Continuing on Operation Clear the DVR of Oscar Flicks, today's entry is a winner for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress in 1958: Separate Tables. David Niven and Wendy Hiller were the aforementioned recipients.
I'll tell you one thing: I hate the beginning already. It falls into that category of movies à la Three Coins in the Fountain and Love is a Many-Splendored Thing that has a suuuuuper-schmaltzy title song that's more expository than anything Randy Newman has ever done. Separate Tables's ditty sounded something like this:
Separate Tables
There is space between the tables that makes them
Separate Tables
People sit at them
To eat
Or, possibly, if the mood suits them better and they've already eaten, then they'll use these
SEPARATE TABLES
For bridge.
Four spades.
Five No-trumps.
La la la la la musical interlude here
Separate Tables
Not to be confused with
Adjoining Tables
Which will be the sequel to this movie
Separate Tables
And me.
Total song length: 2:04.
Now let's meet the characters!
There's David Niven. Isn't he charming, and slightly batty?! That old war veteran. Or IS he?!?!?1?!
There's Deborah Kerr. Look at her being yelled at by Gladys Cooper, who's old. HAHAHAHAHA.
There's Wendy Hiller. Look at how efficient she is! I bet it was she who made the separate tables, to expedite dinner service.
There's Burt Lancaster. He's a drunk Irishman. Silly, there's no other kind!
There's Rita Hayworth. Isn't she stunning? I know... let's have her not even say any words for like, forever. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Fast forward to the end of the first hour:
We have had three revelations:
1. David Niven was arrested on a morals charge. Gladys Cooper is organizing his removal from the hotel.
2. Burt Lancaster is a released prisoner who once tried to kill Rita Hayworth, his ex-wife, and in the meantime, he is
3. engaged to Wendy Hiller.
Deborah Kerr has done a magnificent job to this point, while Lancaster and Hayworth's subplot is very meh. Cooper and the other hotel residents and their rise-up-and-take-action committee are infuriating.
And another point: "Best Actor" David Niven has been on-screen for about six minutes in this first hour. What the hell was the Academy thinking? Hell, "Best Supporting Actress" Wendy Hiller has had more screen time (and has done a better job). Maybe this will change in the second half of the film, though we do seem fated to following out the boring Lancaster/Hayworth subplot further. (In case it wasn't obvious, I care much more about Deborah Kerr right now.)
Okay, the movie is definitely mediocre, with the exception of Kerr and Hiller's performances. Too bad poor Deborah never won an Oscar, because she was marvelous (incidentally, she lost to Susan Hayward in I Want To Live!, a movie I am going to watch as soon as Netflix makes it available for instant streaming, and as such, I am unable to speak to whether or not a correct decision was made. Also, you needn't tell me: I should very much like to make the choice for myself after I've seen both).
Score: 5.5/10
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