‘Separate Tables’: An Outstanding Melodrama With an Ensemble Cast

This melodrama tells a capitivating story with stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Like other great stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age, such as James Stewart and Gregory Peck, celebrated actor Burt Lancaster had a vast range that was often underappreciated. In “Separate Tables” (1958), Lancaster’s role differs from his brash character type in other films. He appears with a star-studded cast, including Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Wendy Hiller, and another mega-star, Rita Hayworth. The melodrama unfolds at the Hotel Beauregard in the town of Bournemouth along England’s southern coast. The hotel...