They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it.
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.
Directed byNorman Jewison
- Status
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Language
- EN
- Released
- August 2, 1967
- Budget
- $2,000,000
- Revenue
- $27,379,978
The Mirisch CompanyWatch the
Trailers & teasers
Featuring
Cast & crew
Sidney Poitier
Det. Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger
Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates
Deputy Sam Wood
Lee Grant
Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Larry Gates
Eric Endicott
James Patterson
Mr. Purdy
William Schallert
Mayor Schubert
Beah Richards
Mama Caleba
Peter Whitney
Deputy Courtney
Kermit Murdock
Henderson
- Directed by
- Norman Jewison
- Written by
- Stirling Silliphant
- Produced by
- Walter Mirisch
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