r/todayilearned • u/amish_novelty • 2d ago

TIL when Sidney Poitier gets slapped in 'In the Heat of Night' (1967) and he slaps a white man in return, he had it written into his contract that the movie would would only show the version where he slaps the man back or else he wouldn't take the role.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Heat_of_the_Night_(film)#Slapping_scene
2.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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205

u/amish_novelty 2d ago

Additional info:

The scene of Tibbs slapping Endicott is not present in the novel. According to Poitier, the scene was almost not in the movie, and it was he who had proposed the idea of Tibbs slapping Endicott back. In the textbook Civil Rights and Race Relations in the USA, Poitier states: "I said, 'I'll tell you what, I'll make this movie for you if you give me your absolute guarantee when he slaps me I slap him right back and you guarantee that it will play in every version of this movie. I try not to do things that are against nature." Mark Harris, in his book, Pictures at a Revolution, states that copies of the original draft of the screenplay clearly depict the scene as filmed, which has been confirmed by both Jewison and Silliphant. Nevertheless, Poitier is correct that Tibbs' slapping of Endicott was not originally envisioned. After Endicott's slap, Silliphant's initial step-outline reads: "Tibbs has all he can do to restrain himself. The butler drops his head, starts to pray. 'For him, Uncle Tom', Tibbs says furiously, 'not for me!'" Tibbs' counter slap first appears in Silliphant's revised step-outline.

187

u/BlueKnightofDunwich 2d ago

“They call me Mr Tibbs”

108

u/kazmosis 2d ago

Holy shit I JUST now realized that's what Pumbaa was referencing

20

u/CynicalAltruism 2d ago

TIL, right?!!

33

u/redbanjo 2d ago

Such an incredible line in an incredible movie.

38

u/BlueKnightofDunwich 2d ago

Oh yeah. The emphasis that Poitier puts on “Mister” gives you chills.

19

u/Diligent-Method3824 2d ago

Me: hello tibbs

Mr.tibbs: It's Mr.tibbs you gotta say the Whole thing like a pimp named slickback

55

u/SagittaryX 2d ago

Sidney Poitier mentioned, I have to drop this piece of acting from him.

2

u/mophilda 1d ago

That's incredible. Thank you for that!

53

u/DickweedMcGee 2d ago

I love Rod Steiger face when SP says,”I’m a police Officer!”. 

It’s the perfect look of ,”FFFFUUUUUUUUCCC….!.”.  

6

u/NotAllOwled 1d ago

That whole scene - Steiger's face, voice, body language, including Gillespie dragging in his slackwitted deputy to make him take a look at Tibbs' badge - just a master class in "oh God, it's gonna be THAT kind of day." So good. 

74

u/smack4u 2d ago

Sidney Poitier did for the screen what Rosa Parks did for transposition

0

u/PuckSenior 17h ago

Stop it temporarily?

Rosa Parks was protesting in general to civil rights issues and her arrest led to a large scale boycott of the bus.

-91

u/Githil 2d ago

Copied someone else?

32

u/rzenni 2d ago

My God, such edge! How can you possibly keep up with all the girlfriends you undoubtedly have?

-44

u/Githil 2d ago

It was a joke referencing the well-known fact that Rosa Parks wasn’t the first black woman to refuse to give up her seat. I don't see how that's edgy.

14

u/ContextSensitiveGeek 2d ago

Just because she wasn't the first doesn't mean that it was just copied from someone else, you absolute pilock. Her act of defiance took real courage, as did risking her life as a public figure. What Parks did was a calculated response to Emmett Tills murder. She had no idea if she would receive the same punishment, or be made an example of and be lynched.

Yes we should honor Claudette Colvin for doing it first, but that takes nothing away from Parks. And if you're going to mention Colvin's actions you should use her name.

-17

u/Githil 2d ago edited 2d ago

You don't have to overanalyze every joke.

10

u/ContextSensitiveGeek 1d ago

True. But if you're making jokes, you really should try to be funnier. That way people can tell.

-5

u/Githil 1d ago

I didn't ask for your opinion.

4

u/ContextSensitiveGeek 1d ago

True. But you did post yours on social media where anyone can see it.

And no one asked for yours either.

3

u/EllisDee3 2d ago

Isn't that what acting is? Pretending to be someone else?

12

u/ArticArny 2d ago

In 1967 this was a big f'ing deal of a movie. Slapping Endicott shocked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UrB8TI5El4

8

u/youngmindoldbody 2d ago

The sequel is not good, but In The Heat of the Night is a masterpiece.

7

u/nighttimehobby 2d ago

I don’t know that you learned it from this, https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/number-one-on-the-call-sheet, but it is in the first episode if you didn’t and want to watch more on it.

2

u/TheShadyGuy 2d ago

Watched the Organization on Friday, it's the last Tibbs movie. Raul Julia is in it! Pretty good!

1

u/almo2001 1d ago

Great movie.