Separate Tables

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Separate Tables
original film poster
Directed by	Delbert Mann
Produced by	Harold Hecht
Written by	Terence Rattigan John Gay John Michael Hayes (uncredited)
Starring	Deborah Kerr Rita Hayworth David Niven Wendy Hiller Burt Lancaster
Music by	David Raksin
Cinematography	Charles Lang
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	1958
Running time	100 min.
Country	US
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Separate Tables is the collective name of two one-act plays written by Sir Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, a seaside town on the south coast of England. The first play, entitled "Table by the Window", focuses on the troubled relationship between a disgraced Labour politician and his ex-wife. The second play, "Table Number Seven", is set about eighteen months after the events of the previous play, and deals with the touching friendship between a repressed spinster and a retired English army officer, Major Pollock. The secondary characters - permanent residents, the hotel's manager, and members of the staff - appear in both plays.

1 London premiere
2 Broadway premiere
3 Film adaptation
4 References
5 External links

[edit] London premiere

Separate Tables had its premiere at the St James's Theatre in London in September 1954. It was originally intended that the main roles should be played by Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, who had scored quite a success with Rattigan's The Sleeping Prince. They asked Rattigan to postpone the production to fit in with their schedule, but the play could not wait. It opened instead with Margaret Leighton and Eric Portman in the leading roles. They were later to take the play to Broadway.^[1]

The play opened to good reviews and Harold Hobson called the second play in the double-bill, "one of Rattigan's masterpieces, in which he shows in superlative degree his pathos, his humour and his astounding mastery over the English language...".^[2]

[edit] Broadway premiere

Separate Tables was first presented at The Music Box, New York City, on October 25, 1956. It was directed by Peter Glenville, with sets by Michael Weight and lighting by Paul Morrison. The cast included May Hallatt (Miss Meacham), William Podmore (Mr. Fowler) and Phyllis Neilson-Terry (Mrs. Railton-Bell). The principal roles in both plays were portrayed by the same actors. Margaret Leighton played the glamorous Mrs. Shankland in "Table by the Window" and the dowdy, bespectacled Sibyl in "Table Number Seven". The roles of the hot-blooded politician and the ex-officer Major Pollock were portrayed by Eric Portman.

[edit] Film adaptation

In 1958, United Artists released a film adaptation of Separate Tables, directed by Delbert Mann, and adapted by Rattigan, John Gay and an uncredited John Michael Hayes.

The film stars Deborah Kerr, Rita Hayworth, David Niven, Wendy Hiller, Felix Aylmer, Rod Taylor, Gladys Cooper and Burt Lancaster. It was nominated for seven Oscars, winning two (Niven for Best Actor and Hiller for Best Supporting Actress).