Sidney Poitier

             Sidney Poitier's character portrayal of a Philadelphia police officer in the classic film In the Heat of the Night is a remarkable one. There are several other actors that also depict their characters well, but Sidney Poitier truly stands out. There are dozens of reasons why his portrayal is so good and why he appeals to the American public. For example, he represents a minority, is incredibly smart, and is dedicated.
             Sidney Poitier was to Hollywood what Jackie Robinson was to major league baseball. Simply put, he was the man who broke the color barrier. While the sight of a non-white actor starring in a Hollywood film is now fairly common, though still considered a risk, back in 1967 this was unheard of. The film made it obvious that the people in Sparta did not like Sidney Poitier's character. They thought that he did not have the ability and knowledge that they did. They accuse Tibbs, Sidney Poitier's character, of killing a man simply because he is black. This was something that was particularly common during the time period during which it was filmed. The film continues from that point and builds on the characters" prejudices and weaknesses. It addresses an issue that was controversial during the time it was filmed. Sidney Poitier successfully depicted a character that was breaking the rules of the South. By doing so, he was also breaking the rules of Hollywood.
             One of the main qualities of Tibbs that appeals to the American public is his intelligence. When the rest of the characters found out that they were wrong, he figured out a plan and continued to work. There were several times in the film that the Sparta police officers did something wrong while investigating the murder case. When they thought that they had no other choice, Tibbs stepped in and made the solution apparent. He always seemed to outsmart the local police. Tibbs proved that he was intelligent countless times in different ways.