Rod Steiger: Chief Bill Gillespie

Al calor de la noche

Chief Bill Gillespie

Gillespie: Virgil? That's a funny name for a nigger boy that comes from Philadelphia. What do they call you up there?
Virgil Tibbs: They call me MISTER TIBBS!

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.

[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.

Mayor Webb Schubert: Bill... what's made you change your mind about Tibbs?
Gillespie: Who says I have?
Mayor Webb Schubert: [referring to Tibbs slapping Endicott] Last Chief we had... he'd have shot Tibbs one second after he slapped Endicott, claim self-defense.

Gillespie: Now, look. I got no wife. I got no kids. Boy, I got a town that don't want me. And I got an air conditioner that I have to oil myself, and a desk with a busted leg. And on top of that, I got this, uh... place. Now, don't you think that'd drive a man to takin' a few drinks? I'll tell you a secret. Nobody comes here. Never.

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.

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!

Gillespie: Whatcha hit him with?
Tibbs: Hit whom?
Gillespie: "Whom"? "Whom"? Well, you a northern boy? What's a northern boy like you doing all the way down here?

[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: [regarding Sam Wood's status as a suspect] We have the motive which is money, and the body which is dead!
Tibbs: What makes you so sure?
Chief Gillespie: WHY DO YOU DOUBT IT?
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!

Gillespie: You look at bodies all the time in Philadelphia. Why can't you look at this one?
Tibbs: Why can't you look at it for yourself?
Gillespie: Because I'm not an expert. OFFICER!

Gillespie: [on telephone to Tibbs' chief] I do want to thank you for offering such a powerful piece of manpower as Virgil Tibbs.

Chief Gillespie: Mr. Tibbs! Well Mr. Woods take Mr. Tibbs! Take him down to the depot and I mean boy like now!