IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION

[@joshuahessel4915]

A black man in 1960s Mississippi didn't have any rights. That's part of the power of this movie.

[@cejannuzi]

Well, it was far worse in the 40s and 50s. Actually, a Philly cop would have rights, and the town should have deputized him. It's a ho-hum whodunnit, but Poitier is riveting. I thought many others hammed it up a bit too much.

[@carlevans8825]

Its hard for younger people to understand how monumental this movie was. This was one of the 5 most important films of the 20th century for its social impact.

[@lexkanyima2195]

How ?

[@goldenager59]

I would imagine that one of the other five, ironically enough, would almost certainly have to be 1915's *The Birth of a Nation.* I sometimes think of *In the Heat of the Night* as being the midpoint of the pendulum's swing away from *Nation* and towards a new, epic-level cinematic adaptation of *Uncle Tom's Cabin* that is truly worthy of its source material. 🤔 🤨

[@Gina-kb9xg]

@lexkanyima … how about you actually do a bit of research yourself to find out how!!!

[@trinaq]

"They call me Mr Tibbs!" Definitely one of Sidney Poitier's best performances. Please react to "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" or "Lilies of the Field", if you haven't already.

[@bobbolvin871]

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is a must!

[@BlackRangerMode86]

FUN FACT: The origin of pumba of lion kings saying "THEY CALL ME MR PIG!!" Was from here

[@TheBraunMachine2K24]

@@bobbolvin871 I second that, I think she should watch that one with Carly. Such a classic film, I think the both of them may get emotional near the end of it.

[@laurakali6522]

Has she done To Sir With Love?

[@NoHandleGrr]

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER is dated and creaky and from a current day viewpoint, highly cringe. I second the motion for TO SIR, WITH LOVE, over it.

[@BryanAlaspa]

The scene of Poitier slapping that white man was considered profoundly shocking when this movie came out.

[@garybradford8332]

I think I read that he wasn't expecting it so his reaction of surprise and shock was real.

[@cvonbarron]

Yes it was and Poitier insisted on being able to slap him it wasn't in the screenplay.

[@joewhitehead3]

Did anything happen after he did that?

[@user-be7tc2bd6e]

@@joewhitehead3 Sidney felt-GOOD !!! LOL.

[@SwiftFoxProductions]

@@garybradford8332 Sidney did insist on slapping him back but, no, it wasn't improvised. It was decided beforehand (it was even in one of the drafts of the script). Honestly, it would've been pretty cruel to just slap another actor without warning him beforehand. It wasn't that guy's fault that he happened to be playing the bad guy. (BTW: his reaction shot would have been shot separately so, it couldn't have been a reaction to the slap anyway). But, Sidney did make the director guarantee that the slap would be included in absolutely every print of the movie (meaning that they wouldn't cut it out when they sent the movie to cinemas in the South).

[@gkiferonhs]

It is hard today to imagine the hubbub this movie caused when it came out. Sidney Poitier was one of the main actors to "break" the racial boundary for black leading men.

[@jimgore1278]

First black to win Best Actor at the Oscars, though not for this movie. In fact Steiger won it for this one.

[@KnoxHarringtonTheVideoArtist]

Racism is worse in 2024 than it was in 1968. We have drumpf and his bigot racist cult

[@lexkanyima2195]

​@@jimgore1278 Poitier got slighted for the Academy big time

[@MsBeaBea]

@@lexkanyima2195 I believe Poitier won an Oscar for "Lillies of the Field"...

[@michaelodonnell824]

@@jimgore1278 Just shows that the Academy hasn't changed since - White people ALWAYS prefer the RACIST. Poitier wasn't even NOMINATED. Moreover, Steiger (who called himself a "Friend" of Poitier) NEVER suggested that the award went to the WRONG Actor...

[@BouillaBased]

The word "classic" gets thrown around a lot. This one deserves it.

[@duanekelly-fe5bt]

I just watched The Bedford Incident, a movie I hadn't in 30 years and it reminds me of what might happen in Ukraine while playing cat and mouse with a nuclear power even though The Bedford Incident takes place at sea, while it shows what can happen when there's a simple misunderstanding. What's interesting is that the Portier character comes of Like Tibbs, while Richard Widmark character comes off like the Gillespie character.

[@rustincohle2135]

Whether a movie is a classic or not is actually objective. It's not that a movie deserves to be regarded as a classic. It either is one or it's not. A classic film is simply one that is widely regarded as excellent over a long period of time. After almost 60 years, _In the Heat of the Night_ is still universally praised as one of the best films in American cinema, so it certainly fits the definition of classic to a "T". But a lot of movies also fit the bill.

[@cleekmaker00]

Absolutely. Stellar Cast, compelling plot line, and a stark reminder that we still have a long way to go.

[@RussellCHall]

"I've got the motive which is money, and the body which is dead!" Rod Steiger's line read on that is so perfect

[@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures]

I used to put that as a sample on mix CDs. It's perfect! :)

[@meltorme-ntor2933]

"They call me Mr. Tibbs!" That line right there is a powerhouse! He is saying "You WILL respect me!"

[@roger3141]

This was filmed next to my home town in Southern Illinois. I was present when they filmed the chase scene at the bridge. There were those of us who wanted to end racism and a lot of people who wanted it to continue. I think the acting was incredible in this movie bringing out the complex nature of human interactions.

[@tomw324]

Was that Chester Illinois? Been across that bridge several times and had me wondering when that scene came on.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Then why it is so polarising

[@roger3141]

@@tomw324 Yes, Chester, Illinois, Home of Popeye the Sailor.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Sidney Poitier was a talent like no other. There's nothing he could have been BUT a leading man. Not only was he exceptionally talented and very good looking, he had a presence that commanded the viewers' attention whenever he appeared on screen. A great example of this was 1955's "Blackboard Jungle" (in a way, the original hero teacher movie), where Poitier dominates every scene he is in, despite the fact that he is not the main character. Glenn Ford plays the main character and even Vic Morrow is the most prominent of the student characters.

[@gerstelb]

Poitier had one heck of a year in 1967, doing this, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and “To Sir, With Love.”

[@laurencelikestopgun]

Pretty much the Denzel Washington of his days

[@dadoleyna]

There is another GREAT Poitier film, co-starring Anne Bancroft of 'The Graduate' fame, called 'The Slender Thread' that has a screenplay that has many similarities to '12 Angry Men' in that a great portion of the film is fixed in a single location. It does not make anyone's top 10 movies of all time, but it is REALLY compelling. and has the interesting distinction of being a movie that could not be made today because of its ties to old technology.

[@heytoast7129]

He's one of my favorite actors. I always thought he would've made an excellent James Bond.

[@miker252]

Some of my other favorites are The Defiant Ones 1958, Pressure Point 1962, A Patch of Blue 1965 and Lilies of the Field 1963.

[@polyglot12]

"They can't hold him." It was the South, and Black people didn't have the rights of a squirrel. This was a terrific film that spawned a sequel. Unrelated, a really good spy film from the 70's starring Robert Redford is 'Three Days of the Condor'.

[@westlod]

Three days of the condor is awesome, I think she’d like it a lot.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

I don’t know the particular laws of that state at the time, but the generally, police can arrest and hold you without charge for 24 hours. If they don’t charge you within 24 hours, you’re free to go. They have to have cause, but that cause can be as flimsy as, “I felt there was something about his story that didn’t add up and I wanted to check it out”.

[@agenttheater5]

@@MarcosElMalo2 And once again I'm thinking of lines from the 2014 movie 'Pride' even though once again it has nothing to do with the situation since it's set in the 1980s in England during the miners strike (it's a movie about the group 'LGSM' - 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners', two groups both under attack from Thatcher's government coming together': "A police officer has the right to stop you if, that's the important word there, if, he has reasonable grounds that believe that a crime is to be committed." "Are you sure about this?" "Police Harassment dear, I could set it to music." "And if he does?" "Then he must formally charge you within 24 hours pending the arrest, but when they say reasonable grounds they mean substantial evidence that will hold up in a court of law, it doesn't mean he doesn't like the look of you. It's the same whether you're standing on a picket line or walking down High Street in full drag."

[@bufdaman]

"to sir with love" is one of his best films

[@thomast8539]

Certainly a 3 way tie with Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and Raisin In The Sun.

[@wizardling4709]

Aye. 'To Sir, with Love' is excellent and highly deserving of a reaction.

[@lionskid2393]

We can ask for reaction on any movie we want, or is this only for private membership?

[@thomast8539]

@@lionskid2393 If your question is rhetorical or just for laughs, then please ignore me. If not, and you are genuinely asking, then I hate to break it to ya, but all of us just watching on YT have to wait for Cassie's patrons to help her pick & choose the stuff she reacts to. I just chalk it up to being cosmicly patient and knowing that eventually she will get to the things we ask for.

[@user-be7tc2bd6e]

I once watched that movie with an ex-girlfriend of mine and she cried at least-TWICE-during the film,a very-GOOD-movie.

[@Cadinho93]

Winner of 5 Oscars including Best Picture. Rod Steiger plays the racist sheriff with a heart of gold, whom despises Virgil Tibbs, but learns to respect him. They even did a TV series based on the movie, it ran from 1988-1992 on NBC and the final seasons ran on CBS from 1992-1995. Also, the moment Virgil Tibbs slapped Endicott is a seminal moment in cinema history. Rod Steiger won the Oscar, but Sidney Poitier deserved one too even though he already had one.

[@osmanyousif7849]

Sidney Poitier should’ve been nominated too. He even should’ve won the award instead.

[@cvonbarron]

Agreed.

[@davidwilburn4734]

I really liked the series. This is the first time I've seen the movie.

[@lexkanyima2195]

​@osmanyousif7849 he got snubbed big time

[@lexkanyima2195]

This is not respect at all

[@MLJ7956]

This movie was so popular that it later spawned a TV series (of the same name) that ran for 8 seasons from 1988-1995 starring Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker from All In The Family) as Chief Bill Gillespie & Howard Rollins (George Haley from Roots: The Next Generation) as Det. Virgil Tibbs (and the show even got several TV movies of its own as well)....it is definitely worth watching as well in my opinion.

[@ct6852]

Wonder if it was filmed in the same location.

[@MrFrikkenfrakken]

A sad exit for Howard Rollins but a worthy successor to the movie.

[@dalblack8712]

@@ct6852No, they weren’t filmed in the same place. Most of this movie was filmed in Sparta Illinois. The tv show wasn’t.

[@MLJ7956]

@@dalblack8712 - much of the TV series was filmed in various locations of both Georgia & Louisiana.

[@Madbandit77]

Rollins worked with "Night" director, Norman Jewison, who passed away some months ago, on the military drama, "A Solidier's Story", which will turn 40 this year. It's Denzel Washington 's second film.

[@mildredpierce4506]

The widow is played by Lee Grant. Ironically, today is her 98th birthday.

[@PatrickWagz]

I do believe her birthday is October 31st.

[@astronomenov99]

I think you mean "coincidentally" rather than "ironically"!😂 Have you been listening to a lot of Alanis Morissette lately?

[@44excalibur]

In the Heat of the Night is one of the best neo-noir mystery films ever with outstanding performances from Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier. Director Norman Jewison would return to the murder mystery genre two decades later with A Soldier's Story in 1984, featuring a young Denzel Washington in his second film role.

[@DavetheGrue]

You made the right choice. This film and Poitier's character had a real impact on the public consciousness during the civil rights era. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" is another similarly important film with Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy. The line "They call me Mr. Tibbs!" had an impact that's hard to appreciate today.

[@d.j.starling3559]

Sidney Poitier + 1967 = 3 incredible performances in 3 fabulous movies -- To Sir, With Love, released in June, In The Heat Of The Night, in August, and Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, in December. All classics!! None should be missed!!! You'll love them all!!! Mr Poitier made lots of other wonderful movies in many other years, and you'll never be sorry you watched any one of them!!

[@kbrewski1]

Yep, I mentioned those other 2 as must see also, especially Guess Who.... What a run he had.

[@SIXSTRING63]

I was going to send this exact same message to Cassie about Sidney’s trifecta of brilliant movies he appeared in the year 1967. He definitely should have earned his second Oscar for this movie or Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. To Sir with Love is also a great performance by Sidney, my wife’s favorite of his with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner next on her list. I loved all three equally. A gem he did later in life was Shoot to Kill with Tom Berenger. It’s sad that movie is not more well known. It is on KZbin if you search it. If you haven’t seen it please check it out.

[@turnthepage1972]

A Patch of Blue.

[@meredithsmyth7059]

ALSO "A Patch of Blue", the lesser known of the four but honestly my personal favorite.

[@nickstark8640]

Movie Trivia: The actress that plays the wife of the murdered man is Lee Grant. She is still alive and in her late 90’s.

[@susanalexander6721]

Great actress. So beautiful.

[@12classics39]

She has one of the best lines of the film, in the Mr. Tibbs scene, where she calls out Gillespie: "What kind of people are you? What kind of PLACE is this?"

[@frzstat]

@@12classics39 a line as appropriate today, as it was then.

[@lexkanyima2195]

​@12classics39 it is the job issue

[@Little-Larry777]

@@12classics39 wish I could've answered her: "Ma'am, these are racist people and this is a crazy place." I know better than most since I grew up in a couple of similar towns in the "Deep South" before moving far away out West.

[@johnnehrich9601]

Sidney Poitier was the first break-through black actor to play the lead character - including Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and Lilies Of The Field.

[@rustincohle2135]

Paul Robeson

[@johnnehrich9601]

@@rustincohle2135 Had not heard of him before, more of our history "whitewashed." Poitier did come on the scene at the right moment when things were finally beginning to change. I do remember at the time, it seemed he was in everything.

[@ammaleslie509]

She should watch all of those with Carly: To Sir With Love, Lilies of the Field, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

[@carl_anderson9315]

An absolute masterpiece and one of the most important movies in film history, especially inside the context it was released, late 60s, and 1 year before MLK assassination. This film resonates to a whole generation in the middle of one of the most dramatic moments in US history. I’m really glad you got to watch it, Cassie.

[@lexkanyima2195]

This was a dark time

[@azcello]

Now that Cassie has seen this, she’ll finally get Pumbaa’s “They call me Mr. Pig!” at the end of The Lion King. All that remains is Taxi Driver, for the “you talking to me?” reference.

[@TheBraunMachine2K24]

That'd be cool too, I kinda wished she had watched this first so that she would've gotten that reference in The Lion King but it's cool. I'm just glad she finally watched this though. Great film. RIP Sidney Poitier & Rod Steiger.

[@xammas1245]

Cassie has seen and survived a lot, but she is NOT ready for Taxi Driver

[@reneerocha1796]

Yes 😂😂

[@em8066]

Ooooh! Thank you! I was wondering why that line felt so familiar. Also, 30 years later, I understand why my mom laughed at that bit in Lion King.

[@msmilder25]

Sidney Poitier is one of the most highly regarded actors of all time. He recently passed away (2022)...and you really should add a few of his films to your list to watch, if for no other reason, then to bask in his brilliance on the screen...he's one of the best ever. Short list of Poitier films that everyone should see at least once: Blackboard Jungle (1955) with Glenn Ford & Anne Francis The Defiant Ones (1958) with Tony Curtis, nominated for Academy Award A Raisin in the Sun (1961) Lilies of the Field (1963) won an Academy Award for his performance To Sir, with Love (1967) I think you'd really love this one you're already watching In the Heat of the Night (also 1967) and yet ANOTHER incredible film in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with Spencer Tracy & Katherine Hepburn, it was a big year for Sidney. He also revisits his Tibbs role in They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970)

[@mikefrombournemouth2942]

"They call me Mr Tibbs". A masterpiece that stands the test of time. 👍

[@seantlewis376]

One of the best movie lines ever!

[@Stone_Horse]

There are movies that are "must see" and 'In The Heat Of The Night' is one of them.

[@r2aul]

"They call me Mr. Tibbs!" People used to love repeating that line.

[@lanolinlight]

It tickled my heart in a bittersweet way that Cassie wondered what year this was set in.

[@rivercitymud]

Me too. I'm glad that the angels at the people factory are still putting out this kind of person.

[@JustinChristopher-ov7gw]

She’s like 30 with the experience of a 5 year old lol. But I will say this, she exposes herself to a LOT. Kudos to her. A lot of young folks stay in their lanes.

[@jasonrichards4672]

Apparently Sidney Pottier (the detective) and Rod Steiger (the police chief) were friends prior to this film and always wanted to work together.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

They were both great actors.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Is it true

[@brettv5967]

They were spectacular together.

[@charlize1253]

In real life, the actor who played the racist sheriff, Rod Steiger, was half-Latino and grew up in New Jersey. That he was able to so convincingly play a southern racist shows how good an actor he was. Sidney Poitier later said that Steiger was one of the two best actors he ever worked with.

[@lexkanyima2195]

@@charlize1253 half Latino ??

[@philmullineaux5405]

2 of the finest actors to ever walk a stage or set, movies just aren't made like this anymore.

[@charlize1253]

In real life, the actor who played the racist sheriff, Rod Steiger, was half-Latino and grew up in New Jersey. That he was able to so convincingly play a southern racist shows how good an actor he was. Sidney Poitier later said that Steiger was one of the two best actors he ever worked with.

[@Stogie2112]

@@charlize1253 ... From what I've read, Rod Steiger was of German, Austrian and Moravian ancestry. Father: Frederick Jacob Steiger was German Mother: Augusta Amelia Driver was Austrian/Moravian

[@charlize1253]

@@Stogie2112 "Steiger" was the name of the man who raised him, but the actor has said that his mother told him that his biological father was a "handsome Latino" vaudeville performer whose name she never told him.

[@monalisasmile6629]

The Defiant Ones is another Sidney Poitier classic! He stars alongside Tony Curtis, who was also excellent in that movie. Highly recommend.

[@phillipribbink6903]

My Dad read the director, Norman Jewison's biography. He's a Canadian, who during childhood was often the target of anti-semitic remarks because of his name. Despite the fact that his family's all Methodists of English descent. After serving in the Canadian Navy in 1944-1945, he travelled the Deep South where he encountered segregation, which had a profound impact on his career. It's a topic that many of his films deal with. He's directed Fiddler on the Roof, The Hurricane (the last one is a family favourite) and countless other films.

[@cliffchristie5865]

This was filmed in Sparta, Illinois. Originally the town in the film was to have a different name, but instead, they just left all the signage in place and changed the name to Sparta in the script. You wondered how Endicott knew who Tibbs was. Apart from the fact that word would get around in a small town, there is another reason. It's easy to miss, because he doesn't speak, but Endicott was present at the meeting of the town leaders where they discussed the case, and Tibbs. As for the time period - there is a calendar on Gillespie's wall and I think you can read the date.

[@thomast8539]

I think the director did a bit of a disservice in making that town meeting scene so short. Had he panned around and stretched that scene out just a few more seconds, it would have been more obvious to the audience who all of the big wigs in town were and that they knew everything that was going on, outside of who killed Colburt.

[@davidmarquardt9034]

They didn't have to change the signs, as there is a Sparta, Tennessee, as well as Sparta, Wisconsin. There's probably a dozen towns in the US named Sparta.

[@jonhenry8268]

My home town. The train depot has been kept fairly in tact and served as a "museum" for a local artist.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Then why it is not filmed in the south

[@astronomenov99]

​@@lexkanyima2195do you really not get it, huh? Boy? I'm being sarcastic. This film is closer to a documentary than you think. How would the Southern locals react to black actors, crew etc, in their town to make white people look racist in a Hollywood movie?

[@hannejeppesen1809]

In 1967 Sidney Poitier was in 3 great and popular movies. "To Sir with Love", Guess who is coming to dinner, and this one.

[@billross7245]

A Patch of Blue is another good one.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

@@billross7245 I have seen that one as well, and other Poitier movies, Lillies of The Field, and the one with Tony Curtis I think it was, might try to watch that again, don't remember much about it.

[@bdannh1]

I was a projectionist in the late sixties and I was showing this movie for an entire summer. It was a small theatre and between reel changes I had to stand at the back of the theatre in case anyone wanted something from the concession stand, which was inside the theatre at the back. By the end of the summer I had seen this movie 197 times. I could recite all the dialog, beginning to end, from memory. I still love this movie.

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

That's when you know. If you have it memorized, and all things considered you should be absolutely sick of it, but you still love it? It's a certified classic.

[@the_tig]

I remember watching this as a kid in the late 80's, just before my teens hit. One of the first 'adult' movies I ever watched and it made me realize there is more to movies than Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Goonies, and Pink Panther.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

My parents let me watch this when it was on TV. I believe I was 8 and they gave me no context beforehand other than it made Sideny Poitier famous and that it was a very good movie. I learned alot that night.

[@40hup]

A very good matching film to "in the heat of the night" is "Mississippi Burning" from 1988 with Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe. The energy is very similar: Hackman plays the provincial cop and Willem Dafoe an FBI Agent from the north, solving a case of missing civil rights activists. The Quality is at least on par with in the heat of the night.

[@tomhartley9001]

It is an incredible movie

[@thomast8539]

One other thing, Mississippi Burning is based on true events.

[@susanalexander6721]

Love thst movie!!!!!

[@cvonbarron]

However, that film was an example of the white savior trope, so it hasn't aged well.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

That was based on the 3 civil right workers that was murdered in Mississippi when they went there to try to register blacks to vote, the Klan and some of the police were klansmen, had something to do with there murder, they 3 civil rights worker was one black, one or I think 2 Jewish guys from New York. Before there Mississipi Burning there was a TV movie (it might have played over 2 nights) The Ku Klux Klan vs. The FBI, it was really good, quite detailed, Wayne Rogers, from Mash played one of the head FBI guys investigating the murders. There's also several documentary based on this horrific crime, some available for free here on UTube.

[@token1371]

Cassie you never fail to expand your comfort zone. THOTN is one the the crown jewels in the legendary Sidney Poitier's career. If you like, 'To Sir With Love' and 'Guess who's coming to dinner". Thanks for you being you.😇

[@blueboy4244]

Lilies of the Field I always thought his best film

[@rustincohle2135]

_"Cassie you never fail to expand your comfort zone"_ That's cuz she can afford to. She has the audience for it. Unfortunately, a reaction to this film would bomb on most people's channels.

[@sterling557]

LILIES of the FIELD.

[@bossfan49]

I love when Cassie gets mad, almost as much as when she laughs.

[@tim10243]

Portier and Steiger - what a great set up! They both are exceptional actors

[@johnnieangel99]

1960's in the south, police didn't need a reason to arrest a black man. Stellar cast. Fantastic writing. Just a perfect example of what can be done with a film. The story was so on point for the time. The slap is iconic. You should now watch "To Sir With Love" Sidney Poitier as an American school teacher in England in the 1960's.

[@liduck52]

Not American. From British Guiana.

[@johnnieangel99]

@@liduck52 Yes, Mark Thackeray was born in British Guiana. He was also raised in California.

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

Police didn't even need a reason to _kill_ a Black man. Whatever excuse they could come up with would be good enough for anybody in authority.

[@cajunsushi]

Popcorn, you are reviewing an iconic film of epic proportions. Most of the scenes were not shot in the south because doing so would have actually jeopardized Sidney Poitier safety/life.

[@JC-bh8qx]

Sad but true

[@lexkanyima2195]

Why they would mark Poitier ? Because he's different" and was it that bad in the south ?

[@JournoNerd312]

@@lexkanyima2195 Uh yeah? It was made in the 1960s and was about a black guy in the South. Black people were executed for, s***, half the stuff that Virgil does in this movie, and I'm not even talking about things like slapping Endicott, I'm talking about things like just being black in towns like that was nearly enough to have Virgil thrown in jail or executed for killing the victim even though he didn't do it, or going into that diner where the person serving the police officer didn't serve him. All of that would be enough for the "right" white person to go and execute him. Hell Endicott was literally living on what I can only guess used to be a slave cotton plantation but is probably now something like a sharecropping plantation? People really don't understand time well, people alive when this movie was made are only in their mid- to late-50s or 60s, and it probably wasn't set more than about a dozen years in the past, if not just set in the present day. Black people were still little better than slaves in towns like that until the 1970s, and they had about the same rights as slaves too, and that's if they were lucky.

[@lexkanyima2195]

@JournoNerd312 could Poitier never stay alive at the time when it was actually shot in the south ? It was a dark time how society was.

[@JournoNerd312]

@@lexkanyima2195 Oh absolutely. The fact he was almost murdered by a lynch mob more than once is pretty accurate for how hostile a lot of the South was to black people at the time. Still have plenty of the kids of the grown-ups from that time in political office, and they're a large part of why the South is still more openly racist than the North, though the North half of the US has its own racism problems.

[@ChrisReise]

10:43 The suspect they picked up is Scott Wilson who was also known for his role of Hershel Greene in "The Walking Dead" R.I.P.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

Don't forget Scott Wilson's biggest role and probably his best was as Dick Hickock one of the killers of the Clutter family. Also a true story, movie based on Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood", the other killer was played by Robert Blake. Great movie, great book, based on a true crime from 1959, where a whole family of 4 was killed in Kansas.

[@cleekmaker00]

Wilson played test pilot Scott Crossfield in "The Right Stuff", the first pilot to reach Mach 2. He also played New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace in " Young Guns 2", who gave Billy a Pardon for the crimes he committed then rescinded it. Great Character Actor.

[@SoaringTrumpet]

Wilson also had an incredible role in the fantastic but challenging film The Ninth Configuration. He even got his only nomination with it for a Golden Globe. It's a wild movie that subverts expectations and conventions and might just blow your mind.

[@robabiera733]

"In The Heat Of The Night" is one of those essential movies that everyone needs to see once in their lives.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Then why it is less recognized by the society ?

[@rustincohle2135]

@@lexkanyima2195 "The society"? Who specifically? Regular moviegoers? Or the film community? If moviegoers, maybe cuz it's an old movie and most people are too impatient or closeminded to watch older movies. If the film community, it's well recognized as a classic. Perhaps not as praised as _The Graduate_ and _Bonnie and Clyde_ both of which came out the same year as _In the Heat of the Night,_ cuz those two were more groundbreaking and influential overall.

[@lexkanyima2195]

@@rustincohle2135 in general

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

I disagree. Everyone needs to see it at least twice!

[@cvonbarron]

"They call me Mister Tibbs!" Great line in a great movie. Cassie, Sydney Poitier's last name is pronounced Pyoteeyay.

[@TheHilltopPillbox]

Fun fact: the Mayor and the Bank Manager were both in Star Trek. The Mayor was in The Trouble with Tribbles, and the Mayor was in All Our Yesterdays.

[@CorwynCelesil]

I recognize most of these actors from 1960s and 70s TV shows, most of them from Mission: Impossible.

[@buffstraw2969]

"There ARE witches!!! There ARE!!!"

[@TheHilltopPillbox]

@@buffstraw2969 I think he said, "There are Spirits!" But, memorable character, either way!

[@buffstraw2969]

@@TheHilltopPillbox I think you're right, yeah he DID say "spirits." (Been a while since I've seen the episode.) I also liked him as the President's official Science Advisor in the movie "The Andromeda Strain." Some actors just stand out in one's memory.

[@TheHilltopPillbox]

@@buffstraw2969 No doubt! Maybe it's because I'm old, but I don't find that today's crop of actors are very memorable.

[@stormydragon2668]

One aspect of this movie a lot of modern viewers miss: at the time this came out, there was a genre of movie that typically involved a northern Black person traveling to the South for some reason and spending most of the story trying to escape while being terrorized by the police and town people. This movie starts out looking like a movie from that genre, but then has a twist when it is revealed that the Black person is also a police officer, defying the genre's conventions by putting the main character in a position of power rather than merely a helpless victim.

[@lexkanyima2195]

It is dark time

[@ramstrong1961]

The first time I saw Sidney Poitier on TV was in a movie called "Lilies of the field" (1963).

[@cvonbarron]

For which he won his only Oscar.

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

@@cvonbarron It's kind of sad that he laid out such a tour-de-force in 1967 that he undermined his own Oscar chances. '67 should have been the year he won all the Oscars, not the year he didn't win any.

[@charlestaylor686]

For his role as Homer Smith, the lead in James Poe's 1963 film Lilies of the Field, Sidney Poitier became the first Black actor to win an Oscar in a lead role. And it was the only Oscar he won. It was a landmark victory for Poitier, who had gained a reputation as the pre-eminent example of an African American leading actor. Lillies of the Field is still my favorite Sidney Poitier movie. Poitier was also honored with an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974. He received numerous other honors including the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1982, the Kennedy Center Honor in 1995, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1999, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2002.

[@lexkanyima2195]

It was history making

[@bryce253]

Yeah and it took 40 years for another black man to win best actor....Denzel Washington in 2001 for Training Day. Let that sink in.

[@mylyt7245]

Thank you for reacting to this! And to those who pushed for it. Normally when a great actor passes, these a rush by reactors to react to their filmography, so when the great Poitier died, I was sad, but also excited for people to rediscover and share his films. But then no-one reacted to his stuff. :( Finally a great reactor watches one! And it's exactly the right one if his films to react to, hurray! Someone tell the other top reactors to watch this too! James vs Cinema would be great! On the same note of un-reacted-to greats, someone please react to Judgement at Nurumberg, The Last Emporer and Ghandi!

[@rustincohle2135]

Most reactors don't do many old movies cuz unfortunately they don't perform very well on YT which is a shame. :(

[@charlesshipley7670]

Sydney Poitier said that he learned alot about acting from Rod Steiger. Rod Steiger won an academy award for this performance

[@Madbandit77]

Rod should have won for The Pawnbroker, but he lost to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou.

[@charlize1253]

In real life, the actor who played the racist sheriff, Rod Steiger, was half-Latino and grew up in New Jersey. That he was able to so convincingly play a southern racist shows how good an actor he was. Sidney Poitier later said that Steiger was one of the two best actors he ever worked with.

[@charlize1253]

@@sij809 "Steiger" was the name of the man who raised him, but the actor has said that his mother told him that his biological father was a "handsome Latino" vaudeville performer whose name she never told him.

[@sij809]

@charlize1253 ah I see. Fair enough. Never knew this. Been a fan of his work for years. Great actor. Thanks for the insight

[@prion42]

Certified classic. My dad saw Sydney Poitier movies when they were new and shared them with me when i was a kid. We taped some from HBO and others popped up on TBS sometimes.

[@Head-ck4hu]

Culturally, great debate between this movie and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. My favorite is the latter. Bring your sister for that one. I don't think Sydney ever did a bad movie.

[@richardb6260]

Aw man, we missed out on Kelly's Heroes.

[@garyi.1360]

An excellent selection. And Kelly's Heroes is also good. Donald just passed and it was one of my favorite roles by him.

[@DP-hy4vh]

This movie was the basis for the TV show that aired on NBC in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The TV show starred Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker from All In The Family) as the police chief.

[@generichuman2044]

"They call Mr Tibbs" is only one line but it brings me close to tears every time. Sidney Poitier manages to show decades of anger, hurt and mistreatment in one line and a few facial expressions. This is easily one of my favourite acting performances of all time.

[@alansorensen5903]

They Call Me Mr. Tibbs was more than one line in this movie. It's also the title of the highly successful sequel to In the Heat of the Night.

[@MovieVigilante]

It's true, Cassie, that this was required reading when I was in high school. My Grade 10 English class was assigned this book to read by our teacher, Mrs. Jones. It then became my favourite book I've ever read. Mrs. Jones told us that after we were finished reading the book, that she would rent the movie on VHS from the local video store and show it in class. I'm showing my age here, but she could not secure a copy of the movie because the video store only had one copy and it was always reserved. It was a few years after I graduated high school that I was finally able to watch the movie on TV. I had feared that it would not live up to the book's greatness, but the movie was everything I wanted it to be. Seeing the great characters that I had read in the book, come alive on the screen, was a revelation. Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs is one of the greatest cinematic performances I have ever seen to this day. Rod Steiger as Chief Gillespie gave an equally great performance. He has said that he decided his character would chew his gum quickly and loudly whenever he was under pressure. I have this movie as one of my top four Letterboxd picks.

[@HotRetroFire]

That slap in the garden was a monumental act in America cinema and in American culture just at the tail end of the 60s Civil Rights Movement. You just watched a true blue glimpse into the racism in The South at the time. P.S. you missed the fact that Tibbs was from Sparta, and that's why he was extra motivated. He was coming back and dispensing a little justice.

[@robinhood2524]

Mr . Poitier was a great actor, and in the real world was a legitimate hero and a great human.

[@CDNChaoZ]

This movie was directed by Canadian Norman Jewison, who died not too long ago. Fiddler on the Roof is also worth seeing.

[@ChrisReise]

This movie was so good that they finally made a TV series out of it. It starred Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker) as Sheriff Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Virgil Tibbs. The series went on for 7 seasons and the followed by 4 TV movies that the producers considered as season 8.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

One of my favorite movies of all times. The acting by Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger is off the wall.

[@paulsullivan1650]

This movie was amazing! Rod Steiger won an Oscar for best actor, and it won also for best picture. This was in 1967. Sidney Poitier made some of the best films ever in that one year. He made this one, Guess who's coming to dinner, To sir with love. All were up for best picture, and Sidney was nominated for best actor or supporting actor.

[@user-xk2ny1vh5h]

This has to be one of this best films ever shot. The acting is sublime!

[@upinthetrees]

You couldn't find better actors...ever than or for this. Watch it over and over, enjoy it tremendously.

[@jamesforrest8993]

Taking all in all I think the saddest thing is that the best thing for Dolores had to look forward to in life is the deputy coming round in his car in the middle of the night.

[@Gecko....]

I dunno I thought the saddest thing was the rampant racism and black people still working like slaves in the cotton plantation for a white supremacist 😂

[@ThistleAndSea]

"They call me Mr. Tibbs." What a line! Glad you picked this one, Cassie. If you'd like to see more of Mr. Poitier, he was Excellent in Lillies Of The Field, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and To Sir With Love to name just a few. Thanks for sharing this one. 🙂

[@blakestokes8545]

“Is this our same chief? Ya I can tell by the Cow chewing“ 😂

[@Silly81]

One of the main reasons I love this channel is that the movies are very diverse. No offense to other reaction channels but you don’t see a lot of variety of genres, it’s basically the same movies that are winning polls and everyone is reacting to the same movie. Not to complain but I wanna see more movies like this, or On the Waterfront. The movie experience can be greatly enhanced when you’re totally unfamiliar with a classic movie from the golden era of films.

[@scottburch3178]

Also from 1967 is cool hand luke, one of my top ten all time. Paul Newman at his best.

[@jimmyj5035]

@Popcorn in Bed this incredible movie was filmed in 1966 and Released in 1967. This film is a Time Capsule showing us the End of the "Whites Only Era" that was still happening in the 60s.

[@susanalexander6721]

Love young Scott Wilson in this movie. The young guy they chased. He played the doctor Hershel in The Walking Dead.

[@chrino21]

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” should be your next Sidney Poitier movie.

[@TylerD288]

Cassie, the song that opens and closes the movie is sung by Ray Charles. This leads me to recommend the movie "Ray" (2004) about the life of Ray Charles, it's a great film and Jaime Foxx won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Ray.

[@tgchism]

At 7:09 in to the movie the calendar on the wall says September 1966. I was 2 mo's old then. I love old movies like this that are filmed on real locations. You get a real glimpse of what life was like then.

[@raulguadalupe3489]

1967 was Poitier's best year as an actor. He had three box office hits: To Sir, With Love, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and this VERY rewatchable classic!

[@cflournoy1529]

Ooooohh…..the slap heard round the world!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@Llanchlo]

of the five you picked the right one!

[@susanalexander6721]

You and your sister would love Lilies of the Field. My favorite Mr. Poitier.

[@frzstat]

I agree!

[@garychambers6848]

One of the best movies ever made!!!!

[@TurbidTG1]

Cassie, you should react to Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? Sidney Poiter, Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy are great in it!

[@odinthorson1830]

The main killer(pie guy creep)in this movie was “Skinny” in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. The owner of Greeley’s. The man who decorated his saloon with Ned’s body. Wonderful reaction as always.😊👍

[@chefskiss6179]

Phenomenal gem selection, Cassie. Directed by (renowned Canadian director) Norman Jewison, who sadly just passed away this past January 20th. He also directed Moonstruck, another worthy viewing choice. Big shoutout to Gabor (sp?) for the choices. What was the german flick you chose?

[@littleogeechee223]

It’s pronounced PWAH-tee-ay. LOL! French name. The long-running TV show with Carroll O’Connor and Howard Rollins was excellent, too.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

This was directed by the Canadian, Norman Jewison.

[@BlackRangerMode86]

Wow i remember watching the in the heat of the night series with my mom this and the waltons. Oh how i miss the 90s

[@doreybain]

They filmed this movie in a small town in Illinois near St. Louis. The town was Sparta. They used the town's name in the movie so they didn't need to make new signs that displayed the town's name.

[@keithwilson6060]

You’re underestimating Chief Gillespie. He had an impressive power to influence, in this instance for the good. He was able to talk Virgil into staying to help when Virgil had every reason to leave. He also put his reputation, and job, at risk for the sake of the truth and to protect Virgil.

[@_Too_Late]

They call me _MiiiSsSsSTeR TiBBs!!!_

[@mypl510]

Harvey was played by Scott Wilson, who went on to play Hershel on the Walking Dead

[@hannejeppesen1809]

From the comments seems like a lot of people don't know Scott Wilson best and biggest role, as Dick Hickock in the movie "In Cold Blood", based on a book by Truman Capote and also true events. He was also in The Right Stuff, not a big role. He was a good actor.

[@mypl510]

@@hannejeppesen1809 Very true, but I was just referencing his last well known role.

[@briankramme7295]

They don't make movies like this anymore. Simply a masterpiece. The acting, some of the best ever.

[@tremorsfan]

I like the fact that he doesn't even pause after being slapped.

[@jasonhall8887]

If you grew up in the south like I did you know this show was always on at your grandparents house

[@etpelle72]

Such a good movie. The endicot scene when gillespie says "man, you're just like the rest of us" and the end at the train station are my two favorite scenes. I watch this at least once or twice a year.

[@Jessica_Roth]

Director Norman Jewison passed away this January, at age 97. Jewison was nominated for Best Director three times, including this film. Other movies by Jewison include "The Cincinnati Kid" (1966; a big hit for Steve McQueen), "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973), "…and Justice for All" (1979; the Al Pacino film you *MUST* see),, "Moonstruck" (1987; Cher won her Oscar) and "The Hurricane" (1999). Skilled and talented, and more important (from your P..O.V.), Canadian! (From Toronto, he was awarded the Order of Canada.)

[@user-cr5mq9lz8r]

Great reaction to this classic! Another outstanding Poitier film in a similar southern racial genre is the "The Defiant Ones" with the great Tony Curtis (perhaps in his finest performance), Jamie Lee's papa. I highly recommend it when you're ready to return to this genre.

[@RetroClassic66]

28:51 The guy from the diner, Ralph, is played by Anthony James, who was in dozens of small roles like this in movies and television over the years (this was his second film appearance ever), but is perhaps best known for playing Skinny, the owner of the bar & bordello in UNFORGIVEN (1992), which was his final film role.

[@billmorris8358]

Not only did those attitudes exist back in the day, they still do!

[@postmastersgt1670]

This film was so good they made a spinoff series of it and its phenomenal.

[@lionelreesable]

One of my favorite movies. All the actors in this movie did a good job.