Tired old queen at the movies

review

Separate Tables

A

n all star cast brings to life Terrance Rattigan's story of lonely people living off-season in a boarding house on the coast of England in Delbert Mann's Separate Tables (1958).

Taken from the Broadway hit, the film stars Burt Lancaster, who also produced the film, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, David Niven and Wendy Hiller. David Niven and Wendy Hiller both won Oscars. Rounding out the cast are such venerable British character actors as Dame Gladys Cooper as a domineering mother, Cathleen Nesbit as an officer's widow, Felix Aylmer as a lonely ex-professor and wonderful May Hallet from the original cast as a spinster with a practical mind and an eye for "the horses".

Dealing with subjects, which up 'til then had been taboo for the screen, Separate Tables, in its quiet way, runs the gamut from smothering motherhood to sexual repression, abuse, sexual perversion, pre-marital sex, and frigidity. The drama emerges from the Rattigan sense of Upper British decorum being shattered when it runs head on into any of these subjects.
Separate Tables is a first class production, with a pitch perfect cast providing top-flight entertainment.

Steve Hayes

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Here at ka-os|theory, Steve Hayes is regarded as a legend. He's opened up a whole world of cinematic pleasure, and fired up my appreciation of film. His enthusiasm is infectious, electrifying, and unfailingly on point. The films he recommends are always worth seeing, and several have become firm favourites. If you have even a passing interest in movies, watch a couple of reviews. They're fun, funny, and you'll be intrigued. As he says, "Trust the tired old movie queen, this is terrific!"

(Syndication is with the kind permission of Steve Hayes. I'd recommend that readers check out his YouTube channel and explore his reviews. Discover the joy of vintage cinema - I did!)