May Hallatt

May Hallatt, born Marie Effie Hullatt on 1 May 1876 in Scarborough, England, was an English actress who worked in both theater and film over a career spanning approximately three decades. She died on 20 May 1969 in London at the age of 93.

Hallatt came from a theatrical family. Her father, William Henry Hallatt, was an actor, and her mother, Carrie Sydney, born Caroline Sidney Henderson, was an actress. Her maternal grandfather was Alexander Henderson, an artist's agent, and her mother's siblings included the writer Effie Adelaide Rowlands and the actress Blanche Massey. Through this family line, Hallatt was a cousin of the actress Meggie Albanesi. She was baptised at St Michael on the Mount in Lincoln on 13 January 1884. Some published sources have incorrectly identified her as the mother of actor Neil Hallett.

Throughout her career, Hallatt was frequently cast in eccentric roles. Among her notable film appearances were Painted Boats in 1945 and Black Narcissus in 1947. She also appeared in the 1958 film Separate Tables.

Her most prominent stage work was in Terence Rattigan's Separate Tables, in which she originated the role of Miss Meacham. She played the character in the 1954 West End production, subsequently brought the role to Broadway, and later reprised it for the film adaptation. Her Broadway appearance, which included the credit Table by the Window, took place in 1956.