Norman Jewison, acclaimed director of ‘In the Heat of the Night’ and ‘Moonstruck,’ dead at 97

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Filmmaker Norman Jewison has died at 97. The Canadian-born director’s work ranged from Doris Day comedies and “Moonstruck” to social dramas such as the Oscar-winning “In the Heat of the Night.” Jewison was a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. Throughout his long career, Jewison combined light entertainment with topical films. He also worked on the Cold War spoof “The Russian Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” the Steve McQueen thriller “The Thomas Crown Affair” and a pair of movies featuring Denzel Washington: the racial drama “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Hurricane.”