Busters ', presumably for copyright reasons. Preservation The Academy Film Archive preserved In the Heat of the Night in 1997. Gallery Accolades In the Heat of the Night was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning five. They are as follows : Academy Award wins Academy Award for Best Picture -- Walter Mirisch Academy Award for Best Actor -- Rod Steiger Academy Award for Best Film Editing -- Hal Ashby Academy Award for Best Sound -- Samuel Goldwyn Studios Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium -- Stirling Silliphant Academy Award nominations Academy Award for Best Directing -- Norman Jewison Academy Award for Best Sound Effects -- James Richard Other awards Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama -- Rod Steiger Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay -- Stirling Silliphant BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor -- Rod Steiger BAFTA UN Award -- Walter Mirisch Edgar Award -- Best Motion Picture Screenplay -- Stirling Silliphant ( Ball 's book also received an Edgar, for Best First Novel ) New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture Walter Mirisch American Film Institute recognition AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies ( 10th Anniversary Edition ) : # 75 AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains : Virgil Tibbs # 19 Hero AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes : Virgil Tibbs : `` They call me Mister Tibbs ! '' : # 16 AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Cheers : # 21 Other nominations BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor -- Sidney Poitier BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source -- Norman Jewison Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures -- Norman Jewison Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Director -- Norman Jewison Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actor -- Drama -- Sidney Poitier Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Lee Grant Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Quentin Dean Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media -- Quincy Jones Writers Guild of America for Best Written American Drama -- Stirling Silliphant See also List of American films of 1967 Sources DuBose, James ( 2008 ). Searching for Sparta : A 40 - year Retrospective on the Movie In the Heat of the Night ( 2nd ed. ). lulu.com. References Jump up ^ `` IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT ( A ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. July 17, 1967. Retrieved November 13, 2014. Jump up ^ Tino Balio, United Artists : The Company that Changed the Film Industry, Uni of Wisconsin Press, 1987 p 187 Jump up ^ `` In the Heat of the Night, Box Office Information ''. The Numbers. Retrieved March 8, 2012. Jump up ^ Harris, Mark. Pictures at a Revolution : Five Films and the Birth of a New Hollywood. Penguin Press, 2008, p. 221. Jump up ^ Harris, pp. 288 -- 90. Jump up ^ Harris, p. 336. Jump up ^ Harris, pp. 335 -- 6 Jump up ^ Ebert 's 10 Best Lists : 1967 to Present. Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun - Times via the Internet Archive. Retrieved October 18, 2016. Jump up ^ The Best 10 Movies of 1967. Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Later, Poitier did the sequels They Call Me MISTER Tibbs and The Organization, but both films failed at the box office. Variety review, 1967 Jump up ^ `` In the Heat of the Night, Movie Reviews ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Preserved Projects ''. Academy Film Archive. Jump up ^ `` The 40th Academy Awards ( 1968 ) Nominees and Winners ''. oscars.org. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 25. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : In the Heat of the Night ( film ) In the Heat of the Night on IMDb In the Heat of the Night at the TCM Movie Database In the Heat of the Night at AllMovie In the Heat of the Night at the American Film Institute Catalog In the Heat of the Night at Box Office Mojo In the Heat of the Night at Rotten Tomatoes Films directed by Norman Jewison 40 Pounds of Trouble ( 1962 ) The Thrill of It All ( 1963 ) Send Me No Flowers ( 1964 ) The Art of Love ( 1965 ) The Cincinnati Kid ( 1965 ) The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ( 1966 ) In the Heat of the Night ( 1967 ) The Thomas Crown Affair ( 1968 ) Gaily, Gaily ( 1969 ) Fiddler on the Roof ( 1971 ) Jesus Christ Superstar ( 1973 ) Rollerball ( 1975 ) F.I.S.T. ( 1978 )... And Justice for All ( 1979 ) Best Friends ( 1982 ) A Soldier 's Story ( 1984 ) Agnes of God ( 1985 ) Moonstruck ( 1987 ) In Country ( 1989 ) Other People 's Money ( 1991 ) Only You ( 1994 ) Bogus ( 1996 ) The Hurricane ( 1999 ) Dinner with Friends ( 2001 ) The Statement ( 2003 ) Academy Award for Best Picture 1927 / 28 -- 1950 Wings ( 1927 / 28 ) The Broadway Melody ( 1928 / 29 ) All Quiet on the Western Front ( 1929 / 30 ) Cimarron ( 1930 / 31 ) Grand Hotel ( 1931 / 32 ) Cavalcade ( 1932 / 33 ) It Happened One Night ( 1934 ) Mutiny on the Bounty ( 1935 ) The Great Ziegfeld ( 1936 ) The Life of Emile Zola ( 1937 ) You Ca n't Take It with You ( 1938 ) Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ) Rebecca ( 1940 ) How Green Was My Valley ( 1941 ) Mrs. Miniver ( 1942 ) Casablanca ( 1943 ) Going My Way ( 1944 ) The Lost Weekend ( 1945 ) The Best Years of Our Lives ( 1946 ) Gentleman 's Agreement ( 1947 ) Hamlet ( 1948 ) All the King 's Men ( 1949 ) All About Eve ( 1950 ) 1951 -- 1975 An American in Paris ( 1951 ) The Greatest Show on Earth ( 1952 ) From Here to Eternity ( 1953 ) On the Waterfront ( 1954 ) Marty ( 1955 ) Around the World in 80 Days ( 1956 ) The Bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ) Gigi ( 1958 ) Ben - Hur ( 1959 ) The Apartment ( 1960 ) West Side Story ( 1961 ) Lawrence of Arabia ( 1962 ) Tom Jones ( 1963 ) My Fair Lady ( 1964 ) The Sound of Music ( 1965 ) A Man for All Seasons ( 1966 ) In the Heat of the Night ( 1967 ) Oliver ! ( 1968 ) Midnight Cowboy ( 1969 ) Patton ( 1970 ) The French Connection ( 1971 ) The Godfather ( 1972 ) The Sting ( 1973 ) The Godfather Part II ( 1974 ) One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest ( 1975 ) 1976 -- 2000 Rocky ( 1976 ) Annie Hall ( 1977 ) The Deer Hunter ( 1978 ) Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) Ordinary People ( 1980 ) Chariots of Fire ( 1981 ) Gandhi ( 1982 ) Terms of Endearment ( 1983 ) Amadeus ( 1984 ) Out of Africa ( 1985 ) Platoon ( 1986 ) The Last Emperor ( 1987 ) Rain Man ( 1988 ) Driving Miss Daisy ( 1989 ) Dances with Wolves ( 1990 ) The Silence of the Lambs ( 1991 ) Unforgiven ( 1992 ) Schindler 's List ( 1993 ) Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) Braveheart ( 1995 ) The English Patient ( 1996 ) Titanic ( 1997 ) Shakespeare in Love ( 1998 ) American Beauty ( 1999 ) Gladiator ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present A Beautiful Mind ( 2001 ) Chicago ( 2002 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King ( 2003 ) Million Dollar Baby ( 2004 ) Crash ( 2005 ) The Departed ( 2006 ) No Country for Old Men ( 2007 ) Slumdog Millionaire ( 2008 ) The Hurt Locker ( 2009 ) The King 's Speech ( 2010 ) The Artist ( 2011 ) Argo ( 2012 ) 12 Years a Slave ( 2013 ) Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( 2014 ) Spotlight ( 2015 ) Moonlight ( 2016 ) Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama A Place in the Sun ( 1951 ) The Greatest Show on Earth ( 1952 ) On the Waterfront ( 1954 ) East of Eden ( 1955 ) Around the World in 80 Days ( 1956 ) The Bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ) The Defiant Ones ( 1958 ) Ben - Hur ( 1959 ) Spartacus ( 1960 ) The Guns of Navarone ( 1961 ) Lawrence of Arabia ( 1962 ) The Cardinal ( 1963 ) Becket ( 1964 ) Doctor Zhivago ( 1965 ) A Man for All Seasons ( 1966 ) In the Heat of the Night ( 1967 ) The Lion in Winter ( 1968 ) Anne of the Thousand Days ( 1969 ) Love Story ( 1970 ) The French Connection ( 1971 ) The Godfather ( 1972 ) The Exorcist ( 1973 ) Chinatown ( 1974 ) One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest ( 1975 ) Rocky ( 1976 ) The Turning Point ( 1977 ) Midnight Express ( 1978 ) Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) Ordinary People ( 1980 ) On Golden Pond ( 1981 ) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ( 1982 ) Terms of Endearment ( 1983 ) Amadeus ( 1984 ) Out of Africa ( 1985 ) Platoon ( 1986 ) The Last Emperor ( 1987 ) Rain Man ( 1988 ) Born on the Fourth of July ( 1989 ) Dances with Wolves ( 1990 ) Bugsy ( 1991 ) Scent of a Woman ( 1992 ) Schindler 's List ( 1993 ) Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) Sense and Sensibility ( 1995 ) The English Patient ( 1996 ) Titanic ( 1997 ) Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) American Beauty ( 1999 ) Gladiator ( 2000 ) A Beautiful Mind ( 2001 ) The Hours ( 2002 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King ( 2003 ) The Aviator ( 2004 ) Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) Babel ( 2006 ) Atonement ( 2007 ) Slumdog Millionaire ( 2008 ) Avatar ( 2009 ) The Social Network ( 2010 ) The Descendants ( 2011 ) Argo ( 2012 ) 12 Years a Slave ( 2013 ) Boyhood ( 2014 ) The Revenant ( 2015 ) Moonlight ( 2016 ) Virgil Tibbs Novel In the Heat of the Night by John Ball Films In the Heat of the Night They Call Me Mister Tibbs ! The Organization TV series In the Heat of the Night ( episodes ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_the_Heat_of_the_Night_(film)&oldid=803203488 '' Categories : 1967 films English - language films 1960s crime drama films American films American crime drama films Films directed by Norman Jewison Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners Best Picture Academy Award winners Edgar Award - winning works Film scores by Quincy Jones Films about murder Films about race and ethnicity Films adapted into television programs Films based on American novels Films based on crime novels Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award - winning performance Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance Films set in Mississippi Films shot in Illinois Films shot in Tennessee Films that won the Best Sound Mixing Academy Award Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award Police detective films United States National Film Registry films United Artists films Screenplays by Stirling Silliphant Fictional portrayals of the Philadelphia Police Department Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from November 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Asturianu Български Bosanski Català Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 1 October 2017, at 03 : 16. 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Question: who killed mr colbert in the heat of the night
Answer: Henshaw