They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

Sidney Poitier reprises his role as Virgil Tibbs in the 1970 crime drama, “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!” a story that is not connected to the previous film, “In the Heat of the Night.” Once again, he is an expert homicide detective and is now on the case of the murder of a prostitute. The main suspect is San Francisco political advocate Reverend Logan Sharpe, played by Martin Landau, the last person seen with the victim. Tibbs and Sharpe are friends, and Tibbs wants to believe the priest is not guilty. Sharpe admits to Tibbs he has slept with the murdered prostitute, and the detective strengthens his focus on his friend, and in one climactic scene, Tibbs interrupts a city-council where Sharpe is campaigning for political change. On the other end, after dealing with drug addicts, pimps, murderers and other criminals his entire shift, Tibbs returns home to his wife Valerie (Barbara McNair) and his two children (George and Wanda Spell), only to be really scolded for being late for dinner and spending all day at his job.

In the suspenseful sequel to “In the Heat of the Night,” the great Sidney Poitier reprises his role as the fearless detective who, this time, must solve a difficult murder in the city by the Bay. With an original score by the great Quincy Jones, “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!” is a great mystery that is one of the best of the genre. When a prostitute is murdered in San Francisco’s classy Nob Hill distract, an unknown tip hints minister and political advocate Reverent Logan Sharpe. Lt. Virgil Tibbs, who has known Sharpe for many years, asks to be in charge of the case so that he can clear his friend’s name. Gary Tooze said in his review, “So begins the detective's journey through a twisted maze of baffling evidence, frantic chases, deadly gunfire and bad alibis. Before long, Tibbs finds himself bitterly torn between his duty as a cop and his loyalty to a friend.” Directed by Hollywood legend Gordon Douglas and including an all-star supporting cast that includes Barbara McNair, Edward Asner, Anthony Zerbe and Jeff Corey.

Tooze said, “Further adventures of Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs, the black cop who took on an entire Southern town in In the Heat of the Night.” Poitier plays the Tibbs again, but this time he’s in San Francisco, the script diligently doesn’t have racial issues, and the film goes the way most sequels go. Poitier properly solves his murder mystery and survives some domestic issues, but neither he nor director Gordon Douglas can turn this into anything more than a simple thriller.

Tooze admitted, “I think They Call me Mister Tibbs is a good crime drama falling somewhere between the two previous Virgil Tibbs film entries.” Poitier is always great in everything he has done.

In all honesty, this is a good follow-up to the previous film. It doesn’t include anything of the racial issues or any of that was mentioned in the last film, but it’s good in its own respective way. If you liked the first one, you should see this one because you will like it in its own way. Check it out and give it a chance because you will enjoy the crime thriller this film turns out being.

However, I can’t say that it continued being that way for this trilogy. Stay tuned this Friday to find out what I mean in “Black History Movie Month” where we are dedicating this as “Sidney Poitier Month.”