In the Heat of the Night 1967

Virgil Tibbs, a detective of Philadelphia is arrested for murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.