

"They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it."
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.
Virgil Tibbs

Police Chief Bill Gillespie

Deputy Sam Wood

Deputy Courtney

Mrs. Leslie Colbert

Ralph

Mayor Schubert

Harvey Oberst

Eric Endicott

Mr. Purdy

Delores Purdy

Henderson
Watkins

Packy

Mama Caleba

Ulam

Dr. Stuart

Shagbag

McNeil

Charles Hawthorne
Endicott's Butler
Shuie

Jess
Fryer

1st Tough
2nd Tough

Clerk
Philip Colbert (uncredited)
Ted Appleton (uncredited)

Deputy (uncredited)

Conductor (uncredited)