In the Heat of the Night quotes

I want to like you people; and I want you people to like me. But there can be no liking without respect, and until there is that respect you will call me Mister Tibbs!

I guess you know everything about everybody here in this town, huh?

Virgil, if I was to sell all I know to one of them little newspapers at the checkout stand at the supermarket I'd have my fortune made. At the same time there be a whole lot of murders, mayhem, massacres, and suicides.

Now I want to hear what happened, and I want to hear all of it.

Somehow I doubt that.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, he was sorry too, he said he was sorry every time, sometimes he even cried. Can you cry?

That bastard was all over me from the time I was 9 years old, and I killed him for it.

[to her mother] I drink, you take sleeping pills. I sleep with anybody; you sleep with nobody. The only difference is you're more subtle.

You're not going to like it.

That never stopped you before.

Officer Wilson Sweet

[after being hauled in by two Butler County sheriff's deputies for public intoxication] No, I don't wanna go in here now! Come on!

What do we have here?

Drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest, vandalizing a county vehicle, simple assault.

OK, name?

Officer Wilson Sweet

Uh, Bruce Springsteen.

He got any ID?

Nothing.

John Doe Number Two. Take him into 37.

What the hell is going on here? [Upon seeing Sweet] Another troublemaker, huh?

Everything is under control, Sheriff. Just taking him into a cell.

Wait a minute! Bring him in here. This boy needs to learn some manners.

You've got it coming now, boy.

[Gillespie and Tibbs try to go into Sheriff Thompson's office only to realize it's locked.] Sir?

Where's the key to this door?

Sir, I'm not sure I should...

Don't argue with me. Give me the key.

I can't go against the sheriff's orders.

Now, listen! There have been crimes committed in this jail. You want to be part of them? 'Cause I'm gonna tell you, boy. I'll put you up on charges of obstructing justice, criminal conspiracy and felonious ASSAULT... TO BEGIN! NOW GIVE ME THE KEY!

Ever since that woman came to town, Bubba... [sigh] I think he's in over his head. She's a beautiful, sophisticated young woman and Bubba, well...

You can't understand what she sees in him.

In a word, No.

Let me try to explain this to you Virgil. Bubba is a HUNK. He's manly, he's strong, he's considerate and just rippling with muscles.

Althea, Althea, you're a married woman.

Hey, I'm married, I'm not blind.

Well, if Bubba's a hunk, what does that make me?

Officer Parker Williams

Excuse me, uhhh, the Chief told me to tell you that he can hear you in his office and he just don't want to!

Well don't give me the mad look. You can only go so far browbeating a kid; then you don't get more you get less.

All right, all right, you hold it now. Cuz in another minute we're both going to be swimming in the middle of Lake Silly here.

I don't think there is anything more to be gained by this discussion. I'm going to go see a woman about some cornbread and a bowl of beans.

[to Himself as Gillespie is leaving] Lord I wish I had something I could throw.

You know what I see? I see a black man that I would not care to see any time, or any place.

Yeah, I see a man that I feel the exact same way about, not because he's a white man, but because he's a maggot.

Easy! Easy! Hold it! Bubba, arrest Mr. Rowen for assault and for being a maggot.

Oh, we're real tough on maggots around here.