The Park Theatre in Jaffrey to honor Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in

Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in "In The Heat of The Night." —COURTESY PHOTO

Published: 02-15-2024 9:01 AM

Modified: 02-15-2024 9:05 AM


The Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, will commemorate Black History Month with a tribute to actor Sidney Poitier.

The tribute will be screenings of “In The Heat of The Night” Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. and “Lilies of the Field” Sunday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. In “Lilies of the Field” (1963), when traveling African-American handyman Homer Smith (Poitier) stops by a farm in rural Arizona, he is welcomed by a group of Roman Catholic nuns who have emigrated from Germany. Poitier won the Best Actor Oscar for the film, becoming the first African-American to win the honor.

“In The Heat of The Night” (1967) won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film tells the story of Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) who is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Miss. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer.

Tickets for each film are $10, $9 for seniors, children, students, teachers and active military. They can be purchased at the box office or in advance online at the theparktheatre.org. The box office telephone number is 603-532-8888.

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