Greatest Greatest Scene Ever: In the Heat of the Night

[ronbarnes]

I could watch that scene over and over it gets better every time.

[IllyaLeonovMorganFreepony]

It is not just the vocal silence in the scene. It is the punctuations by the chair and leather squeaking, scuffing on floors, bottle placed down, wallet thrown on the table. All of this Foley is essential to the tension.

[johnb]

This whole movie is the greatest scene ever.

[CJLOVE]

RIP to the late great Sidney Poitier, a true icon and Rod Steiger

[stephensmith]

two absolute giants. Each giving the other room to act. Fantastic.

[joeweider]

tibbs was not 'sent' from philadelphia to sparta mississippi to investigate a murder...he was just there visiting his mother, was arrested as a suspect and after he was cleared, was asked by his chief to help investigate although quite reluctantly at first-- and yes, this sure is a great movie scene! :D

[c.johnson]

I can see why Rod Steiger received the Best Actor award. The facial expressions alone are amazing.

[GetMeThere]

Yup. Definitely one of the best scenes ever put on film. I could watch this film once a week and never get enough of it, and this is probably the best scene.

[orchardist]

Three favourite actors in one scene. Thank you for posting.

[homegown]

I love this scene when it played out in 67-68 -"In the Heat of the Night." I remember the slap came from the white owner to Sidney which Sidney slapped him back. There wasn't a sound in the theatre because it wasn't expected but everyone was surprised and more amazed later. I love this movie - I was 21 and went with my sisters to see this movie "Heat of the Night" was fantastic. Hard to believe A/C were not available in most homes back in the 50s and 60s. I love this scene when Rod Steiger meets Sidney Poitier. More than ever when Rod Steiger won the Oscar and definitely earned it. Loved Rod Steiger's speech and how he included Sidney Poitier in it. One of the best films of the late 60s.

[markredman]

The train horn immediately substantiates his alibi.

[danielmoore]

I must clarify the narrators opening comment. Sidney’s character was visiting he’s Mother. He was not sent to Sparta rather picked up by the deputy at the train station. Just a minor miss que

[Talboy-pe]

Classic clip
❤
Don't think we have any trouble virgel 😂😂❤
Those were the days back then
We had the best golden years back then
When stars were natural
Back then ❤
Sidney pottier ❤
And the flim❤

[effinjamieTT]

Hollywood is incapable of making a movie of this quality anymore.

[dorothyfreel]

From the chewing gum to the slapping of the face l could watch it EVERY night

[jennyjones]

Two of the best actors and one of the best movies ever created! ❤❤❤

[swampghost]

What do call you back home...THEY CALL ME MR. TIBS!!!

[joeguzman]

When just being a police officer was enough to have respect

[donnythompson]

“Heat” is a fantastic film; and while there are many scenes in the movie that are Oscar-worthy (for both Steiger and Poitier), I wouldn’t have chosen the one you did as being the best, or that had the most impact. That honor would go to the now-iconic “greenhouse” scene, where Tibbs is questioning a wealthy plantation owner, Eric Endicott (played superbly by actor Larry Gates) and, in response to one of the questions that Tibbs asks, and feeling that it’s far above Tibb’s “place” to ask it, Endicott slaps him, at which point, in reaction and without pause, Tibbs slaps him back. This scene came to be known in cinema history as “the slap heard ‘round the world”, because nothing like this had ever been done before. If any part of the movie shows the intensity of The Civil Rights struggle of the time, this is that scene. In the real world at that time, northern cities were burning in the riots of what were known as “the long, hot summers”; Chicago, Newark, Detroit, Cleveland, Watts in L.A. - but those weren’t happening in the South - instead, fire hoses, night sticks, clubs and guard dogs were being leveled at black demonstrators, who mostly accepted these things in passive response ( for a while), so to see a scene where a black man stood up for himself, and who did not passively accept the physical abuses of a white man, carried a very powerful impact indeed.
The film is a masterpiece; the script, directing and acting is stellar - and not just from Rod And Sidney, but from Warren Oates, Quentin Dean, Lee Grant, Larry Gates... the entire cast was superb.
And, I’m not suggesting that the scene you chose as being “the best” was in any way a weak scene. It wasn’t; it sets up the entire movie. But I don’t believe that it’s the scene that those who have seen the movie remembers the most.
The “slap” undeniably holds that distinction.
PS... Tibbs wasn’t “sent” to assist in the murder investigation. He was picked up by Ward (Warren Oates) as a suspect in the murder of a rich white man; he was only in Sparta waiting for a train (which is plainly laid out in this scene you chose)... he was ordered by his chief in Philadelphia to stay and help with the investigation.

[doctorwacky]

One of my favorite lines in this movie, what’s your name boy. They call me Mr. Tibbs!!!