Beauty vs Beast: They Call Him Mr. Poitier
Monday, February 19, 2018 at 12:56PM Jason from MNPP here - Sidney Poitier is turning 91 years old tomorrow, and so let's devote this week's episode of "Beauty vs Beast" to Norman Jewison's 1967 classic police drama In the Heat of the Night, which won five Oscars including ones for Best Picture, for Rod Steiger as Best Actor, and for Hal Ashby for Editing. Shockingly Poitier wasn't even nominated for the film, but he did already have his 1963 statue for Lilies in the Field at that point.
ITHOTN is nominally a film about a murder in a small town, but it's the tension between the Mississippian police chief Gillespie (Steiger) and the usurping fancy-man Philadelphian detective Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) that gives the film its drama, as we watch their animosity give way to something like respect. Still it's very much of its time, up to and including those Oscar nominations - imagine Steiger winning the statue while Poitier's not even nominated today...
PREVIOUSLY To borrow a turn of phrase from Denzel Washington, last week's Creed contest wasn't close and the winner, by an arm, was Michael B. Jordan as Adonis. He took just under 70%. Said Emma:
"I cried like a baby in the final act of CREED. My crying was so audible that someone in front of me turned around and said to my friend, 'let's hope she never sees SCHINDLER'S LIST!'. Oh, and Michael B. Jordan's guns, obviously."
Reader Comments (6)
Classic,Poitier may have gone in supporting knowing the Academy but it's this with which he should have an Oscar,The slap is right up there with Cher's,Sissy's,Ruby's etc,Can we get a shout out too for Lee Grant's unomminated work in a terrible category that year.
Oh a list of Best Slaps would be great!
Of course Mr. Tibbs wins this contest. I honestly didn't even remember a thing about Steiger after I watched the film. Poitier has so much presence and charisma that he blocks everything else.
Mr. Tibbs
This is one of those movies my father had me watch as a kid because it was "important". I am grateful for it. Also, in the words of my dad, "Jesus. No wonder they gave Rod Steiger the Oscar. He's chomping that gum so loud."
I highly recommend you get your hands on Entertainment Weekly's 90th Anniversary Oscar issue this week. Lots of insight about historical races, and they delve into theories why Steiger was nominated (and won) while Poitier was ignored. Steiger thanked Poitier in his speech and credited his sharing his life experiences in enhancing his performance.
Watching Sydney Poitier reassured me that I could grow up into the kind of adult I wanted to be. He still had what we kids had and adults had lost. He was honest, honourable, brave and full of joy.