Search - In the Heat of the Night on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Language Movie Release: 1967 DVD Release: 01/09/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Mystery, Crime Drama, Message Movie, Odd Couple Film, Police Detective Film See Also: In the Heat of Night [40th Anniversary Edition]

The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as four other Oscars), In the Heat of the Night is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed northern African-American, comes to town, Gillespie instinctively puts him under arrest as a murder suspect. Tibbs reveals himself to be a Philadelphia police detective; after he and Gillespie come to a grudging understanding of one another, Tibbs offers to help in Gillespie's investigation. As the case progresses, both Gillespie and Tibbs betray a tendency to jump to culture-dictated conclusions. Still, the case is solved thanks to the informal teamwork of the two law officers. Based on the novel by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night inspired two sequels, both starring Poiter as Virgil Tibbs. In 1987, a TV series version of In the Heat of the Night appeared, with Carroll O'Connor as Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Tibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sidney Poitier - Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger - Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates - Deputy Sam Wood
Lee Grant - Mrs. Leslie Colbert
James Patterson - Purdy
Scott Wilson - Harvey Oberst

Director Norman Jewison's Academy Award-winning In the Heat of the Night might not be a special edition DVD, but it still has plenty going for it. Picture quality is possibly the best this film has been since its original theatrical presentation in the late '60s. The 1.85:1 image, which employs an anamorphic transfer, does show a few signs of age, including grain and minor scratches, but overall, impressions are very high with strong blacks and colors that are subdued, but still well-realized. The sound, in English, French, and Spanish (as well as subtitles or closed captions for the same languages), uses the original mono track split over two channels. This isn't the kind of film that would require a fancy auditory configuration, and what is present is entirely adequate. As for extras, other than the theatrical trailer, there is a wonderful and quite complete commentary track from Jewison, director of photography Haskell Wexler, and actors Rod Steiger and Lee Grant. Each is recorded separately, but the editing is nearly seamless, one flowing in line with the other, and almost always related to the scene. While a documentary of the turbulent times would have been greatly welcome to accompany this film, the package presented is a worthy effort for a highly effective and important film. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide