Director Norman Jewison’s hard-hitting Southern murder mystery garnered five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Rod Steiger), Best Screenplay (Sterling Silliphant) and Best Editing (Hal Ashby). Philadelphia homicide detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) arrives in a small Southern town to visit his mother but becomes embroiled in a murder investigation when he is picked up as a suspect by the local constabulary for no reason other than the color of his skin. When Tibbs’ profession is verified, his Philadelphia boss offers Tibbs’ services to redneck Sheriff Steiger to help on the investigation. Incredulous, wary and unapologetically racist, Steiger reluctantly accepts and eventually learns to respect his northern colleague.

Coming at the end of the great era of Hollywood musicals, director Norman Jewison’s wonderful, elegiac FIDDLER ON THE ROOF added a note of somber realism to the genre, contributing such soul-inspiring numbers as "Tradition," “Sunrise, Sunset" and "L’chaim (To Life)." Topol stars as the beleaguered yet optimistic Russian milkman Tevye, trying to hold his Jewish family together in the face of troubling changes in early 20th-century Russia. Production designer Robert Boyle (THE BIRDS, CAPE FEAR) conjures up a marvelous, earth-toned vision of life in the shtetls. Based on Joseph Stein’s play, with music and lyrics by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Academy Award winner for Cinematography (Oswald Morris) and Score (John Williams).

“Bring me the big knife!” This wonderfully lunatic comic gem from screenwriter John Patrick Shanley stars Cher as Loretta Castorini, a sexy, smart-mouthed widow who’s resigned herself to an upcoming marriage to terminally indecisive Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) - until Johnny’s wildly passionate, one-handed brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) professes his undying love for her. Academy Award winner for Best Actress (Cher), Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) and Screenplay (Shanley).