Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT Screens at Webster University Saturday September 15th

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) screens at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood)  Saturday, September 15th. The movie starts at 7:30.

The racism in the Deep South is given the once-over in IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967 – a good year for Poitier – this, TO SIR WITH LOVE, and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER). The winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Poitier’s costar Rod Steiger, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Steiger played sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), a well-dressed black man, 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.

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.