Movie Review: ****^In the Heat of the Night (1967)

This is the movie with the famous lie of Sidney Portier, "The call me Mr. Tibbs."  Also in his roll as the police of chief, Rod Steiger, won the Oscar for best actor.  The lead was shared by Porter and Steiger.  Steiger was a southern chief of police, in a town with Jim Crow laws and with rampant racism including violence.  Potier's character just happens to be visiting when there is a murder.  He is a homicide detective from Philadelphia.  The chief on several occasions arrests the wrong man.  Potier has to keep digging.  Even he was intent on looking for the murderer in the wrong place.  However in he end, while be just by a mob after him, he is able to get to the right man, by following who is paying for the abortion.

Movie Musical Review: ****Oklahoma (1955)

This is a movie presentation of the original musical.  It seems to be very true to the original, including the overture, interacte music and all of the dance music. It starts with Gordon MacRae as Curly McClain singing "Oh what a Beautiful Morning,"  and just gets more delicious from there.  Laurey (Shirley Jones joins him with her beautiful voice.  Curly is courting for Laurey but she is not sure if she wants him, as she has promised to go to the party that night with Jud (Rod Steiger), their ranch hand.  Jud has a chip on his shoulder for anyone who thinks he is better than him.  At the same time there is a love interest between Will (Gene Nelson) and Ado Annie (Gloria Grahame).  I really like the song "Pore Jud is Daid."  If Jud is just playing along, or really thinking about what people will say when he is dead, I don't know.  However this song is a premonition of what is to some.  Laurey and Curly finally hit it off, and get married in the final scene.  This creates bad blood between Curley and Jud, which boils over on the wedding night. 
My only complaint about this movie is too much dancing.  Some of the dancing is cute, but the scene where Laurey is confused, the dance goes for ever.  The entire movie is two and a half hours.  They could have shortened it at least 15 minutes.  I do love the music,  "Oklahoma" is always a favorite, as is "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top."