In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Now we’re grinding corn!
Evenin’ y'all, and welcome back to I’d Like to Blank The Academy. For this here newsletter, your two favorite city slickers watched In the Heat of the Night, a Best Picture nominee (and winner!) from 1967. ITHOTN stars the late great Sidney Poitier, who died last month at the age of 94. So to kick off Black History Month in honor of one of the greats, put on your detective’s thinking cap1 and read on!
Previews
What, if anything, did we know about this coming attraction before we watched?
Ellen: You know when your dad is very kindly driving you home from the airport, and you start talking about movies? And it becomes a kind of word-association rabbit hole with which actor is in what movie, and no, not that guy, the other one from that thing? That’s how I first heard of In the Heat of the Night. My parents are on their own Best Picture journey (working through all of the winners via physical DVDs from Netflix2), and they really enjoyed this one. I’ve only seen Sidney Poitier in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, so I’m excited to crack into more of his work!
Tyler: I had never heard of In the Heat of the Night until we watched Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner earlier in the pandemic and happened to be perusing the fellow 1967 nominees. Then, in researching for this post, I realized that Sidney Poitier (who, spoiler alert, is the one who came to dinner) was in two Best Picture nominees that year. That’s obviously not super rare nowadays since The Academy expanded the field of nominees, but I found it impressive for a time when there were only five nominees. So just like you, I’m eager to get into another Sidney Poitier movie!
Plots & Feelings
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
Short Version (courtesy of IMDb): A black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.
Long Version (modified from Wikipedia and formatted to fit your screen):
The headlight of a train cruises across the screen, settling in the sleepy-looking town of Sparta, Mississippi. A pair of polished shoes and well-tailored suit pants step off onto the platform, and it could be anybody! Anyway, let’s move on to the sweaty waiter at Compton’s Diner who’s out of pie but into killing flies with a rubber band. Charming small towns, folks! Officer Sam Wood sits at the counter, shooting the breeze until it’s time for him to return to his patrol, which takes a slight Peeping Tom detour before coming across a dead body.
Ellen: As it happens, the weasel behind the counter was merely hiding the lemon meringue pie from Officer Wood! He’s probably better off without it, considering the number of flies in the establishment and lack of covering on said pie.
Tyler: It's a sad sign of the times we now live in, but my first thought at seeing this diner was “Oh you just KNOW that no one in there is wearing a mask.”
The body is that of wealthy industrialist Philip Colbert, who had moved to town to build a factory and create jobs of which Sparta is sorely in need. No one on the scene from the doctor to the photographer seems particularly experienced in such macabre matters, but they determine he’d been dead for a while. Police Chief Gillespie sends Wood off to the closed pool hall and the ends of town to round up anybody suspicious, and who should he find but a well-dressed Black man in the train station. Officer Wood makes a lot of unfounded presumptions and hauls the man, who seems more annoyed than concerned and already over the whole situation, into the police station.
The “interrogation” that follows is a series of racist accusations as to the man’s presence in the town, intercut with the man we now know as Virgil Tibbs informing us that he is a police officer from Philadelphia visiting his mother, and he makes much more money than any of you3, since you asked about the size of his wallet. Virgil’s chief tells Gillespie that his man is the number one homicide expert in Philly, so the chief and Mr. Tibbs (as he’s called) reluctantly agree to work together4 for the time being. Upon examining the body in the undertaker’s workshop (a word we use deliberately), Tibbs determines Colbert died earlier than they thought by way of a right-handed killer and was moved to the alley after the fact.
The next day, the Boys in Blue (along with some Very Good Boys) chase a vest-wearing man through the forest and onto the bridge that crosses into Arkansas. The improbably named Officer Shagbag unsheathes the longest walkie talkie antenna known to mankind and radios the chief to cut the man off. They haul him into the police station, where Tibbs is already talking with the understandably upset widow of Colbert. Virgil looks at the dude they brought in (Harvey), and is like “left-handed, try again losers,” but they throw him in a cell anyway. Colbert’s widow rightly believes Tibbs is the only person around here with any sense, and she and her red helmet of hair threaten to pull the factory out of town unless Mr. Tibbs leads the investigation.
Tyler: Welcome to Sparta: where suspects are "prisoners,” the only good boys are the dogs, and everyone is guilty until proven innocent. There are also a lot of … interesting first-person/first-dog camera shots when they were chasing down Harvey.
Gillespie takes the natural, normal next step of tossing the person with whom he disagrees in a jail cell5. Virgil takes his opportunity in the cellblock/broom closet to question Harvey himself and endears himself to the hoodlum, as well as learning about the exhibitionist-leaning gal in town named Delores Purdy. Tibbs is eventually allowed to return to the train depot while Gillespie heads down to Ye Olde Sparta Equipment Co. to talk about his options. After being convinced by a man selling red tractors6 that it’s a win-win to work with Tibbs (and not incur the Colbert family wrath), Gillespie baits Virgil into staying on the case because he’ll want to prove he’s better than these white ding-dongs in Sparta.
Tyler: Yet another example of people in the South not trusting the experts.
Virgil does some sleuthing around the deceased’s car and determines they need to talk to Endicott, a local cotton plantation owner who opposes the factory. His operation utilizes green tractors7 and isn’t shy about the racist motifs. Endicott is genteel and seems to take to Virgil, that is until the detective suggests Colbert had been in the greenhouse. Endicott slaps Tibbs, and Tibbs slaps him right back. Everyone leaves in a huff, and Gillespie seemingly can’t believe he just let that happen, but silently stands his ground when his inaction is pointed out. Thankfully this pacifistic streak does not continue when he later finds Virgil cornered in an old factory, having been chased inside by four white jerks driving a Plymouth with a confederate flag on it. Gillespie punches one of them out, and everyone leaves.
Ellen: More like Endi-cotton amirite?
The greasy kid from the diner (Ralph) is absolutely jamming to “Fowl Owl On The Prowl” when the unlikely duo of Officer Wood and Virgil Tibbs rolls up. They’re retracing Wood’s steps from the night of the murder. Though Ralph refuses to serve Tibbs, they end up taking Chief Gillespie with them to-go. Wood makes a noticeable deviation from his route, and that combined with the fact that he recently made a $600 deposit at the bank makes Gillespie change his tune yet again, thinking Wood is the murderer now (that’s the third false accusation, for those keeping score at home). Virgil sets the record straight by explaining that Colbert was killed at the factory construction site, and there’s no physical way Wood could have driven both his patrol car and Colbert’s sweet ride back into town.
Meanwhile, Delores Purdy is brought into the police station by her brother, whom Wikipedia describes as “a hostile local.” She’s 16 and Pregnant, her brother is furious, and she doesn’t seem too happy about explaining it herself, claiming Wood is the father. Virgil doesn’t buy it and uses his connection with the still-jailed Harvey to find out where one might get an abortion in this town. As he questions Mama Caleba in a place “where whitey ain’t allowed,” Delores and Ralph from the diner show up! And then, so does a lynch mob headed by the male Purdy! Tibbs convinces them to check Delores’ purse for the abortion money, and it’s revealed that Ralph is the father AND the murderer! He meant to just rob Colbert under the pretext of asking for a job, but accidentally killed him instead. In the ensuing fight, Ralph shoots Mr. Purdy dead.
The next day, Tibbs boards a train bound for Philadelphia, as Gillespie, having carried his suitcase, respectfully bids him farewell.
Tyler: Gillespie carrying Tibbs’ suitcase was cute, but it just reminded me of Green Book in a “shared experiences with a Black man teaches white man to be less racist” way and it just feels kind of icky. The character growth is cool and all, but can’t we just, like, not be racist to begin with?
Ellen: Having not seen Green Book yet, I can’t speak to the relative ickiness. It seemed more to me like Gillespie was a man forced to confront his prejudices as opposed to Tibbs guiding him on some growth journey. Tibbs was more like “this is my metaphorical train, and it’s leaving with or without you.” And at least it’s not a 90s movie where they believed themselves to have solved racism?
Tyler: It’s definitely less icky from a white savior standpoint. I think the fact that (spoiler alert for WikiWikiWhat) the portrayal of Gillespie (and thus the character itself) was rewarded so handsomely skews my perception of the gesture and makes it feel a little more insignificant than it actually was.
Intermission
Even though ILTBTA is free, please indulge us further and enjoy this quick “advertisement.”
This installment of ILTBTA is brought to you by … the Sparta Train Station!
The Sparta Train Station is the jewel of this rustic Mississippi town, boasting four sturdy walls, fewer flies than Compton’s Diner, and the ability to leave Sparta. Whether you’re traveling for business, pleasure, or just passing through, let the Sparta Train Station serve you in style. May require multiple trips to the station only to get hauled back into town to aid in a murder investigation before departure. Times vary; see posted schedule for details.
Use promo code “ILTBTA” when booking your next ticket out of town, and a portion of your ticket sale will go toward building the new Colbert Factory. Just remember: NO LOAFING!
Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?
Love a good Wikipedia rabbit hole in search of some fun facts? Us too.
In the Heat of the Night’s Wikipedia page has some interesting facts and anecdotes that we recommend you read through, but here are a few of our favorites:
ITHOTN is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by John Dudley Ball. The novel won Ball an Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, and was the first in a series of novels that featured Virgil Tibbs. Prior to becoming a writer, Ball was a part-time reserve deputy in Los Angeles County, trained in martial arts, a nudist, and a semi-professional magician under the names “Jacques Morintell” and “Howduzi.” (Presumably, not all at the same time.)
Rod Steiger won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Police Chief Bill Gillespie, beating out acting heavyweights such as Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde), Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate), and Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke).
Ellen: Considering most of what he did in this movie was stand around in stupid yellow sunglasses and falsely accuse people of murder, I can’t say that I really get it.
Despite being set in Sparta, Mississippi, ITHOTN was largely filmed in Sparta, Illinois. Apparently director Norman Jewison had problems with authorities in the South and star Sidney Poitier was uneasy about filming south of the Mason-Dixon line.
ITHOTN was the first major Hollywood movie filmed in color that was properly lit for a black person. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler noticed that the usual strong lighting would create too much glare on those with darker complexions, so he adjusted the lighting for Poitier.
The extremely gratifying scene in the greenhouse where Tibbs slaps Endicott was so popular amongst audiences that it earned the film the nickname Superspade Versus the Rednecks.
Two sequels, They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) and The Organization (1971), were made with Poitier reprising his role as Virgil Tibbs. Neither were nearly as well-received as ITHOTN. The TV series, on the other hand, aired 142 episodes over seven seasons and had four TV movies. Reruns are available on something called Bounce TV, which we cannot confirm but nevertheless like to imagine is owned by the dryer sheet company.
Oscar NomNomNomz
Since we all know a movie is nothing without the food and drink it incorporates.
It’s now time to award the Oscar for Best Snacktor in a Supporting Role8. And the nomnomnominees are:
The hidden slice of lemon meringue pie at Compton’s Diner
A cold bottle of Coca-Cola
The lemonade that Tibbs and Gillespie didn’t get to drink at Endicott’s plantation
And the Oscar goes to … the hidden slice of lemon meringue pie! Unfortunately, Ralph has requested it as his last meal, so we will accept this award on its behalf.
Fill In The Blank
How did we really feel about The Academy nominating this?
Ellen: I’d like to buy the Academy a ticket out of Sparta and share an ice cold Coke. I enjoyed this more than Tyler did, and whether that’s my non-coastal roots or tendency to get deeply sucked into a murder mystery: who can say. Sidney Poitier was obviously fabulous, and I was also baited into wanting Virgil to stay in town to completely outshine the bumbling Sparta PD. It’s worth mentioning that his two big roles from this year (the other being John Prentice in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) really exemplify the problem that Black people, especially for the time, need to be twice as good as everyone around them to get half the respect. Tibbs can’t just be a successful homicide detective elsewhere: he has to be the best in all of Philly and is still treated like dirt by the majority of people for the majority of the film. It was “a different time” as they say, but this movie was at least trying.
Tyler: I’d like to wipe the sweat off my face, correct the Academy’s grammar, and take the first train back north. Look, I love a good murder mystery (as my library card can attest to; shout out to Agatha Christie), but I thought ITHOTN was merely just fine. Sidney Poitier was a perfect cool, calm, collected, and extremely capable foil to the stubbornly ignorant people9 of Sparta, MS, but I ultimately didn’t care enough about anyone else to get emotionally invested in the outcome. I would’ve been just as content to see MISTER TIBBS just say “fuck this noise” and head back to a place where he won’t be openly discriminated against (as much; it’s still the 60s after all). From what I’ve read, aspects of ITHOTN were ground-breaking for their time, so perhaps I’m seeing it too late to fully appreciate it in the context of when it was released. Or maybe my anti-South, pro-Northeast/Mid-Atlantic brand of coastal elitism is showing here, but hey … points for self-awareness?
Let The Credits Roll
Thanks for reading! Some quick housekeeping as you exit the theatre:
If you have plots and feelings of your own (on the movie or ILTBTA in general), feel free to comment on the post or simply reply to the email. If you liked reading this: tell your friends! If you hated reading this: tell your friends how much you hated it by forwarding it to them!
If you’re a weirdo like Tyler and use Twitter, feel free to follow us there @BlankTheAcademy for ILTBTA updates, rejected jokes, and other random movie-related musings. Once we reach a million followers, we’ll offer to purchase the @ILTBTA handle from the butthead who snagged it before us.
If you’d like to start a wild Best Picture journey of your own, feel free to download a copy of The Spreadsheet. Bonus: checking off the boxes is oddly satisfying.
For pizza’s sake, GET YOUR COVID VACCINE AND BOOSTER! Wear a mask. Get tested. Don’t be an idiot.
Post-Credits Scene
Get a sneak peek at the next ILTBTA installment.
In recognition of Valentine’s Day and the upcoming Winter Olympics, celebrate with ILTBTA as we discuss the romantic sports dramedy Jerry Maguire. The 1996 Best Picture nominee stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, and is available for rent in all the usual places.
Until then, mark your calendars for February 8th when the list of this year’s Academy Award nominees is released, and may the flies keep ever off your pies!
Figuratively, of course. Virgil Tibbs would never ruin one of his impeccable outfits with a hat.
A thing that is somehow still available in the year 2022.
What, you might be asking yourself, is $162.39/week in today's dollars? About $1,284!
Sounds like my ex-wife!
Tyler: We've all been there when someone we hate at work makes a good point.
A universal sign that he can be trusted.
A universal sign that he cannot be trusted.
Results tabulated and certified by the accountants at Ernst & Yum™.
Tyler: Also the reason we probably won’t be reviewing Beasts of the Southern Wild.