Separate Tables (1958)
Trivia
When she was interviewed by the London "News Chronicle" about her Oscar win, Wendy Hiller said she thought the Academy was crazy for giving it to her. "All you could see of me in the picture was the back of my head. Unless they give some award for acting with one's back to the camera, I don't see how I could have won. They cut my two best scenes and gave one to Rita Hayworth." She went on, "Never mind the honor, though I'm sure it's very nice of them. I hope this award means cash - hard cash. I want lots of lovely offers to go filming in Hollywood, preferably in the winter so I can avoid all the horrid cold over here."
With 23 minutes and 39 seconds of screen time, David Niven's performance in this movie is the shortest to ever win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the 4th shortest to win in either leading category. Contrary to popular belief, Anthony Hopkins did not break Niven's record with his win for 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Hopkins's performance is 24 minutes and 52 seconds long.
Director Delbert Mann specifically shot May Hallatt's pool split in a long take with a moving camera - he wanted to show that a stand-in was not doing her trick shot for her. Unfortunately, the picture was taken from him, and re-edited with the middle of the shot removed, destroying that effect.
Laurence Olivier, the original director, wanted Spencer Tracy to play the role of John Malcolm. After producer Burt Lancaster decided he wanted to play the role, Olivier told him that either Tracy would get the part or both he and Vivien Leigh were off the picture. Lancaster stood his ground and fired Olivier.
This was considered quite daring in its day with its frank discussions of sexual topics generally considered taboo.
Delbert Mann was surprised that years later "Separate Tables" was chosen for a retrospective on British films. According to Mann the film was shot entirely on Stage 5 at Goldwyn Studios.
Director Delbert Mann was so upset over producer/star Burt Lancaster's re-cutting of the picture that he severed his relationship with the company. According to Mann, it was done because Lancaster's character is the last of the four major protagonists to be introduced.
The role played by Rita Hayworth was originally assigned to Vivien Leigh but she dropped out of the project after her then husband Laurence Olivier decided not to direct the film.
Terence Rattigan's play was generally performed as two one-act plays separated by an intermission, with the same actor playing the Major and John, and the same actress portraying Ann and Sybil.
At the time Rita Hayworth was married to the co-producer of the film, James Hill.
David Niven hosted the Academy Awards ceremony for 1958. He is the only person ever to win an Academy Award at the same ceremony where he was the host.
The third successive year in which Deborah Kerr was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance, after nods for The King and I (1956) and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957).
David Niven's Oscar winning performance in this film is his only Academy Award nomination.
When Charles asks Major Pollock if he received the Sword of Honor at Sandhurst (UK's equivalent of West Point) he was referring to the award by the commandant to the class' best overall student. David Niven, who played Major Pollock, actually graduated from Sandhurst before becoming an actor, and interrupted his film career in 1939 to return to England to re-enter the British Army, where he ultimately rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The original Broadway production of "Separate Tables" by Terence Rattigan opened at the Music Box Theater in New York on October 25, 1956, ran for 332 performances and was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award (New York City) for the Best Play. May Hallatt recreated her stage role in the movie version.
The title song (music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Harold Adamson), written for the film, became a best-selling single by Vic Damone on Columbia Records. According to author Tony Thomas in his 1975 book, "Harry Warren and the Hollywood Musical," composer David Raksin preferred using just his own melodies in his Oscar-nominated score.
The musical theme of the terrace sequence and a few other pieces were re-written by David Raksin on the request of the producers following a bad preview.
Deborah Kerr also appeared with Cathleen Nesbitt - who played Cary Grant's grandmother - in An Affair to Remember (1957).
Both Cathleen Nesbitt and Gladys Cooper, who are in this film, played the mother of Prof. Henry Higgins, as played by Rex Harrison, Ms. Nesbitt on Broadway (twice - 25 years apart) and Ms. Cooper in the film version of My Fair Lady (1964).
The character of Anne Shankland was based on Jean Dawnay, a close friend of Rattigan.
Deborah Kerr's first actual screen appearance (not left on the cutting-room floor) was with Wendy Hiller in Major Barbara (1941) (1941). According to the director Michael Powell's memoirs, he had hope to cast Kerr as the lead in I Know Where I'm Going! (1945), but when she became unavailable, Wendy Hiller got the part.
In Separate Tables (1958), Hiller wears a brooch which she also wore in I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) .
In Separate Tables (1958), Hiller wears a brooch which she also wore in I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) .
Both Cathleen Nesbitt (name Gladys) and Wendy Hiller (surname Cooper) share the real name of Gladys Cooper on the film.
