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.
Released: Aug 02, 1967
Runtime: 109 minutes
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Stars: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Peter Whitney, Lee Grant, Anthony James
Crew: Walter Mirisch (Producer), John Ball (Novel), Hal Ashby (Editor), Haskell Wexler (Director of Photography), Stirling Silliphant (Screenplay), Norman Jewison (Director)