In the heat of the night

Set in the deep South at the height of the early 60’s racial tension, this superbly crafted murder mystery deserved all five of its Academy Awards. Best actor winner Rod Steiger gives a definitive performance as a small town, red-neck sheriff who finds himself in an uneasy alliance with a black homicide detective from Philadelphia, strikingly portrayed by Sidney Poitier. In the course of investigating the crime, the two strong-willed men must reconcile their inherent prejudice towards each other. The final result is justice and an unlikely but touching mutual respect. Supporting performances by Warren Oates and Lee Grant, an evocative score by Quincy Jones and Haskell Wexler’s vivid cinematography combine to create the stifling aura of a hot summer evening in the South. The Oscar winning script by Stirling Silliphant is based on a novel by John Ball.