Factual error: In the scene where the escaped prisoner climbs onto the bridge, he's still in Mississippi. The road sign reads "Arkansas 49."
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Plot summary
Directed by: Norman Jewison
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant
After the murder of "the most important man" In a small town called Sparta, somewhere in Mississippi, an African-American Detective called Virgil Tibbs is accused of the murder by a racist patrol officer. When his innocence is proved, he sets out to find the real killer, with the help of the town's fat gum-chewing sheriff, Bill Gillespie.
Itamar The D.R. Endings
More mistakes in In the Heat of the Night
Chief Gillespie: What do they call you up there?
Virgil Tibbs: They call me MISTER Tibbs!
Trivia: Norman Jewison asked Rod Steiger to chew gum when playing the role of Gillespie. Steiger resisted at first but then grew to love the idea, and went through 263 packs of gum during the shooting of the film.
Answer: He didn't. After Ralph killed Mr. Colbert, he stole his wallet. He took the money and threw it away. Harvey found the empty wallet, and that's why the police charged him with murder.
That isn't correct. It is stated several times that Colbert withdrew $900 from the bank. Harvey said he found the wallet with $300 in it ("more money than I ever saw"). When Gillespie discovers that Sam has deposited $600 in his bank account, he assumes that this is the $600 that was taken from Colbert's wallet. He even states that Sam left the $300 in the wallet in order to trap "someone like Harvey." It is the weakest part of the plot. Why would Ralph not have taken all the money?
Deramore