Next Month April 2012 100th Anniversary of Titanic tragedy at the movies and on TV

[Ragnarok1971]

Precisely, I think. I started reading the thing but very soon lost the will to live.

 

I wrote that, so thanks for the insults.

 

The reason why I wrote it is, because yet again, we are exposed to a Titanic fantasy which we are assured is "accurate" and "would set the record straight" and yet is little more than the results of poor research. Why do film-makers lie?

[capnpugwash]

I wrote that, so thanks for the insults.

 

The reason why I wrote it is, because yet again, we are exposed to a Titanic fantasy which we are assured is "accurate" and "would set the record straight" and yet is little more than the results of poor research. Why do film-makers lie?

 

I assure you that it wasn't meant as an insult, I was merely responding with my reaction to reading part of it. I didn't read it all as I stated but the part that I did read was quite tediously full of trite detail, I suppose that I should have grasped that such detailed content was probable from the title. Do you really believe that there can be "accuracy and setting the record straight"? This all happened 100 years ago and everything is really speculation.

[Ragnarok1971]

OK, I understand.

 

I think we can know a lot of what happened that night. We are continually told that there are "mysteries" and indeed there are - whether an officer shot himself that night, the riddle of the Californian and so, but the "mystery" part is hyped up to sell TV shows and books. Most of what happened (maybe 90-95%) is known with certainty, which is pretty good for a 1-in-3 survival rate.

 

I know you don't want to read the whole thing, but I would like to give you one example, but it all depends on whether you have seen part 2 of Fellowes drama. If so, load up my webpage again and do a search for "Hart." He was one of the 3rd class stewards mentioned by name in Fellowes rubbish. Have a read at what I have put - even look at the man's testimony at www.titanicinquiry.org - and see how it compares to what was on screen.

 

Now, I don't know about the readers of this forum, but I have learned a long time ago that fictional characters may be good for historical dramas, as long as they do not break "rules" (for instance, dancing in 1st class or 3rd class allowed to wander freely between the classes which never happened). BUT when it comes to taking real-life people who may have living descendants who could be upset, and then twisting their actions, often for villainous or comedic effect, then that is not right.

[Austcruiser84]

Now, I don't know about the readers of this forum, but I have learned a long time ago that fictional characters may be good for historical dramas, as long as they do not break "rules" (for instance, dancing in 1st class or 3rd class allowed to wander freely between the classes which never happened). BUT when it comes to taking real-life people who may have living descendants who could be upset, and then twisting their actions, often for villainous or comedic effect, then that is not right.

 

Some historical inaccuracies can be forgiven. However, the constant (highly inaccurate) story of stewards deliberately locking steerage passengers below decks is too far.

 

The problem is that young people take the fiction as fact - as much the public's fault as the filmmakers I say.

[capnpugwash]

OK, I understand.

 

I think we can know a lot of what happened that night. We are continually told that there are "mysteries" and indeed there are - whether an officer shot himself that night, the riddle of the Californian and so, but the "mystery" part is hyped up to sell TV shows and books. Most of what happened (maybe 90-95%) is known with certainty, which is pretty good for a 1-in-3 survival rate.

 

I know you don't want to read the whole thing, but I would like to give you one example, but it all depends on whether you have seen part 2 of Fellowes drama. If so, load up my webpage again and do a search for "Hart." He was one of the 3rd class stewards mentioned by name in Fellowes rubbish. Have a read at what I have put - even look at the man's testimony at www.titanicinquiry.org - and see how it compares to what was on screen.

 

Now, I don't know about the readers of this forum, but I have learned a long time ago that fictional characters may be good for historical dramas, as long as they do not break "rules" (for instance, dancing in 1st class or 3rd class allowed to wander freely between the classes which never happened). BUT when it comes to taking real-life people who may have living descendants who could be upset, and then twisting their actions, often for villainous or comedic effect, then that is not right.

 

I haven't seen any of the Fellowes programmes and really have no interest in doing so. I only briefly saw the Strictly Come Sinking effort as I was channel skipping and the Titanorak thing amused me.

[Cruise Liner Fan]

OK, I understand.

 

I think we can know a lot of what happened that night. We are continually told that there are "mysteries" and indeed there are - whether an officer shot himself that night, the riddle of the Californian and so, but the "mystery" part is hyped up to sell TV shows and books. Most of what happened (maybe 90-95%) is known with certainty, which is pretty good for a 1-in-3 survival rate.

 

I know you don't want to read the whole thing, but I would like to give you one example, but it all depends on whether you have seen part 2 of Fellowes drama. If so, load up my webpage again and do a search for "Hart." He was one of the 3rd class stewards mentioned by name in Fellowes rubbish. Have a read at what I have put - even look at the man's testimony at www.titanicinquiry.org - and see how it compares to what was on screen.

 

Now, I don't know about the readers of this forum, but I have learned a long time ago that fictional characters may be good for historical dramas, as long as they do not break "rules" (for instance, dancing in 1st class or 3rd class allowed to wander freely between the classes which never happened). BUT when it comes to taking real-life people who may have living descendants who could be upset, and then twisting their actions, often for villainous or comedic effect, then that is not right.

Did you ever see the Titanic TV mini-series from 1996 which in my opinion has many historical wrongs in it.Then there is SOS Titanic that was filmed aboard the Queen Mary in the late 1970s.Yes believe it or not in SOS Titanic the Queen Mary is used as the model for Titanic and in the scene in which the Queen Mary oops sorry meant to write Titanic is in the port of Queenstown,Ireland where she could not dock so she had to drop anchor in the harbor and the passengers had to board a tender to get out to where the Titanic is in the harbor,in this film SOS Titanic there is a scene in which Irish passengers who are emigrating to America are aboard a tender sailing towards the Bow of the Titanic that is really the Bow of the Queen Mary.Other scenes of SOS Titanic has Captain Smith and his officers on the Titanic's boat deck which in reality is really the boat deck of the Queen Mary and in the background are the funnels painted in the Cunard colors not the White Star Line colors.I guess that parts of SOS Titanic were filmed aboard and around the Queen Mary like the scenes I described to save money in production costs.So what is your opinion of Titanic mini-series from 1996 and SOS Titanic? Regards,Jerry

[Cruise Liner Fan]

I also want to proclaim myself as not being a Titanic geek or Titanorak.I am proud to proclaim myself as being a Ocean Liner/Cruise Ship geek :) Regards,Jerry

[moniquet]

Channel 4 series? Which one's that?

 

Sorry, I meant the Fellows one on channel 3.

[Ragnarok1971]

I must admit that I have seen both SOS Titanic and the 1996 mini-series precisely once each. I don't have any intention to view them again, and fortunately the memory of both is slipping from my mind. I've been asked to do a goofs page for these, but I think that it would be quicker to list what was right about them!

 

Incidentally, the Titanic Historical Society helped with research with SOS Titanic. Maybe that explains why so many errors were made.