Mr.Tibbs, Mr.Endicott, and Gillespie. Probably the best scene in this fantastic film. The beauty of this scene is that the "victim" himself can be the perpetrator.
Sidney Poitier was offered the lead in 'In the Heat of the Night' to be produced by Walter Mirisch (West Side Story, The Magnificent 7) Poitier said, "When I read the script, I said, 'Walter I cant play this. The scene requires me to be slapped by a wealthy man and I just look at him fiercely and walk away. That is not very bright in today's culture. It's dumb. "This is 1968. You can't do that. The black community will look at that and be appalled, because the human response would be different. You certainly won't do the movie with me this way. "'If I do this movie, I insist to respond as a human being; he pops me and I pop him right back. If you want me to play it, you will put that in writing. Also in writing you will say 'If this picture plays in the south, that scene is never removed.' "Walter said, 'Yeah, I promise you that and I'll put it in writing.' "But being the kind of guy Walter is, his handshake and his word are the same, so I didn't need to have it in writing, and he kept his word. That scene made the movie. Without it, the movie wouldn't have been as popular." 'In the Heat of the Night' won five Academy Awards: Best Picture - Best Screenplay - Best Editing - Best Sound - Best Actor Rod Steiger
@@michaelgray1803 Seeing as enunciation of your 2nd language(english) is difficult, why not use your native tongue, and let us use the enigma machine, or online interpreter to understand?
"There was a time when I could have had you shot!" Endicott is crying because he's come to the realisation that the power he thought he had is just a facade and he's been hit a large dose of reality after being slapped by Tibbs.
@@Dina_Darling he's got this look onnhis face as if to say " did freedom come and if so why didn't anybody tell me , I would have quite decades ago"! lol.
The slow almost painful look on Poitier's face when Steiger points out HIS prejudice is amazing. You can literally see the wheels turning in his mind. So much emotion in that one facial expression
GREAT post--(And the very painful reality is that we ALL carry some form of prejudice inside us--whether it be on social issues, political, religious, etc.) I think Poitier's expression was like a thunderbolt of truth striking him--as he deep down realized Steiger was right!! (Although you can't really blame an African American man in 1968 having contempt for whites in the US. We still have racial issues in society but they were VERY bad in those years!!)
@@nyterpfan Your words ring true with the clarity and impact of these two face slaps. The final slap is soundlessly administered to us, the audience when like Tibbs we're faced with the bald truth of our personal insecurities and fallibilities.
@@JosephTSena Jester lived to be 99 years old and was a respected Choir Conductor, and Composer/Arranger of Spirituals..he worked in the Music Department for many movies...and around half the parts he had as an actor.....were Uncredited. This part here is one of the few where he was.
Everyone in this scene is so good. But Steiger is superb immediately after that slap. Incredulity, admiration, fear, amusement, sheer disbelief. "I don't KNOW!" Fantastic!
Never in a million years did he think that he would be slapped back lol and he has no idea how to handle it. Most likely the last time he was slapped like that was when he was a child and I believe that's why he started to cry.
I stumbled onto a scene of this movie a few minutes ago, and it led me to here. It's all been so good, I can't stand it. This scene is so good, too, I gotta watch this tonight. Yeah, Rod Steigers delivery of that line was perfect....they were all perfect. Wow, this was TREMENDOUS stuff....Sydney Poitier of course, was, ya' know....Sydney Poitier. But everyone...EVERYONE....in this film was other worldly.....
Felicia Value Yes- this is what the people who say Poitier should have got the Oscar don’t get. Virgil Tibbs is a strong character, well acted. But it is Gillespie who changes, and this is shown in several scenes, and THOSE are what got Steiger best actor.
This is a perfect example of "there are no small parts, only small actors". The butler's reaction to the slap lasts only a second or two, but is unforgettable.
@Uncle Buckle ikr-exhilaratingly so! gave him a serious Arthur Ashe backhand! 😲 😂 with such alacrity Poitier could've added tennis pro or pugilist to his vitae 😉 btw 👉🏼 Uncle Buckle too funny 😊
This was 1967. Dr. King was still alive. As was Stokely Camichael, Eldridge Cleavor & Huey Newton. Yes, I can even see Dr. King cracking a wry smile at this scene.
@Sharon Jensen Maybe not RFK's because no one would have thought that lightning would strike the Kennedy family twice. But King's was predictable. He even predicted it his self.
Larry Gates, who besides being a very fine actor, was considered one of the sweetest and kindest men in Hollywood, had an awful time doing this scene because he just couldn't bring himself to slap Poitier. Director Norman Jewison had to stand in for Poitier and encouraged Gates to slap him(Jewison) as hard as he could till he was sure Gates could do it convincingly. Such an amazing movie. One of my favorites.
Wow! Such an example of how a director can get the best performance out of an actor. Gate's reaction after getting slapped is not rage, or anger but sadness and shock, in realizing that the world has changed. If you hit a cop, you get hit back. Even if you are a wealthy old white man, and the cop is a young black man. And the white sheriff is right there with you. You can see the sheriff suddenly realizing how good a homicide expert Mr. Tibbs is, when at 3:56 he realizes Tibbs was right about Ozmunda, the fern root. At that moment, he became a fellow cop, an expert one at that. From that point on he was not going to anything about a fellow cop, black or not defending himself.
I don't know. Henry shakes his head to Mr. Endicott. It's not clear if he's disapproving of Endicott or of Tibbs. Maybe just noting the changing times from his POV as well. Or, sad at wasting that cool lemonade.
After Henry told everyone, everybody on the plantation started bitch slapping Endicott just for the fun of it. Endicott could never stop crying from the humiliation and eventually hung himself in the Greenhouse.
To me as a Black Man seeing this scene brings such delight, cause the slap that Tibbs gave Endicott was saying you will not treat me like a second class citizen, no matter who you are and what race you are. Throughout the movie Sidney Poitier, just showed so much dignity and passion for justice as Virgil Tibbs. You felt as the viewer that this scene he could stand tall and strong whilst questioning him and then take that slap that Endicott dished out on him and responding back with a equally hard slap that was a little stronger. But without really knocking the crap out of Endicott.
Julien Stewart Actually, it is important to remember Endicott is innocent of the killing and the scene is ironic in the sense that, in this instance, it is Virgil Tibbs who is being driven by his own prejudice .
+Julien Stewart For me as a white working-class man, I liked the scene right at the end when Mr Tibbs said 'I can pull that fat cat down' and the cop saying 'oh boy, man, you are just like the rest of us'. In other words, the issue was that of class as well as race. It is one of my all time favourite films - unsurprisingly not shown very often on television.
+Julien Stewart +Robert Nicholls For me as an American, I liked the scene at the end where the Chief says "you're just like the rest of us", showing that for all his aloofness and dignified air, Tibbs' visceral hatred showed that he was no better than the man he just gave a retaliatory slap to. That they were basically two sides of the same coin, part of the American melting pot.
"In The Heat Of The Night" was released during The Black Power Movement. At the time, younger blacks were starting to follow members of The Black Panther Party. Not to mention that they were starting to steer away from Martin Luther King's nonviolent approach. In the movie, watching a black man slapping a white man, in The Mid to Late '60's, was revolutionary in itself.
Not only is it the best scene of this movie, but it's one of the best ever. The movie was filmed in 1966, just as race relations were at their most violent & the civil rights movement was finally overturning centuries' worth of oppression and slaughter. it took the utmost courage & vision for everyone involved--creators, cast, crew, the music of Quincy Jones & Ray Charles--all working together to produce a classic like this. That slap, that shoulder shrug before storming out of the greenhouse, & that proud line from earlier in the film, "they call me MISTER Tibbs!!"...each of them were ultimate statements that the days of back seats and inhumane treatment were over. I don't think that Sidney Poitier has ever gotten his proper respect & acknowledgment as Hollywood's very own civil rights leader. I really wish there was a book or documentary of some kind on the making of "In The Heat Of The Night"...it would be great to hear the stories, beliefs, & fears of everyone involved as it was being made. I also wish that Poitier & the great Rod Steiger worked had worked together again on another film. Not a sequel to "ITHOTN" , because it didn't need one...but in another film as different characters. They were the perfect team for a film of this time.
There's a Criterion edition (Bluray and DVD) of this movie that has audio commentary all about that. Plus it has interviews as well. Highly recommended
Endicott: "you saw that?" Rod Stigier:"I saw it" Endicott: what you going to do about? Rod: "I don't k n o w" Endicott:"i'll remember that" Endicott: "there was a time I would've had you shot" That shoulder shuck and look on Sidney poitier's face as if, Try. Never underestimate anyone, because Mr Tibbs is the # 1 crime detective around and highest in their rank. Kind of embarrassing to Rod that a colored boy from up north is getting better pay than him. Don't ruffle him( Poitier) 😊epic!
"Ooh boy! MAN, you're just like the rest of us, ain't ya?" The fact that he Gillespie changed from saying "boy" to thinking and saying "MAN" spoke volumes wrt respect and understanding of Tibbs, the man...equal human being...another cop.. I've long owned an original dvd of the whole movie. I just HAD to buy it!
This scene is just so brilliant. It shows how pervasive the ingrained attitudes about race were and still are to some degree in the South - how they simply saw Black people as beneath them. The character of Endicott is a perfect means by which to display that. This isn't some frothing-at-the-mouth simple-minded food spouting off. This is a Southern gentleman who shows courtesy to Tibbs when they first meet. But when Tibbs steps over the line in questioning him, he reacts with that ingrained racist mentality, both in his slapping Tibbs and his reaction of pure indignation when Tibbs slapped him back; also the reaction of Gillespie too. So much going on here in this scene. I can only imagine how shocking that scene was to audiences on many levels when it first was seen.
Look at the butler's reaction when they slap each other. He's like, "Damn.....DAMNNN!" That was a powerful scene. That was real film art, as most were back then.
yeah, his expressions when they traded slaps was priceless!!! he could NOT believe it!!! butler played by JESTER HAIRSTON, "Rolly, the deacon" on tv show "Amen" starring Sherman Hemsley. Hairston was excellent on the show.
i heared it,saw it and laughed at it...The famous line what goes around, comes around mr.slappy..Black slappy had to set you right, im no ordinary black man..I hit back bitch..hahahahaha
That slap by Poitier was one of THE defining moments of the 1960's, unlike a book, it was seen all around the world, It says I am an equal, no more and no less and you will respect me as such. It is also on a par in TV/Cinema history as the kiss between Kirk and Uhura in the original Star Trek (Plato's Stepchildren, November 1968) as the first interracial intimate scene, both scenes unique in their own way, but both carrying a very strong message.
NOW! My thoughts: I really enjoyed this movie because, not only did it reveal the reality of how things were in the mid 60's in which I was here then, and as much as it was hurtful to see those days again, but it was wonderful to see that people like the character, Mr. Tibbs was not affraid to stand up to this man. And show him that he was just as equal as he was! And it gave Black people like the ones that were watching him from the fields HOPE & COURAGE when they heard what he had done. One day they would come OUT of those fields and take charge of their own lives and not be bullied by NO ONE ANY MORE!
That's a very _rosey tinted_ view (about mr poutier/ mr tibbs being inspirational to the _field workers_ ). At the end of the day- you think oprah or lebrawn give a toss about their _poor_ brothers and sisters in the slums of Chicago? . People with influence (with money) only care for themselves. Thank you
The butler shaking his head and the look of pain on Endicotts face that he hides at the end are intense. Endicott is finished, even the help has contempt for him.
I bet the help always had contempt for Endicott it's just that Virgil Tibbs slapped him in place of the help.. I was like that slap rang completely into my ears...
James Brummel ...Nah, the help already despises him. The shaking of the butler's head was a response sympathetic to his master...to diffuse the wrath that Endicott is going rain down on them all in the coming evening during his drunken rage.
@@garyaugustus1009 yes, the help is going to pay and pay dearly. They have to, Endicott cannot allow the shame and humiliation of that slap to go unpunished and the help as a collective, will reap his vengeance and retribution for what Tibbs did to him.
I think the way he played his own insecurities compared to mr tibbs professionalism, sophistication and expertise was brilliant. He knew he was outmatched and yet eventually comes to respect mr tibbs. Very suttle acting. Nuisanced
A great movie. For me the key moment - and certainly the bravest part of the script - is not the slap but the very end of this scene - 'Oh boy, man you're just like the rest of us, 'ain't you?' The script and Poitier's performance elevate Tibbs from a 'perfect' stereotypical victim/hero to a real human being: acknowledging then battling and overcoming his own prejudices, in a way most of us find impossible. Wonderful and important movie making.
EXCELLENT post--and I think Poitier's reaction makes his character even more relatable--as he has to battle internally the same things ALL of us do!! (This film is one of the all-time greats!!)
This was deep thinking filmakers of the 60s. That "rest of us" line would not survive the woke culture we now live in, nor would the writers ever think of it
Referring to the scene Poitier said, "[The scene] was almost not there. I said, 'I'll tell you what, I'll make this movie for you if you give me your absolute guarantee when he slaps me I slap him right back and you guarantee that it will play in every version of this movie.' I try not to do things that are against nature." However, Poitier's version of the story is contradicted by Mark Harris in his book, Pictures at a Revolution. Harris states that copies of the original draft of the screenplay that he obtained clearly contain the scene as filmed, which is backed up by Jewison and Silliphant. Could be either way
Helped my uncle sand the floors in this house in 1998. House is located in Dyersburg, Tenn. Bad storm had done some damage to the house and completely destroyed the green house. One of the few homes I've seen with a working elevator. Steiger and Poitier stayed at this house, they said, for the scenes in that area.
Ironic part is that Endicott and Tibbs are the ones having the "civilized" polite conversation, while Gillespie is the "hick" who can't hold his own. They exchange pleasantries and talk about orchids . . . almost as equals, if it weren't for the color of Tibb's skin. But that facade is quickly shattered when Tibbs says he likes epiphytics and Endicott explains his racial explanation. So in an instant, they go from two men talking as men . . . to master and negro . . . and culminating in Endicott trying to humiliate Tibbs and put him in his place, only to get SUPER humiliated himself . . . and in front of his man servant, too! Great idea for a scene, great pacing, great dialog . . . and so well acted by all of them.
The interplay between Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier is just amazing--EVERY scene they're in together is electrifying!! (I wish Steiger and Poitier could have shared the best actor Oscar that year--two of the most intense dramatic performances you'll ever see!!)
One of my favorite movies growing up. The continuous conflict and collaboration between Tibbs and Gillespie, in the time they were in, made for one of the most compelling relationships of any character duo IMO.
"I can pull that fat cat down! I can bring him right off this hill!" "Oh boy. Man, you're just like the rest of us." Everyone only see's the slap. But no one understands the irony of these lines. He's telling Virgil that he's acting prejudice just like him.
Scott M, although that's true - you have to also take into consideration that the white man started all the contention - at least in this one particular instance.
I also like the scene at the beginning where Gillespie calls Virgil Officer for the first time. you just know that Gillespie blinked by calling him Officer.
no its the Foul owl on the prowl with a proper wolf working as a counterman and denying the policeman pie. Steiger and Poitier are great, but Anthony James steals the show
As I said elsewhere here... I logged in here to pay my respects. As a black kid going to a school in a racist part of London, this one slap by Virgil Tibbs truly left a lifelong impression on me. It was a deeply symbolic scene, for me and for non-white people worldwide! Endicott's sobs surely reflect his pain at realising that the days when black people "knew their place" were on their way out. What a classy, elegant, almost regal, figure Mr Poitier was. RIP, Sir Sidney. 🖤✊🏽
@@maldini883 Those are tears of frustration, rage and impatience because a "Lesser man" in his eyes dared to expose his flaws. God I love it when a good plan comes together !
I saw this movie in Belfast in a picturehouse called THE HIPPODROME. It was packed to the doors and there wasn't a sound from the audience. When the movie ended everybody there stood up and clapped and cheered. It was an amazing response and I have never encountered this again. Rod Steiger I adored and my respect for Sidney Poitier soared. When it is repeated on our channels I watch it again, just to experience the emotion I experienced over 50 years ago ... superb x
More like slapped the GUTS out of him. There's the moment when Endicott realized those "days" he spoke of were ending, and being white was no longer enough to do what you want. It was the beginning of the end.
+Sally ONeill It is the character of Bill Gillespie who transforms during this film, not Virgil Tibbs. Gillespie goes from being a near open bigot to realizing his limitations as a lowly educated southerner (note how he sits quietly in the background as Tibbs and Endicott discuss flowers) and ultimately respecting Tibbs for his intelligence and as man, without regard to color. Rod Steiger deserved the Oscar for Best Actor in this film.
Ppl keep saying the slap was the moment, I disagree...when Gillespie says "Man, you just like the rest of us. Ain't ya?" is the defining line. Think about it.
Are you serious? That is ABSOLUTELY NOT the defining moment A strong and assertive Black man bitchslapping a nasty, toxic old racist on film was THE moment. What Gilllespje pointed out was nothing more than calling out someone who is riding on their high horse in the moment. A generalized character callout.
@@enshk79 Get your ass out of the woke pc bullshit...regardless of Endicott's personal racist views, he was not guilty of the crime they were investigating, Tibbs was goading him..."I can pull that fat cat down" is Tibbs losing perspective, and revealing his own prejudice and weakness by assuming that those that hold racist views are AUTOMATICALLY guilty of everything by default. Probably like how black folk feel when they say guilty for being Black. "A strong and assertive Black man", wtf does that mean? I'm not Black or White, but if I got slapped, I sure the fuck would slap back...got nothing to do with being Black, or for that matter being a man...Assertiveness I can give you...reducing shit down to race is the fucking problem. What Gillespie called out was that bigotry and hatred is color blind.
This is still a brilliant film and stands the test of time. Obviously it helped having two excellent actors in the main roles. Watching this film in the late sixties, my mates and I had no understanding of what it must have been like for black Americans. This film gave us pause for thought.
@@Rob774 Like Taraji Henson in "Hidden Figures", or Tom Hanks in "Captain Phillips" - her meltdown after running a half mile through the rain just to pee in a colored bathroom, or his delayed shock reaction after being rescued by the USN, grab me every time....
It’s very rare for any film to contain two actors at the top of their game. Possibly the restaurant scene in Heat with De Niro and Pacino is one, but this film has numerous scenes where Poitier and Steiger are matching each other. Having said that, it was Steiger’s character that went through the bigger transformation, from naked racism to ultimate respect. Poitier’s character had as much contempt for his surroundings at the end as the beginning, though he had warmed to Steiger.
"I can pull that fat cat down! I can bring him right off this hill!", said with all the gusto Poitier can deliver. And of course, elicits that great reaction from Steiger. Classic.
That was the slap that was heard around the world the universe everywhere 17,000 times thank you I love the Heat of the Night the original Cedar Point gave his best ever we love that it represent what needs to be done and dealt with
Poitier is the best representation of a film icon, husband, father and human being...This scene is, perhaps, the most poignant and powerful, in American film history...That, brilliant and bold slap was heard and seen, around the world...Thsnks, Mr. Poitier!
I really like this movie because I can feel the the character flaws of both of them, with the ending just making me wish we could see more of the two of them in their new found friendship.
The way Jewison holds the camera on Endicott to show his utter humiliation was absolutely perfect. One more second more or less would have diminished its power.
This sequence is perfection. Even the butler. After Tibbs and Gillespie leave, he looks at Endicott, shakes his head, and walks out. Was he thinking, "Well Mr. Endicott. It was a long time coming."
I think he gave him a "what is the world coming to, sympathetic look and then ran off to tell everybody how Endicott was beat up by a black police officer!
Poitier was terrific,but Steiger,well,we need to find a new word to describe his performance. Outstanding,fantastic,amazing,they hardly do him justice.
brian morgan I thought Steiger did a great job in the showier role, and The Academy typically rewards actors Acting. But Poitier is just as riveting, and your eye is continuously drawn to the nuances he allows his character.
The good part of the scene is the car ride at the beginning. The overwhelming best parts of the movie were with Sidney Potier and Rod Stieger. They fed off of each other better than most stars you will see, they made the movie.
I agree with you there. The Condescending tone in Gillespie`s voice when he says, None of that for you, eh Virgil. This is one of the best Films ever made in my opinion, you just don`t see acting of this calibre today.
