Overview
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.
Trailer
Crew
DirectorNorman Jewison
WriterStirling Silliphant
Cast
Sidney Poitier
Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger
Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Warren Oates
Deputy Sam Wood
Peter Whitney
Deputy Courtney
Lee Grant
Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Anthony James
Ralph
William Schallert
Mayor Schubert
Scott Wilson
Harvey Oberst
Larry Gates
Eric Endicott
James Patterson
Mr. Purdy
Quentin Dean
Delores Purdy
Kermit Murdock
Henderson
Larry D. Mann
Watkins
Matt Clark
Packy
Beah Richards
Mama Caleba
Arthur Malet
Ulam
Fred Stewart
Dr. Stuart
Timothy Scott
Shagbag
William Watson
McNeil
Eldon Quick
Charles Hawthorne
Part of Virgil Tibbs Trilogy
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Keywords
small townsouthern usapolice chiefstolen moneyracial segregationracistthiefmurderyouth gangracismwhodunitpovertyfalse accusationspolice stationracial tensionbigotryautopsy roomred herringrailroad stationwhite supremacists
Details
Budget
$2M
Revenue
$27M
TMDb Votes
1,235
Added May 14, 2026Updated Jun 4, 2026