Saturday, February 25, 2023, 7:30 p.m., Dryden Theatre
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In the Heat of the Night (1967)
(Norman Jewison, US 1967, 110 min., 35mm)
Sidney Poitier is the man they call Mister Tibbs in Norman Jewison's landmark film about crime and racism in America's South. Small-town Sheriff Rod Steiger reluctantly recruits the talents of Black, big-city detective Poitier to help crack a bizarre murder case. This Academy Award winner for Best Picture hasn't dated one bit in its demonstration of how fear, ugliness, and corruption can be found in the "right friendliest" places. The acting and Quincy Jones's score are particularly splendid.