They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!
Encyclopedia
They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! is a 1970
film; a sequel to In the Heat of the Night (1967). Sidney Poitier
reprised his role of police detective Virgil Tibbs
, though in this sequel, Tibbs is working for the San Francisco Police
rather than the Philadelphia Police (as in the original film) or the Pasadena Police (as in the novels).
, is accused. The film has a blaxploitation
style, unlike its predecessor. It can also be viewed as a forerunner to other 1970s
cop films, such as Dirty Harry
(1971
) and The French Connection
(1971
). Like Dirty Harry, the action was set in San Francisco.
wrote the score, as he did with In the Heat of the Night, although the tone of the music in both is markedly different. The previous film, owing to its setting, had a country and bluesy sound, whereas his work for this film was in the funk
milieu that would become Jones' trademark in the early 1970s
.
The film's title was taken from Virgil's line in In the Heat of the Night.
It was followed by a third film called The Organization
(1971
).
The film was the last appearance of veteran actor Juano Hernández
, who died in July 1970, a few days after the film premiered.
The film has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of June 2009.
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
film; a sequel to In the Heat of the Night (1967). Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
reprised his role of police detective Virgil Tibbs
Virgil Tibbs
Virgil Tibbs is a fictional character who is one of the two leading male characters in John Ball's 1965 novel In the Heat of the Night. He is also the protagonist in six sequels to that novel, the Oscar-winning 1967 film of the same name based on the original novel, the sequel films They Call Me...
, though in this sequel, Tibbs is working for the San Francisco Police
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
rather than the Philadelphia Police (as in the original film) or the Pasadena Police (as in the novels).
Plot
The plot involves Tibbs' investigation of the murder of a prostitute, of which a liberal street preacher and political organizer, played by Martin LandauMartin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
, is accused. The film has a blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
style, unlike its predecessor. It can also be viewed as a forerunner to other 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
cop films, such as Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
(1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
) and The French Connection
The French Connection (film)
This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
(1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
). Like Dirty Harry, the action was set in San Francisco.
Cast
- Sidney PoitierSidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
as Virgil Tibbs - Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
as Logan Sharpe - Barbara McNairBarbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African American singer and actress.Born Barbara Jean McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
as Valerie Tibbs - Anthony ZerbeAnthony ZerbeAnthony Jared Zerbe is an American stage, film and Emmy-winning television actor. Notable film roles include the post-apocalyptic cult leader Matthias in The Omega Man, a 1971 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend; Milton Krest in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill;...
as Rice Weedon - Edward Asner as Woody Garfield
- Jeff CoreyJeff CoreyJeff Corey was an American stage and screen actor and director who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s.-Biography:...
as Captain Marden - Norma CraneNorma CraneNorma Crane was an actress of stage, film and television. Among her best known roles was that of Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. She also starred in They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and Penelope...
as Marge Garfield - Juano HernandezJuano HernándezJuano Hernández was a Puerto Rican stage and film actor of African descent who was a pioneer in the African-American film industry. He made his debut in an Oscar Micheaux film, "The Girl from Chicago" which was directed at black audiences. Hernández also performed in a serious of dramatic roles in...
as Mealie Williamson - David SheinerDavid SheinerDavid Sheiner is an American film and television actor.-Biography:He was born in January 13, 1928 in New York City....
as Lieutenant Kenner - Beverly ToddBeverly ToddBeverly Todd is an American actress, producer and writer. Todd gained major work during the 1970s, appearing in notable films such as The Lost Man , They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! , Brother John and A Piece of the Action . This eventually led to other distinguished and more important work...
as Puff - Ted Gehring as Sergeant Deutsch
- Linda Towne as Joy Sturges
- Garry WalbergGarry WalbergGarry Walberg is an American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Walberg has performed in numerous TV shows since the early 1950s, including Johnny Staccato, Lassie, Peyton Place, The Fugitive, The Odd Couple and several other popular American programs.Walberg's most...
as Medical Examiner - George Spell as Andy Tibbs
- Wanda Spell as Ginger Tibbs
Production
Quincy JonesQuincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
wrote the score, as he did with In the Heat of the Night, although the tone of the music in both is markedly different. The previous film, owing to its setting, had a country and bluesy sound, whereas his work for this film was in the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
milieu that would become Jones' trademark in the early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
The film's title was taken from Virgil's line in In the Heat of the Night.
It was followed by a third film called The Organization
The Organization (film)
The Organization is a 1971 film starring Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs. It was the last of the trilogy featuring the police detective Tibbs that had begun with In the Heat of the Night . In it Tibbs is called in to hunt down a gang of urban revolutionaries, suspected of a series of crimes...
(1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
).
The film was the last appearance of veteran actor Juano Hernández
Juano Hernández
Juano Hernández was a Puerto Rican stage and film actor of African descent who was a pioneer in the African-American film industry. He made his debut in an Oscar Micheaux film, "The Girl from Chicago" which was directed at black audiences. Hernández also performed in a serious of dramatic roles in...
, who died in July 1970, a few days after the film premiered.
Reception
Released in 1970, the film did not attract the same response as In the Heat of the Night.The film has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of June 2009.
Release on DVD & HD
- In 2001 it was released on DVD.
- In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcasted on MGM HDMGM HDMGM HD is an all high-definition television channel. It features commercial-free movies from MGM's library of approximately 1,200 movies mastered in a high-definition-compatible format as well as feature films from their library of 4,100 theatrical titles...
.