I had a theatre instructor who when asked who the best American actor in movies or on stage were said Rod Steiger. At that time I had never seen him in a film. Since then, I've seen most and if this film was any indication, I must agree he ranks near the top. This is a groundbreaking film with Sidney Poitier, a Philadelphia cop, visiting his mother, who is arrested for a murder while he waits at a train station. This leads to his facing consummate racism, including Steiger's police chief. The neat thing is that the acting is so good, we sense that Steiger's character is moving, but there is no dramatic, sudden change. The final statement he makes to Virgil (Poitier) is so subtle and yet so powerful, it wraps things up with a bow. There are some things that have become cliched by today's standards, especially the portrayal of the dimwitted kids who go after Virgil. It's dangerous in the town and he has to use every bit of his guile to just stay alive. Great cast. After 56 years, I finally saw the whole thing.
Review of In the Heat of the Night
