Watch out, spoilers!
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I’m not a big fan of melodramas, but sometimes I do when there are good actors. So now, focusing on the appreciation of a friend, I watched the film “Separate Tables” / Separate Tables, 1958, directed by American Delbert Mann. The film is based on two plays combined in this film, English playwright Terence Rettigen. The film takes place in a hotel in the English seaside town of Bournemouth (I myself have been to Bournemouth many times). The guests are not from among the rich people and there are not very many of them, only a few people, these are such loners who do not have a home of their own, which is why they live in this inexpensive hotel: a rather elderly mother of Mrs. Railton-Bell (Gladys Cooper) with a very complex daughter Sybil (Deborah Kerr), a friend of Gladys Matheson’s mother (Ketlin Nesbit), “Major” David Pollock (David Niven), a surgeon Charles (Rod Taylor), who is trying to teach anatomy for the upcoming exam (Jettalytell’s), and the former director of his school, who does not want to get involved with his teacher (Mruckleton), and the former student). And then suddenly comes a new guest - Anne Shankland (Rita Hayworth). And life, meanwhile, begins to get out of the usual rut - it turns out that the major is not a major and not a war hero at all, but a lieutenant and former supply man, moreover, pestering women in the dark of the cinema hall, telling various fantasy stories about himself, with which poor Sybil bothered her head, and her mother organizes a meeting to evict the major. Anne turns out to be John’s ex-wife, because of whom he was once in prison for letting his hands down. These rather small at first glance for us, but significant for the heroes of the showdown, accompanied by tears and scandals. The only sane person in the whole company is the hostess of the hotel, who thinks rationally and correctly understands everything, despite the fact that plans for the upcoming marriage are collapsing. In the end, everything comes into some balance.
The ensemble is good, two of them - David Niven and Wendy Hiller - received an Oscar for their roles, and Niven also received a Golden Globe. The film is so traditional for that time, good, who likes it, I advise you to watch.