Separate Tables: A Tale of Two Couples

The sign for the Hotel Beauregard in Bournemouth, England, states simply:

Three minutes from the sea

Fine Cuisine

Separate Tables

While it sounds like a quaint little establishment, it's a rather lively place occupied by a bevy of assorted characters:  a domineering mother and her meek, sheltered daughter; a pompous retired Army major; a young couple in love; a volatile writer; the self-sufficient hotel owner; and others. Two events set into motion the intertwining storylines that comprise the film's plot. 

David Niven and Deborah Kerr.

First, we learn that Major Pollock (David Niven) was arrested for "behaving immorally" in a movie theater. The Major tries to hide this shameful incident from the other hotel guests, but a local newspaper article brings it to the attention of Mrs. Railton-Bell (Gladys Cooper). She already harbors resentment toward the Major since he has befriended her daughter Sibyl (Deborah Kerr). Thus, she relishes the opportunity to disgrace such "an awfully common little man" and tries to convince other guests to push for the eviction of Major Pollock (who turns out to be an unretired lieutenant who made up all his military exploits).

Rita Hayworth and Burt Lancaster.

The second storyline revolves around the arrival of glamorous ex-fashion model Anne Shankland (Rita Hayworth). The real purpose of her visit is vague until it's revealed she was once married to moody author John Malcolm (Burt Lancaster). He has secretly proposed to the hotel manager (Wendy Hiller), but Anne's appearance makes it clear that she and John are still attracted to one another--even though he spent five years in prison for physically abusing her.

If Separate Tables (1958) sounds episodic, that's because it was based on a Terence Rattigan play in which each plot was presented as a stand-alone act. Act I, Table at the Window, told the story of Anne and John--though John was a former Labor politician instead of a hard-drinking writer. Act II, Table Number Seven, focused on the Major's story and his relationship with Sibyl. When the play was originally produced in 1954, Margaret Leighton (The Winslow Boy) and Eric Portman (a Powell & Pressberger regular) played double roles: Leighton played Anne in Act I and Sibyl in Act II; Portman took on the roles of John and Major Pollock. In a 1983 television production directed by John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy), Julie Christie and Alan Bates played the four roles.

Niven no longer as "the Major."

Delbert Mann's film adaptation of Separate Tables casts four fine actors in the key roles--but with mixed results. David Niven and Deborah Kerr effortlessly capture the fragile relationship between the Major and Sibyl, two damaged souls who keep their emotions in check--even as they try to express them to one another. For much of the film, Niven plays Pollock playing the role of the loud braggart, who has recounted his made-up military exploits so many times that he almost believes them. Yet, that requires no great acting. It's during a climatic scene--when Pollock finally lets down his guard in front of Sibyl--that Niven shows the true depth of a performance that earned him a Best Actor Oscar. Of course, it helps when you're playing your big scene opposite the marvelous Deborah Kerr, who received an Oscar nomination as Sibyl.

Dame Wendy Hiller.

Unfortunately, as tortured former lovers John and Anne--the showier roles--Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth struggle. Hayworth certainly looks the part of a former fashion model, but she still seems miscast as half of this hate-love couple. The script, adapted by Rattigan and John Gay, deserves some of the blame. Personally, I never became invested in either John or Anne and therefore had no interest in whether they reunited or stay parted. I kept thinking that John was better off staying with Pat, the intelligent, grounded hotel owner (but then again, it seems as though Pat could do way better than John!). Incidentally, Wendy Hiller won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as Pat; she's very good, but appears in only a few scenes.

Separate Tables is a skillfully-directed, well-acted film that holds interest--though its critical accolades (including seven Oscar nominations) now seem overrated. Frankly, I think it would have been a stronger film had it dispensed with Table at the Window and expanded Table Number Seven with David Niven and Deborah Kerr. Of course, I suppose that would have made it a different film altogether. 

I Know Where I’m Going! (1945)

The Archers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, collaborated on eighteen films over a thirty year period (1939-72).  While their first true “Archer” production (where they share writing, directing and producing credit) didn’t come until 1943 with The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, they had previously worked on four films together.  Usually, it was Powell who did the bulk of the directing and Pressburger who came up with the story ideas and handled most of the production chores (especially when it came to editing and music incorporation). Some of their endeavors are quite memorable, like Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948), while others are easily forgotten, such as The Battle of the River Plate (1956) and Ill Met By Moonlight (1957).  Somewhere in-between their masterpieces and their flops is located I Know Where I’m Going! (1945), which stars Wendy Hiller as a young woman who’d rather marry for money than love.

Manchesterian Joan Webster (Hiller) is supposed to marry wealthy industrialist Sir Robert Bellinger (Norman Shelley’s voice—he’s never seen) on the Isle of Kiloran, but the weather (or fate) in the Scottish Hebrides has other plans.  For some reason I’ve never really liked Hiller. I don’t know exactly why, but I think it’s her voice—it just rubs me the wrong way. Still, she was a decent actress who was nominated for three Oscars (she won one for Separate Tables [1958]) and she worked in the industry for nearly sixty years.  In I Know Where I’m Going! she does a nice job of portraying her character’s steely determination to not be sabotaged by love (and an island full of eccentric Scots).  However, I like her much more in the beginning of the film when she is calling her bank managing father “Darling” (George Carney) than I do when she is risking poor Kenny’s (Murdo Morrison) life to get across to Kiloran.

Roger Livesey (an Archer veteran) gives his usual steady performance as Torquil MacNeil (what a name!). A kilt-wearing naval officer, Torquil is the broke Laird of Kiloran (FYI a laird is one step below a baron) and the owner of the Isle of Kiloran.  He sees in Joan a woman he would like to tame, but unlike Petruchio, he attempts to do it with kindness and patience. Too bad his childhood friend Catriona (Pamela Brown) is married, because she is much prettier and, more importantly, way more interesting than Joan.  It just grates on my nerves when the supporting actress is more enjoyable than the lead actress (see Kristen Scott Thomas and Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings and a Funeral [1994]).  In addition to Livesey and Brown’s nice acting turns, Captain C.W.R. Knight is a hoot as Colonel Barnstaple, a falconer with a delightful sense of style.

What I think sets this movie apart from a number of others during this period is it’s cinematography. This was most probably cinematographer Erwin Hillier’s best work over his thirty year career.  It is said the he didn’t use a light meter at all, which must have made his task more difficult than usual, especially when you consider the weather conditions.  There are many long distance shots that capture the overall majesty of the Scottish shoreline.  As someone who has spent time in the Scottish towns of Carnoustie and Killin it was a reminder of just how beautiful the land of Scots can be.  Hillier also used a hand-held camera to capture some of the close-up shots—most notably the ones of the boat struggling against the Corryvreckan whirlpool.  Interestingly enough, what most people don’t know is that Livesey never once set foot in Scotland for any of the location shots because he was doing a play in London at the time they were shot. 

Overall, I Know Where I’m Going! is a somewhat enjoyable light romantic comedy.  Other than some very fine photography, there is not much else that stands out.  Still, it was nice to learn a little bit about Scottish customs, and the bagpipes weren’t played so much that I  wanted to hit mute too often, either.