Separate But Equal (TV 1991)

A dramatization of the American court case that destroyed the legal validity of racial segregation.

Director:

George Stevens Jr.

Writer:

George Stevens Jr.

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Burt Lancaster, Richard Kiley

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Thurgood Marshall
Burt Lancaster	...	John W. Davis
Richard Kiley	...	Chief Justice Earl Warren
Cleavon Little	...	Robert L. 'Bob' Carter
Gloria Foster	...	Vivian 'Buster' Marshall
John McMartin	...	Governor James F. Byrnes
Graham Beckel	...	Josiah C. Tulley
Ed Hall	...	Reverend J.A. Delaine
Lynne Thigpen	...	Ruth Alice Stovall
Macon McCalman	...	W.B. Springer
Randle Mell	...	Charles L. Black, Jr.
Henderson Forsythe	...	Justice Robert Jackson
Cheryl Lynn Bruce	...	Gladys Hampton
Tommy Hollis	...	Harry Briggs Sr.
John Rothman	...	Jack Greenberg

Storyline

This film follows the true story of the NAACP court court challenge of racial school segregation in the Brown vs. Board of Education. This was the struggle would destroy the legal validity for racial segregation in general and prove to be the start and the first major victory of the civil rights movement.

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Plot Keywords:

segregation | civil rights | brown v board of education | judge | cross burning | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gleichheit kennt keine Farbe

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Stevens Productions, New Liberty Productions, Republic Pictures (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

186 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Burt Lancaster's final performance. In November 1990, shortly after filming ended, he suffered a massive stroke and remained incapacitated for the final four years of his life.

User Reviews

More educational than entertaining

Recently, four states celebrated the 50th anniversary of a 1954 American Supreme Court landmark decision which struck down the long standing "separate but equal" status for racially divided public schools in a finding against public school racial segregation. The case for desegregation was argued by Thurgood Marshall (Poitier) - founder of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund who later became the first black Supreme Court justice - before nine Supreme Court justices presided over by Chief Justice Earl Warren (Kiley). Though the federal trial represented a collective consideration of trials in the four states (SC, KS, VA, and DW), this 3 hour, 2 part TV miniseries docudrama focuses on the South Carolina case (Briggs et al. v. Elliott et al.) in Part 1 and the Supreme Court trial in Part 2. "Separate but Equal" has little to offer save its historical significance as it dwells mostly on the legal dialectic at work during this benchmark in the genesis of racial equality in America. Good viewing for anyone with a general interest in the history of racial issues in America or a specific interest in the NAACP or the Supreme Court. (B)