Titanic

In their 1953 movie, “Titanic,” Twentieth-Century Fox created one of the more memorable melodramas to be grafted onto the Titanic disaster. Among the passengers on the Titanic is Julia Sturges (Barbara Stanwyck), an American who wants to “rescue” her children, Annette (Audrey Dalton) and Norman (Harper Carter), from her husband Richard (Clifton Webb), and raise them in America. She did not inform him of her plans, but he learns about them, and manages to board the Titanic by purchasing a ticket from Jean Pablo Uzcadum, father of a Basque family, after persuading him to rejoin Mrs. Uzcadum and his children after sailing on a later vessel. The movie doesn’t show the curious glances that must have been attracted to Richard, extremely well attired, posing as the head of this lower-class family, guiding them until they are settled in the ship’s third-class section. (Richard later helps Mrs. Uzcadum (Marta Mitrovich) with paper work to show her as head of the family, and acts to save her family when the ship is sinking.) Julia wants her children to “stop being rootless, purposeless, superficial hotel children.” Richard, who has humiliated Julia in the past, tells her, “I made the mistake of thinking I could civilize a girl who bought her hats out of a Sears Roebuck catalog.” He is pleased with Annette, who “has grace and style.” But Julia sees Annette as “an arrogant little prig.” Richard wants Annette to marry into a wealthy family, but Julia says that she has never seen a happy international marriage. At first, Annette plans to return to Paris with her father, but she becomes involved in a shipboard romance with Gifford Rogers (Robert Wagner), a Purdue student, and Julia encourages this relationship. There is a strong bond between Richard and Norman, but, when Richard learns that Norman is not actually his son, he brutally severs his ties with him. Also on board is George Healey (Richard Basehart), recently defrocked by the Vatican for alcoholism, who agonizes over how he can relate his situation to his family. The huge tragedy brings out the deepest emotions and commitments of all these characters.The 1953 movie focuses on the lives of passengers—the initial two-thirds of the film reveal the personal issues of the major characters; over an hour passes before the ship strikes the ice berg. The film blurs class lines (would the Purdue students be able to associate so freely with first-class passengers?). And, as the vessel sinks, the passengers remain rather dignified, and, arrayed almost as a choir, join in singing the American version of “Nearer My God to Thee.” On the other hand, in the 1958 film (A Night to Remember), only half an hour elapses before the ship collides with the ice berg; the film is more concerned with the fate of the ship and its crew as they have to deal with this disaster. Unlike the 1953 film, the 1958 version portrays such important persons as Thomas Andrews and Bruce Ismay, and follows the crew of the “California” as they watch the Titanic from a distance without comprehending her plight, and the actions of the “Carpathia,” which received the distress signal and raced to scene, arriving too late to save most of the passengers—but without the “Carpathia’s” efforts, there might have been no survivors. In contrast to the 1953 film, the 1958 film shows the terror of passengers climbing the steeply sloping decks attempting to escape the rising ocean water.“Titanic” was produced shortly before Walter Lord wrote his classic account. Twentieth Century Fox claims that the navigational details and related incidents and conversations were reproduced verbatim from the published reports of the Senate Committee and the British Board of Trade. These records are extensive, but the inquiries were conducted hurriedly soon after the disaster, failed to raise some significant questions, and yielded somewhat contradictory testimony. The leading characters, Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck are powerful actors who are very effective in their roles. Brian Aherne, as Captain Smith, and Thelma Ritter, as Maude Young (based on the actual Molly Brown), also do well. Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner, both early in their careers, are satisfactory in less demanding parts. Although uncredited, young Harper Carter is convincing as Norman. The studio’s sets and use of miniatures and special effects (in the days before CGI) are impressive. And, although it is mainly about certain passengers, the film is fairly faithful in its coverage of the ship and its unfolding disaster.Few DVD publications of films include such valuable extras. These include: (1) Richard Shickel’s voice-over commentary regarding the making of the film, its special effects, the actors and the scenes. (2) The more valuable voice-over commentary provided by cinematographer Michael Lonzo, film historian Sylvia Stoddard, and cast members Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner. Lonzo’s description of the special effects, and Stoddard’s account of the ship and its major personalities, are especially useful. (3) In an accompanying “Audio Essay,” Stoddard adds more information about the chaos after Titanic struck the berg, and public reaction to the tragedy. (4) The theatrical trailer. (5) Two brief newsreels: one about an event at the Norfolk Navy base, at which the film was shown; the other about the 26th Annual Academy Awards, at which its writers received the Oscar for best original screenplay. (6) A collection of 20 black and white still photographs of the filming and informal shots of cast members.(7) “Beyond Titanic” is a fascinating 92-minute look at a few of the screen productions inspired by the Titanic story. After briefly recounting the historic events, “Beyond Titanic” describes some of the films it generated. Some appeared very soon after the tragedy: “Saved From the Titanic” (1912), “Nacht und Eis” (1912), and “Atlantis” (1913). Of some of these early efforts no copies are known to exist. The first sound movie, “Atlantic,” appeared in 1929, followed by “Cavalcade” in 1933. Strange to say, the 1941 German version was almost the first to bear the title “Titanic.” It is a technically noteworthy film, but tainted by anti-British bias—it was intended to demonstrate British ostentation and greed, which is only partially redeemed by the First Officer (who happens to be an ethnic German!) who tries to warn the Captain about ice bergs. “Beyond Titanic” gives accounts of the 1953 and 1958 films. But it also describes some more recent screen productions that do not deal with actual events, e.g., “The Time Tunnel” (1966), in which modern characters go back in time and try to warn the Titanic’s crew of the impending danger. Some subsequent productions, somewhat more closely based on the real Titanic story, have appeared in several formats: a “Titanic” mini-series (1996), a musical (1997), and the famous 1997 James Cameron movie, all of which are covered in “Beyond Titanic.”

Warm and old Hollywood. Bababra Stanwyck, Clifton Webb , just so much style. Black and white at its finest. And the tragic true story still haunting. So much is out there about the Titanic, movie, books, of every genre. This is just a heartfelt melodrama that pleases the senses. Excellence

Love the older versions

I've always loved this movie.

Really liked the acting. Not for children. A moving end with one of our favorite hymns!

Great movie,great performances.

I like old movies.

Great movie

Waste of money for a classic movie

JE N' AI PAS AIME DECOUVRIR APRES LA LIVRAISON, que ce DVD n' était ni échangeable ni remboursable.Il faudrait aussi signaler que les bonus ne sont qu'en Anglais. Pour moi, pas de problèmes.CETTE VERSION - UNE DES PREMIERES - COMPREND DES BONUS qui sont extrêmement intéressants, puisqu'ils vont jusqu'à la découverte de l' épave et des divers objets retrouvés. Une magnifique exposition avait eu lieu à PARIS-LA-VILLETTE il y a longtemps. J' y étais allée. Les billets d'entrée étaient la réplique des billets d' embarquement avec le nom d' un passager. Et, en sortant, on pouvait vérifier si le nom correspondait à un rescapé ou un disparu. On pouvait toucher l' iceberg reconstitué. TRES EMOUVANT.Commentaire Spécial : LE VENDEUR M'A FAIT UNE REMISE DE 8 € environ car DVD non conforme à ma commande . Où trouverai-je cette réduction ??

Alles super!

If you want the true story of RMS Titanic - or as true as has been told on film to date - watch 'A Night to Remember' (1958) with Kenneth More as Charles Lightoller, Second Officer, who survived. It was produced by William MacQuitty (1905-2004) who, as a young lad, saw one of the anchors being dragged on a cart from the foundry to the Harland & Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was being built. And he also saw the vessel being launched, too.However much historical veracity has been sought by the early filmmakers in retelling the story of the Titanic, though, the one big hurdle that couldn't be overcome was to dispel the myth that the ship went down whole, because it was not only considered 'unsinkable' but also 'indestructible'. This was partly excusable because those who survived after having been washed into the sea from the vessel as she sank away from them were convinced, having been underwater at the time, that the vessel went down whole. Those further afield heard noises likened to the great boilers tearing from their mountings and crashing through the deep interior of the ship - then the largest vessel afloat in the world. In fact the strange sounds heard were the tearing apart of metal plates and joints, and the vessel splitting into two parts as the unsupported stern, full of air, rose above the water - dragged skywards by the descending, flooded bow.'Titanic' with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck depicts a human drama at the individual level which mirrors the class-laden thinking, whereby the appropriate dress, manners and deportment were supposed to represent material and intellectual superiority. But nature has a way of levelling man's superficial exterior and exposing the true inner being as it did on that fateful night of 14th/15th April 1912. Having watched Richard Basehart on television as the mature, steady and competent Admiral Nelson during 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' in countless episodes of the series during the mid-1960s, as a much younger man in 'Titanic' he couldn't be playing a more different part - an inebriated ex-priest going home in disgrace, perhaps reflecting the drunken cook who survived the actual sinking of the Titanic in real life, even though he remained on the ship to the last. As for the fate of the ex-priest - you'll have to watch the film to find out!Captain Smith in command of the vessel set the speed, course and context for the disaster, in denial that the ice warnings could interfere with or hazard his pre-determined plans, but it was the First Officer Murdoch who was in charge on the bridge when the iceberg was spotted. The inky darkness, absence of binoculars for use in the look-outs' crows nest and stillness of the waters, averting their otherwise splashing movement against the towering monolith of ice, set the scene for what was to follow. The Second Officer on the delivery voyage from Belfast to Southampton, David Blair, was appointed to another ship the day before sailing and with him went the key to the locker containing the look-outs' binoculars. Try peering out into the garden at night from indoors (through an open window) and it is amazing how much more you can make out, especially of wild animals such as foxes on the move, using a pair of binoculars.Although committed to speed, Murdoch sought to be tentative and reversed the propellers for maximum braking, thereby slowing the turning momentum of the giant vessel. He was going too fast to feel like ramming the giant berg and too slow to swing the vessel past without attracting a glancing blow. A light glancing blow, which, far from tearing a great gash all along the side, snapped the heads off many tiny rivets and caused the vessel's plates to leak fatally like a sieve.Look for the parallels in the human drama of 'Titanic' and see how the whole disaster mirrored an age and a way of thinking that was shortly to die completely during the 1st World War - at even worse human cost.Captain Smith was not only in denial that his lead could have caused such a disaster, but also in denial, I think, that the ship would actually sink before a rescue vessel could arrive, or even sink at all. The suggestion to put the women and children in the lifeboats was proposed to Captain Smith by Charles Lightoller (as highlighted by Colonel Archibald Gracie). Captain Smith added the afterthought, "Yes, and lower away" - so the crew were carrying out his orders. Yet, even though he knew there was insufficient capacity of the lifeboats, in the state of mind he was in, he omitted to give the critical order to pack the boats to capacity. The lack of directed urgency, coupled with an uncertainty as to how safe it might be to lower loaded lifeboats, caused a good number to leave the ship with spare places for others, who might otherwise also have been saved. And on one side of the ship it was, 'women and children only', whilst on the other it was, 'women and children first'.But there was a certain kind of redemption for Captain Smith and many others through suffering an honourable death - as was a short while later promoted during the 1st World War with devastating effect. This concept is entirely mirrored in the very interesting fictional drama that unfolds in the film 'Titanic' against the very real and ultimate fate of the actual ship Titanic.Make sure you buy the 20th Century Fox 2012 edition of the DVD, because, although I'd give the film 4* as a stand-alone movie, this 5* DVD edition comes with the special feature of a documentary film, 'Beyond TITANIC', as long as the main film, which follows the story of the ill-fated vessel through the following 100 years in film, theatre and publications. This excellent additional film also covers the discovery of the real ship on 1st September 1985 - and can you remember what you were doing when the first sight of the Titanic was obtained on a video monitor, linked by cable to the USA submersible Argo and its underwater video camera? Probably sleeping - given it was shortly after 4am in the morning in the UK - but, for myself and two friends, we had just exited, around 5 minutes earlier, from a near 17-hour trip, surveying and exploring in a deep Welsh cave near Crickhowell. And, as a teenager I'd bought a standard 8mm copy of the original newsreel film showing Captain Smith, RMS Titanic ( . . . and Olympic!) and RMS Carpathia - with its complement of absolutely miraculously located and saved Titanic passengers.

I enjoyed this movie from start to finish.Barbara Stanwyck is one of my all-time fav actresses and this IMO is one of her best performances. I wasn't even aware of this particular Titanic film, until it popped up as a suggested item to buy, here at Amazon.ca! Thanks for that Amazon.Although it certainly isn't the factual type documentary that other films about this event are, it IS very entertaining. The family issues, romance, intrigue...gorgeous clothing and sets. Supporting cast was excellent too, including the children who were in this movie, just wonderful.I also enjoyed the special features included, a very good overview of all things Titanic, through the years. That really added to this dvd. Well worth the price and if you are a Barbara fan like I am, a must see! She is in her prime in this film.