His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the family, Jeff Sanderson. He declined to specify where Mr. Jewison lived, saying that the family requested privacy. Mr. Jewison, whose career began in Canadian television and spanned more than 50 years, was, like his close friend Sidney Lumet and a select few other directors, best known for making films that addressed social issues. The most celebrated of those was “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), one of his earliest features and his first Oscar-winning film. It went on to win five Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor, for Mr. Steiger.

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Persons: Norman Jewison, —, ” —, Jeff Sanderson, Jewison, Sidney Lumet, Oscar, Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Steiger Organizations: Black Philadelphia, police, “ Locations: American, Black, Detroit, Newark