In the Heat of the Night -Pop Cultural Supports Civil Rights

Ball, John

First Edition

John Ball. In the Heat of the Night. First edition. Harper and Row: New York. 1965. Original purple dust jacket design by Luiz Woods. 184 pages. Measures 8.25" x 6" inches. The story follows Virgil Tibbs, a Black police detective solving a murder case in notoriously racist small town South Carolina. The book and its 1967 film adaptation engaged directly with the civil rights movement, making it a pop culture landmark and Tibbs a much beloved character. Played by Sidney Poitier in the film, Tibbs was a well-educated, well-dressed professional Black man doing his work without apology or deference to white supremacy. The impact of this representation was profound, "Young black people in northern cities responded to the film in a much more visceral way than the whites did. This was the first time a black actor was wearing the fancy suit and being looked up to." (Jewison) The story extended its generational reach with a television series that ran from 1988-95. An iconic example of the interplay between pop culture and social change. Extremely minor shelfwear to spine. Very good condition.

Item #18101

Price: $585.00