When making a film about the historic Brown vs. Board of Education case, who would be the obvious choice to play civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall? If you answered Sidney Poitier, you agreed with the casting director of Separate But Equal. The movie chronicles the journey in the 1950s for racial equality and desegregation in the school system.
In his final film, Burt Lancaster plays John W. Davis. Richard Kiley plays Chief Justice Earl Warren, and he—and Sidney—were nominated for Golden Globes that year. Joining the supporting cast are Cleavon Little, Gloria Foster, John McMartin, Graham Beckel, and Lynne Thigpen. George Stevens Jr.'s script is something to be admired, since he tried very hard to make it historically accurate and interesting to television audiences. It's not the best American history movie ever made, and it's certainly not a good choice if you've never seen a Sidney Poitier or Burt Lancaster movie, but if you know your history and want to watch a three-hour tribute to this slice of Americana, go ahead and rent it. It does feel pretty cheesy at times, and Sidney Poitier tends to overact more often than not in his scenes, but overall, it's a great movie for high school students to watch as an addendum to their curriculum.
