“I came by to make it as clear as I possibly can: that I do not want...” – Mrs. Colbert, In the Heat of the Night ... Movie Quotes Database

Mrs. 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 Schubert

Negro officer?

Gillespie

Yeah, well he, uh... he comes from up North, you see, and he was, uh, kinda... passing through...

Mrs. 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.

In this scene

Gillespie Rod Steiger More Gillespie quotes →

Mayor Schubert William Schallert

Mrs. Colbert Lee Grant

More from In the Heat of the Night

Mayor Schubert Bill... what's made you change your mind about Tibbs? Gillespie Who says I have? Mayor Schubert Last Chief we had... he'd have shot Tibbs one second after he slapped Endicott, claimed self-defense. Virgil Tibbs Now listen, hear me good, Mama. Please. Don't make me have to send you to jail... There's white time in jail and there's colored time in jail. The worst kind of time you can do is colored time. Chief Gillespie I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead!