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.
as Virgil Tibbs
as Police Chief Bill Gillespie
as Deputy Sam Wood
as Deputy Courtney
as Mrs. Leslie Colbert
as Ralph
as Mayor Schubert
as Harvey Oberst
as Eric Endicott
as Mr. Purdy
as Delores Purdy
as Henderson
as Watkins
as Packy
as Mama Caleba
as Ulam
as Dr. Stuart
as Shagbag
as McNeil
as Charles Hawthorne
as Endicott's Butler
as Shuie
as Jess
as Fryer
as 1st Tough
as 2nd Tough
as Clerk
as Philip Colbert (uncredited)
as Ted Appleton (uncredited)
as Deputy (uncredited)
as Conductor (uncredited)
