R.I.P. Norman Jewison: Oscar-Winning Director Of ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ Dead At 97

Acclaimed director Norman Jewison passed away Saturday (Jan. 20) at his Los Angeles home. He was 97.

Jewison’s publicist Jeff Sanderson confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death has not been revealed.

The filmmaker’s award-winning career spanned countless genres since he got his start in 1952 directing and producing television.

He first began directing comedies with The Thrill of It All and The Art of Love in the ’60s, but his true breakthrough film occurred in 1965 with The Cincinnati Kid. Jewison received his first Academy Award nominations in 1967 with The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, which was nominated in four categories, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

The filmmaker continued his triumphant run with a slate of critically acclaimed hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s across all genres including Fiddler on the Roof, In the Heat of the Night, and Moonstruck, all of which were nominated or won Academy Awards.

Overall, Jewison earned three Best Director nominations throughout his career, though he never won the category. As The New York Times notes, Jewison’s films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations and many wins.

The final film he directed was the Michael Caine thriller The Statement, which premiered in 2003, about a “former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hitmen and police investigators.”

Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter praised the “legendary” filmmaker in a statement after his passing.

“Norman’s cinematic range was truly remarkable — few filmmakers can so fluidly and eloquently move between romantic comedies, dramas and musicals as he did,” Glatter wrote, per People. She later added, “He will forever be remembered by his fellow directors as a vibrant force — bringing depth, insight and a necessary dose of humor to everything he touched.”

Jewison is survived by his wife, Lynne St. David, his three kids, and his grandchildren.