Separate Tables

Set in a small seaside hotel on the English coast, Separate Tables follows a group of long-term residents whose lives quietly intersect. Among them are a timid young woman dominated by her overbearing mother, a retired military man who embellishes stories of his past, and an American writer involved with the woman who runs the establishment. The arrival of the writer's ex-wife unsettles the routines and fragile arrangements the guests have built around themselves, bringing tensions among the residents to the surface.

Delbert Mann directed the film, which came after his earlier work on Marty and Our Town and before later titles such as Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink. The screenplay was written by John Gay and Terence Rattigan, and the picture was produced by Burt Lancaster, Harold Hecht and James Hill. Lancaster also appears on screen as John Malcolm, alongside Deborah Kerr as Sibyl Railton-Bell, Rita Hayworth as Ann Shankland, David Niven as Angus Pollock, Wendy Hiller as Pat Cooper and Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Railton-Bell.

Separate Tables runs 98 minutes and belongs to the drama and romance genres. It was released in December 1958. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.3 from roughly 9,700 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.1 from 138 votes. A critics' rating of 7.5 from 19 reviews places it slightly above the audience scores.