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.
Movie tag line: "They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it."
Production companies:
Character: Virgil Tibbs
Character: Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Character: Deputy Sam Wood
Character: Deputy Courtney
Character: Mrs. Leslie Colbert
Character: Ralph
Character: Mayor Schubert
Character: Harvey Oberst
Character: Eric Endicott
Character: Mr. Purdy
Character: Delores Purdy
Character: Henderson
Character: Watkins
Character: Packy
Character: Mama Caleba
Character: Ulam
Character: Dr. Stuart
Character: Shagbag
Character: McNeil
Character: Charles Hawthorne
Character: Endicott's Butler
Character: Shuie
Character: Jess
Character: Fryer
Character: 1st Tough
Character: 2nd Tough
Character: Clerk
Character: Philip Colbert (uncredited)
Character: Ted Appleton (uncredited)
Character: Deputy (uncredited)
Character: Conductor (uncredited)