Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

In the Heat of the Night
1967
***
Director: Norman Jewison
Cast: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant, Larry Gates, James Patterson

A black big city detective comes to Sparta, Mississippi to investigate a murder. However, this small town is not hospitable to strangers, especially coloured ones. This character drama examines worthy themes, but ultimately it's just a politically correct whodunnit. Nevertheless, the film won five Academy Awards for best film, screenplay, editing, sound and actor (Steiger). The film spawned two sequels and a long-running TV series. Based on John Ball's novel.