‘In the Heat of the Night’ (1967)
Let’s review the other nominees that year, shall we? There was “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. There was “Bonnie and Clyde”. There was “The Graduate”. All of those films get lampooned so regularly today that even if you weren’t alive to see them released, you know them. While “In the Heat of the Night” certainly isn’t lacking those moments, it can’t compare to the frequency of the others in the category.