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Cassie Tremblay
Cassie Tremblay

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In the Heat of the Night (1967) - Full Reaction

"In the heat of the night we are having a fiesta..." oh wait wrong song! Sorry Aqua! This was a great story and mystery within the background of the racial south. Some of it was obviously hard to watch/hear but I loved how Virgil held his head high and I think he changed people in his short time. Really glad to have seen this one! "They call me Mr. Tibbs!"

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In the Heat of the Night (1967) - Full Reaction

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Great movie and great acting,

John A

Also: "pwah-tea-ay"

G. T. Blackwell

I just recorded a podcast episode on this movie, analyzing it from my perspective as a civil rights attorney. We had a fun conversation. The episode probably won't be out for a while. We're still building up a backlog before the podcast goes live. As another comment mentioned, although this movie came out in 1968, it was written and filmed before that, noting the 1966 calendar on Gillespie's office wall. That means the film is set in the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court decided MIranda v. Arizona, the decision that gave us the familiar "you have the right to remain silent..." spiel in every cop movie and TV show. It's therefore correct that Woods here didn't Mirandize Tibbs because the decision either hadn't been decided or hadn't been implemented by local police. (The decision took a while to filter down, for officers to be trained to comply with it, and for the familiar langauge to be standardized.) Notably, this film came out in same year (and was produced the year before) the Supreme Court decided Terry v. Ohio, which settled that so-called stop-and-frisk tactics by police can be constitutional, at least under the right circumstances. Wood's search and arrest of Tibbs at the train station went beyond what is allowed for a "Terry stop" but that wasn't settled at the time. And subsequent court decisions have weakened Terry to such an extent that Wood's actions would likely be found to be justified today. We just saw in the incident involving Dolphin's player Tyreek Hill a couple weeks ago that officers today still act a manner even more egregious than what Wood exhibited. Sadly, civil rights in the US are in a terrible state.

G. T. Blackwell

Based on her reaction, I think Cassie (and maybe Carly too) would really like the first season of the Series "Reacher" (2022)

JAKH

"They call me MR. TIBBS!!" is a classic Hollywood line, parodied in Lion King: "They call me MR. PIG!!"

Keith Jacobsen

Another excellent movie with Poitier is To Sir with Love. It's about a strong teacher who educates his unruly students good values of life and self respect.

3dbadboy1

Yes to RAISIN IN THE SUN.

Stick Figure Studios

Also worth checking out: Pressure Point To Sir, With Love A Raisin in the Sun Blackboard Jungle And many more! Also, always nice to see Scott Wilson (debut: In Cold Blood) as Harvey Oberst. He might be better known to today’s audience for his recurring character on CSI (original), where he played a shadowy casino figure over several seasons and The Walking Dead.

Marja

It helps that Haskell Wexler was the cinematographer!

Marja

I mean it’s dated TV but Howard Rollins is pretty good as Tibbs and i’ll always love Carroll O’Connor. Archie Bunker was a piece of shit but Carroll… great dude. Good actor.

djKENTO

Makes me wonder if the show lives up to the film. I know it was on for years

Seven Coughlin

The Defiant Ones (1958) is a great movie, but I think you would like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) better. Shoot to Kill (1988) is another action-packed movie. All these Sidney Poitier movies are great.

Eddie Perkins

Maybe when they actually filmed the movie because it was released in 1967.

MikeLL

I think Tibbs was also a better man and detective at the end as well. The recognition of his own biases, his obsession with nailing Endicott instead of pursuing all angles of the crime, likely had a lasting impact on him and made him an even better detective than he already was.

Gábor Árki

I had thought that this and THE LIVES OF OTHERS would be the least likely selections, yet Cassie ventured beyond her comfort zone with an unexpected pick. It's nice to see that some movies of the 60s and 70s finally made it to a reaction in the recent months. There are so many gems from these decades that don't stand a chance at regular polls against more recent movies, but are too recent for the classics. I think many of us would appreciate a dedicated 60/70s only poll once in a while. This movie surprised me when I first watched it. Despite being made in 1967 it feels quite ahead of its time and more reminiscent of the detective films of the 70s in its storytelling and cinematography. The film not only provides a compelling murder mystery but also delves deeply into complex character interactions and social commentary, which is perhaps what captivates me more. The gradual shift from animosity to friendship between Gillespie and Tibbs is a satisfying arc to watch. "Virgil, you take care. You hear?" "Yeah."

Gábor Árki

I see a lot of recommendations in the comments for other Sidney Poitier movies like GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER and THE DEFIANT ONES. Good films both, but one I don't see anyone mentioning another one that you should really watch: A RAISIN IN THE SUN.

Stick Figure Studios

First things first… No Reaction to “Bowlegged Polly and Knock Kneed Paul,” by Glen Campbell. Come on!! ;-) https://youtu.be/aKzTQFPOu58?si=m3lJ7hB_ilmqNFl6 That song gets me every time. ———————- Virgil Tibbs was certainly victimized by almost every person in Sparta, MS, at one time… but in my opinion, the only time Virgil Tibbs was actually a Victim, was in the first night and morning, when Sam Wood wrongfully apprehended him and then wrongfully arrested him. Once he agreed to stay in town and work the case, from then on Virgil Tibbs had the moral and intellectual high ground, and was a Victim No More. I can’t remember anymore my first reaction to this film. I just know I laugh a lot more than I probably used to. The murder mystery is pretty darn good for sure, yes, but seeing Tibbs coolly and calmly take over the investigation while Gillespie gets louder and louder and the town folk get angrier and angrier… I can’t help but smile and chuckle. The townsfolk of Sparta in this film, and anyone in real life who acts like them, remind me of Children in Men’s bodies. They are ignorant, backward, stupid fools, who need a good Reality Smack in the face, to help them start growing up. This is no clearer than when Tibbs smacks Endicott with a surprise Humble Pie. Endicott slapped first, and it was immediately returned. The second slap was way more impactful and Endicott was not expecting it. It scared him. It was similar to a parent slapping their child. He didn’t know how to respond, so he did what any scared child might do… cry. I find it interesting that the more accepting of Tibbs that someone is, the more Adult like they appear. Mrs. Colbert has this from the beginning. Deputies Courtney and McNeil seem to achieve this maturity by the end. Even Harvey seems to of growed up since his first scene to his last. ——————————— “You’re just like the rest of us.” The longer Tibbs stayed in town around these people, the closer he became to being just as prejudiced as they were. For a time, Virgil was behaving like Gillespie, by blindly going after Endicott, just because he was the biggest fattest White Cat on the hill. He was so sure that he could prove it was Endicott, when he went into Gillespie’s office talking about the FBI lab. Then Gillespie quickly shot him down and again blindly, accuses Sam Wood with hardly any evidence. “What kind of a man do you think I am!?” “Now, don’t you push me Boy!” Gillespie once again quickly accusing someone with little evidence, paired with Gillespie calling Sam Wood, “Boy,” opened Tibbs’ eyes to the blindness that he had fallen into. When Tibbs laughingly says, “You’re making a mistake.” I believe he’s laughing because Gillespie is doing the same wrong thing again, but also because Tibbs realizes that he was doing it too. He’s talking to Gillespie and Himself. Gillespie had the longest road to acceptance, but he did come around. Acceptance of someone like Tibbs was not the hardest hurdle for Gillespie to overcome. It was his fear of letting ANYONE get close to him. But by the end, I think it’s safe to say, Gillespie was a better Detective and all around better Man, for having met Virgil Tibbs.

Larry Darrell

Yes, it was set in the 60's, the calendar Gillespie was standing next to said 1966. I so wished they would've been able to do something remarkable with this character, not so much like Dirty Harry but at least a few more movies involving his brilliance, make a good detective mystery movie, but sadly, they only made two lackluster sequels to this; 'They Call Me Mr. Tibbs' and 'The Organization', both of which played like 70's tv movies. The events of the tv series, which was good and very watchable, was set a year after the events of this movie, with Virgil returning to Sparta and joining the police department there. Carroll O'Connor did a fantastic job as Chief Gillespie and Howard Rollins playing Tibbs, but Rollins was dismissed from the series after season 6 for alcohol and substance abuse, the show never quite recovered.

JPDotCom23

Hey sis , you should watch the making of In the Heat of the Night "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4y75KlAK-w". When the film was made in 1967, the south land in America was still highly bigoted towards people of color and to such an extent that when they filmed there for this movie they literally had to sneak Sidney Poitier in for fear of his life and he kept a loaded weapon with him. Crazy!

Lana Gorgeous

Very nice to see Cassie. I hope this leads to you watching more Sidney Poitier movies. The Defiant Ones, Lillies of the Field, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?. Which by the way is also on Carly's Romantic Movie List. :)

Mark Vaderr

In the book, there is a complete subplot involving George Endicott, who was a friend to Mantoli (Colbert in the movie), but that subplot couldn't realized for the movie so they made him the enemy instead, to involve another suspect.

JPDotCom23

The calendar in Gillespie’s office shows “September 1966.”

REDR58

Many are recommending Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which is great. To that, I would add a movie I saw because of your moderator KL, who watched A Touch of Blue, also with Sidney Poitier. Would make for a good double feature with Dinner, IMO. In addition to GWCtD, I would also note that this was by director Norman Jewison, who has many movies you would probably enjoy. The one I shortlisted (as well as Jon Caro, before he changed his picks to be more Christmasy) when I won trivia was Moonstruck, which you as a rom-com lover will be head-over-heels for. He also directed a courtroom drama (And Justice For All), a couple of Steve McQueen movies (The Cincinnati Kid and the original Thomas Crown Affair from 1968), a sci-fi action movie (Rollerball), a famous musical (Fiddler on the Roof), a boxing/prison drama based on a true story (The Hurricane), and many more.

Tyler Foster

Another good recommendation of a pivotal Sidney Poitier film is "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner". Though it was a Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn steal the show throughout.

Ron Jones

This was my first time watching and I kind of liked it. I thought the cinematography and the way the camera moved was pretty exciting. It could have been a generic whodunnit but it's laced with the racial tensions of the Deep South which gives it some depth. All the characters were fully developed (unlike, say, in The Patriot) so that you care about even the bad guys and understand their point of view.

Carol_White

Another thing that comes to mind looking at Cassie's reaction to this film is a statement from the narration of Ken Burns' 'Baseball'. Jackie Robinson was set to be the first black man to play Major League Baseball in 1947. He would be playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He started in 1946 moving from the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs to the Dodgers' minor league all-white Royals team in... "Montreal, where race was not an issue". Another world.

Carl Evans

Rod Steiger who won the oscar that year for this film originally didn't want to chew the gum. The director insisted, so Steiger made it a part of his character's inner processes. You can see when he's thinking something over, he stops chewing. This movie had tremendous social impact at the time. It was also the first time a black actor was put on an equal footing with a white actor and the slap heard round the world was a pivotal moment in film history. I always loved the part where the mayor ways their former chief would have shot Tibbs and claimed self defence. You can see from Steiger's reaction, he's repulsed by it. He may be a man who holds racist views, but he's not the sort of man who would murder in cold blood. He was also open minded enough to give Virgil the space to work out the crime. So glad you watched this one. You should also check out Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, another movie that had tremedous social impact at a time when inter racial marriage was actually illegal.

sharkey197

My little sister was just in a play called The Perfect Arrangement it takes place during the 1950's and is about two gay couples hiding. They actually used the word f**s . The whole crew hated using it. In the 1950's during the red scare it's just the words they used. My sister kissed another woman during the play which she warned me about. My little sis is married but I am still extremely protective of her. Oh my girlfriend watched you for the first time during this movie. She called you a doll. She said your class act all the way. She initially told me no more special thanks but now I think she is rethinking that.

Zachary K. (Swiftie)

I have to agree!

MikeLL

Hoping for The Wild Bunch (1969) one day.

Larry Darrell

He also played Scott Crossfield in The Right Stuff (1983). He was the fastest man alive… until Chuck Yeager went after the Demon who lived out in the thin air. In the Heat of the Night was his first role. His next role, in the same year, would be in another film based on a novel that was required reading in school. In Cold Blood (1967)

Larry Darrell

Also, watch Kelly’s Heroes!

REDR58

I have seen this movie more than a half dozen times, and I always love the moment when Gillespie’s face just drops straight to the floor when Tibbs says “I’m a police officer!” because he knows damn well that he’s just screwed up in the biggest way he possibly could. And the only thing keeping Tibbs out of jail is the fact that he’s a police officer. It may well have saved his life. Edit: I wanted to add, anybody who likes this movie and is interested in filmmaking in general do yourself a favor and please listen to the commentary that is available on all recent versions of the DVD or Blu-ray of this movie.

REDR58

Cassie came to understand Mississippi... in the 1960's. And yes... the chief was giving Tibbs a lot of grace... given the state of the society at the time. Very good reaction!

Terry Yelmene

(Wrong reply!)

REDR58

Also “The Defiant Ones” from 1958, he stars with Tony Curtis.

REDR58

For Gabor's excellent 5 picks, my top 2 are: No. 1 -- In the Heat of the Night (1967). No. 2 -- Invictus (2009), which I love. I saw Invictus (2009) in the theater when released, and have watched many times since. Morgan Freeman's portrayal of Nelson Mandela is excellent. Matt Damon does well. A good sports movie. Plus, inspirational. Has significance for me in that as a young adult in the 1980s, I had so much focus on South Africa. In 1990, the South Africa president de Klerk released Mandela from prison, which was a big deal. Mandela had been in prison for 27 years. Mandela became president of South Africa in 1994. Commenting on Invictus (2009) makes me want to stream it tonight for a rewatch.

Clay F

Going to watch this shortly. Please consider watching “To Sir, With Love” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” the 2 other films featuring Sidney Poitier that were also released in 1967. I don’t think any other actor of his stature has ever repeated having 3 movies of such high quality films in the same year.

REDR58

This movie had a great cast, character actors that were embedded in TV and cinema, from Star Trek (Mayor) to Little House on the Prairie, to Back to the Future 3 (Woods and Packy), to Stallones The Specialist... unbelievable. I really liked the TV show as well.

Chris Retzlaff

I watched the TV series. But, this was my first-time watching the movie. It was a good movie. Kept me guessing. Great Reaction, Cassie.

Rick Williams

I saw this film on the big screen in 1967 or 1968 (or possibly both!) so I was either 9 or 10 at the time. It was an unforgettable experience. Certainly the sight of Delores in those opening scenes were probably the raciest scenes I had ever seen in a film up to that time. My parents were living overseas, so we went to the Army base theater 2 or 3 times a week for a few years (they changed movies several times a week!) so I saw ALL of the major releases of the late 1960's on the big screen. I have so many memories of so many films from that period, and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT was one I could never forget. Cassie's reaction was all I could hope for. Warren Oates, the actor who played officer Sam Wood, is better known by most here as the drill sergeant from STRIPES, the Bill Murray/Harold Ramis comedy.

MikeLL

Sidney Poitier had a great year in 1967 with the release of this film, the Best Picture winner of the year, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER, and TO SIR, WITH LOVE. All three films were big hits and socially significant as all three touched on race relations of the time. Cassie would enjoy the two she hasn't seen just as much as she did this one, but I think her favorite would be TO SIR, WITH LOVE. That is a special film, and one that I hope she reacts to (with Carly) in the future.

MikeLL

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn - all huge stars - is a drama set in San Francisco in 1967. It's about liberal parents reacting to the 'shock' of a proposed mixed marriage. And it's funny. Just mentioning it here as it relates to this movie. It's another take on acceptance during that era.

Carl Evans

I am not big on the 2 sequels, but that's me. You may like them. Plus, that's not a bad price for all 3. In the Heat of the Night (1967) (without the 2 sequels) is currently available for $7.99 on Amazon Prime Video.

Clay F

I noticed his name in the credits today for the first time. A great director. BEING THERE and HAROLD AND MAUDE are two of my favorite films.

Stick Figure Studios

The editor of this movie—Hal Ashby—won an Oscar for this and went on to have a prestigious directing career of his own. I think Cassie would really like Ashby’s BEING THERE (1979).

Alex Villarreal

Great movie. Really appreciate your reaction and your unique 2024 young Canadian woman's perspective. Thank you for choosing to react to this film.

Carl Evans

Great movie. The Lillies Of The Field also a great Poitier movie. As well as To Sir With Love, which also features Lulu. And she recorded the title track.

Thomas Thompson

Thanks, Cassie, for a great watchalong. The character of Harvey (in the jail cell) was played by actor Scott Wilson. Those of us who are familiar with the AMC series, "The Walking Dead" will know Scott Wilson's character, Hershel Greene.

ButtercupsTrueLove

I'd love to see an ON THE WATERFRONT reaction.

Stick Figure Studios

LOL! X-D

Stick Figure Studios

First time watching this and I'll be honest it just wasn't for me. Not sure exactly why but it's not one I'll revisit. And I hate to lay film criticism on a personal peeve but like I said earlier I found every scene with the chief insufferable because of his gum chewing

Choof

I loved the TV series as well.

Shawn Kildal

Never seen this and looking forward to it. Question for the community - I see it's available on iTunes with its 2 sequels for $14.99...I didn't even know there were sequels. Any good?

Walter

I agree with Cassie as she said in her reaction to Selma (2014) that we still have a long way to go. For instance, the US Supreme Court found last year in a 5-4 decision that Alabama violated the Voting Rights Act [the federal legislation enacted in in Selma (2014)] by how Alabama drew its voting districts to dilute the black vote.

Clay F

As someone who has a major pet peeve with seeing people aggressively chewing gum this was a harder watch than some sad war movies on this channel haha

Choof

"There was a time when I could've had you shot." The video quality of your reaction is excellent You seem very clear and in focus. Awesome movie. Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier are excellent in this. Black men (no matter their age) were often referred to as "boy" in 1967 in Mississippi. Also, in 1967 in Mississippi, blacks didn't have much rights. As you thought, it was about jurisdiction when Harvey was trying to cross (the bridge over the Mississippi River) into Arkansas from Mississippi. In 1967, going into another State in the US was analogous to going into another country today. You could commit crime and often get away with it if you made it to another State. I agree that 1967 was not that long ago (I was born in 1963). A residual of the white racist culture of that time remains. For instance, the US Supreme Court found last year in a 5-4 decision that Alabama violated the Voting Rights Act by how Alabama drew its voting districts to dilute the black vote. There are still Endicotts atop the hill today. As long as such exists, I will never be silent about it. MLK: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." That quote always got to me. Still does. Fortunately, we have made progress.

Clay F

Ditto. Agree. Well said. "There was a time when I could've had you shot."

Clay F

LILIES OF THE FIELD is fantastic.

Matt Rose

'The Slap Heard Around the World'. One of the very best of the Best Picture winners. 10/10.

Matt Rose

Souds like Cassie might have found two new actors to invest in. It would be a lot of fun watching Cassie and Carly react to a variety of Sidney Poitier and Rod Stiger movies.

John Liebling

Poor race relations weren’t just a problem in the South in the late 1960s. There were race riots in numerous American cities, including Boston, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Detroit. Thankfully, the next two decades saw huge improvements. But there’s no denying that racism was a problem throughout America in the 1960s (and earlier, of course).

Just Plain Bob

I hadn't even watched this movie at the time I first saw LION KING and I still knew the quote.

Stick Figure Studios

Great quote, great movie. Some friends of mine and me in college after a few films courses were always dropping classic movie quotes at the most ridiculous times. I had a buddy who, just randomly when someone called out to him by his name (Stew), would do a perfect Sidney Poitier: "They call me Mr. Tibbs!" We always cracked up, though no one else seemed to be in on the joke. (my go-tos were either, "Saigon. I was still in Saigon," (Apocalypse Now) or "It's a trick. Get an axe!" (Army of Darkness). Those two still seem to work for about 93% of the moments I find myself in today.

Above Average Dave

The part where Endicott slaps Virgil in the greenhouse... and then Virgil slaps him back was shocking to movie audiences at the time. The scene ending with the Endicott crying is a very powerful moment because he realizes that a certain way of life is coming to an end for him. This is a great film (there's a reason why it won the Best Picture Oscar of 1967). Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are terrific together. Killer theme song by Ray Charles too. Thank you for picking it. I can't wait to watch this reaction.

Stick Figure Studios

can't ignore the call-back in The Lion King(1994) - "They call me MISTER PIG!", Pumba (about to charge at the hyena)

Mike H

“They Call Me MISTER TIBBS!” is right. Haha This one is very special to me. Sidney Poitier (pwah-tee-ey) is the first Black actor to receive an Academy Award (for a movie called “Lilies of the Field”). We’re going to cook dinner and watch this one with you sometime tonight.

Ike

Great movie! Looking forward to watching this tonight - haven't seen it in many years.

Johnny

"They call me Mr. Tibbs!" is on a list of 100 Best Movie Quotes Of All Time. 😁

Zane From Canada

Now you have to add the sequels They Call Me Mr. Tibbs and The Organization to your future polls! Maybe just maybe we'll get to see the TV show on a TV Poll??

Nathan Jasper, the Artist Formerly Known as Primary


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