Jean Negulesco's Titanic may
lack the mindblowing spectacle and grandeur of James Cameron's
identically titled film of 1997 but it has arguably more in the way of
human interest. The small-scale family drama that is at the heart
of the narrative brings home the immense personal tragedy of the ocean
liner's sinking on its maiden voyage in April 1912, and this is down
mostly to the arresting performances from the lead actors, Clifton Webb
and Barbara Stanwyck. The supporting cast includes a rich
assortment of American and British actors of the period, with
noteworthy contributions from Thelma Ritter, Brian Aherne, Richard
Basehart and Robert Wagner (the latter looking disarmingly over-earnest
in one of his first film roles). After a low-key first half the
tension soon begins to ratchet up in the second, building to its
inescapable tragic climax, the drama of which is palpably rendered by
some fine effects work and direction. It's nowhere near as
impressive as Roy Ward Baker's A Night to Remember (1958) but
it does convey, more so than Cameron's glossy blockbuster, the human
cost of the world's most famous maritime disaster.
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Film Synopsis
Richard Sturges, a wealthy American living in Europe, is so desperate
to find his runaway wife Julia that he buys a steerage-class ticket on
the RMS Titanic for its
maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Julia has made up her mind to
leave her husband and settle down in America with her two children,
Annette and Norman. Once the ship is safely underway, Richard
confronts his wife but she hits him with the revelation that Norman is
not his son. Astonished and angered by this news, Richard
surrenders his parental responsibilities towards Norman but insists
that Annette stays with him. Like everyone aboard the ship,
Richard and Julia are blissfully unaware of the greater tragedy that is
to come...
Script: Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, Richard L. Breen,
A.E. Housman (poem)
Cinematographer: Joseph MacDonald
Music: Sol Kaplan
Cast: Clifton Webb (Richard Ward Sturges),
Barbara Stanwyck (Julia Sturges),
Robert Wagner (Gifford Rogers),
Audrey Dalton (Annette Sturges),
Thelma Ritter (Maude Young),
Brian Aherne (Captain E. J. Smith),
Richard Basehart (George Healey),
Allyn Joslyn (Earl Meeker),
James Todd (Sandy Comstock),
Frances Bergen (Madeleine Astor),
William Johnstone (John Jacob Astor),
Patrick Aherne (Seaman),
Merry Anders (College Girl),
Salvador Baguez (Jean Pablo Uzcadum),
Barry Bernard (First Officer Murdock),
Eugene Borden (Dock Official),
Hamilton Camp (Messenger Boy),
Harper Carter (Norman Sturges),
Donald Chaffin (Steward),
Robin Sanders Clark (Junior Officer)
Country: USA
Language: English / Basque / French / Spanish
Support: Black and White
Runtime: 98 min
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