In the Heat of the Night Quotes
An African American police detective is asked to investigate a murder in a racially hostile southern town.
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!
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!
[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.
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: 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.
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.
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.
[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.
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.
Chief Gillespie: [regarding Sam Wood's status as a suspect] We have the motive which is money, and the body which is dead!
Tibbs: Sam didn't kill Colbert!
Chief Gillespie: What makes you so sure?
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!
Tibbs: Sam didn't kill Colbert!
Chief Gillespie: What makes you so sure?
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!
