In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Rod Steiger: Chief Bill Gillespie

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Gillespie : Virgil? That's a funny name for a n***er boy that comes from Philadelphia. What do they call you up there?

  Virgil Tibbs : They call me MISTER TIBBS!

• [upon the suggestion that he may have murdered Colbert, Endicott slaps Tibbs across the face. Tibbs promptly slaps him back. Endicott is positively shocked] 

  Eric Endicott : Gillespie?

  Chief Gillespie : Yeah.

  Eric Endicott : You saw it.

  Chief Gillespie : I saw it.

  Eric Endicott : Well, what are you gonna do about it?

  Chief Gillespie : I don't know.

  Eric Endicott : I'll remember that.

  [to Tibbs] 

  Eric Endicott : There was a time when I could've had you shot.

• Chief Gillespie : I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead.

• Chief Gillespie : Just once in my life, I'm gonna own my temper. I'm telling you that you're gonna stay here. You're gonna stay here if I have to go inside and call your chief of police and have him remind you of what he told you to do. But I don't think I have to do that, you see? No, because you're so damn smart. You're smarter than any white man. You're just gonna stay here and show us all. You've got such a big head that you could never live with yourself unless you could put us all to shame. You wanna know something, Virgil? I don't think that you could let an opportunity like that pass by.

• Mayor Webb Schubert : Bill... what's made you change your mind about Tibbs?

  Gillespie : Who says I have?

  Mayor Webb Schubert : [referring to Tibbs slapping Endicott]  Last Chief we had... he'd have shot Tibbs one second after he slapped Endicott, claim self-defense.

• [last lines] 

  Chief Gillespie : You take care, y'hear?

  Virgil Tibbs : Yeah.

• Gillespie : Now, look. I got no wife. I got no kids. Boy, I got a town that don't want me. And I got an air conditioner that I have to oil myself, and a desk with a busted leg. And on top of that, I got this, uh... place. Now, don't you think that'd drive a man to takin' a few drinks? I'll tell you a secret. Nobody comes here. Never.

• Mrs. Leslie Colbert : I came by to make it as clear as I possibly can: that I do not want the Negro officer taken off this case.

  Mayor Webb Schubert : Negro officer?

  Chief Gillespie : Yeah, well he, uh... he comes from up North, you see, and he was, uh, kinda... passing through...

  Mrs. Leslie Colbert : I don't care what he is. If it wasn't for him, your impartial chief of police would still have the wrong man behind bars. I want that officer given a free hand, otherwise I will pack up my husband's engineers... and leave you... to yourselves.

• Gillespie : How much they pay you to do their police work?

  Tibbs : A hundred and sixty-two dollars, and thirty-nine cents per week.

  Gillespie : A hundred and sixty-two dollars and thirty-nine cents a week? Well boy! Sam, you take him outside but treat him nice, because a man that makes a hundred and sixty-two dollars and thirty-nine cents a week, we do not want to ruffle him!

• Gillespie : Whatcha hit him with?

  Tibbs : Hit whom?

  Gillespie : "Whom"? "Whom"? Well, you a northern boy? What's a northern boy like you doing all the way down here?

• Chief Gillespie : [regarding Sam Wood's status as a suspect]  We have the motive which is money, and the body which is dead!

  Tibbs : What makes you so sure?

  Chief Gillespie : WHY DO YOU DOUBT IT?

  Tibbs : Because Colbert was killed HERE, driven back to town in his own car and dumped on the street. Sam couldn't have driven two cars!

• [after Chief Gillespie convinced Virgil Tibbs to stay in town and finish the investigation, they both go to a mechanic's place to get Tibbs a car] 

  Chief Gillespie : Jess.

  [Jess, a black mechanic, appears from under the car he is working on] 

  Chief Gillespie : Jess, this is, uh... This is Virgil. He's working for me. Give him something that runs. You fix him up, you hear.

  Jess : What I fix runs. Who pays.

  Chief Gillespie : Police.

  [to Tibbs:] 

  Chief Gillespie : Well, you know where to find me.

  [after Gillespie has left, Jess looks Virgil and his suit up and down] 

  Jess : What you doin' here, man.

  Virgil Tibbs : Policeman.

  Jess : You're a policeman here in Sparta.

  Virgil Tibbs : They've got a murder they don't know what to do with. They need a whipping boy.

  Jess : You got a roof.

  Virgil Tibbs : No. I'll find a Motel.

  [Jess chuckles and picks up Virgil's suitcase] 

  Jess : Viola... We got company.

• Gillespie : [on telephone to Tibbs' chief]  I do want to thank you for offering such a powerful piece of manpower as Virgil Tibbs.

• Gillespie : You look at bodies all the time in Philadelphia. Why can't you look at this one?

  Tibbs : Why can't you look at it for yourself?

  Gillespie : Because I'm not an expert. OFFICER!

• Chief Gillespie : Mr. Tibbs! Well Mr. Woods take Mr. Tibbs! Take him down to the depot and I mean boy like now!

• Tibbs : You're making a big mistake.

  Chief Gillespie : Don't you bet against it.

• Gillespie : How long he been dead?

  Dr. Stuart : I'd say less than an hour, maybe half that...