On
April 10, 1912, the Titanic, largest ship afloat, left Southampton,
England on her maiden voyage to New York City. The White Star Line had
spared no expense in assuring her luxury. A legend even before she
sailed, her passengers were a mixture of the world's wealthiest basking
in the elegance of first class accommodations and immigrants packed into
steerage.
The
Washington Post announces the disasterShe was touted as the safest ship
ever built, so safe that she carried only 20 lifeboats - enough to
provide accommodation for only half her 2,200 passengers and crew. This
discrepancy rested on the belief that since the ship's construction made
her "unsinkable," her lifeboats were necessary only to rescue survivors
of other sinking ships. Additionally, lifeboats took up valuable deck
space.
Four
days into her journey, at 11:40 P.M. on the night of April 14, she
struck an iceberg. Her fireman compared the sound of the impact to "the
tearing of calico, nothing more." However, the collision was fatal and
the icy water soon poured through the ship.
It
became obvious that many would not find safety in a lifeboat. Each
passenger was issued a life jacket but life expectancy would be short
when exposed to water four degrees below freezing. As the forward
portion of the ship sank deeper, passengers scrambled to the stern. John
Thayer witnessed the sinking from a lifeboat. "We could see groups of
the almost fifteen hundred people still aboard, clinging in clusters or
bunches, like swarming bees; only to fall in masses, pairs or singly, as
the great after part of the ship, two hundred and fifty feet of it,
rose into the sky, till it reached a sixty-five or seventy degree
angle." The great ship slowly slid beneath the waters two hours and
forty minutes after the collision
The
next morning, the liner Carpathia rescued 705 survivors. One thousand
five hundred twenty-two passengers and crew were lost. Subsequent
inquiries attributed the high loss of life to an insufficient number of
lifeboats and inadequate training in their use.
End of a Splendid Journey - Elizabeth
Shutes, aged 40, was governess to nineteen-year-old Margaret Graham who
was traveling with her parents. As Shutes and her charge sit in their
First Class cabin they feel a shudder travel through the ship. At first
comforted by her belief in the safety of the ship, Elizabeth's composure
is soon shattered by the realization of the imminent tragedy:
"Suddenly
a queer quivering ran under me, apparently the whole length of the
ship. Startled by the very strangeness of the shivering motion, I sprang
to the floor. With too perfect a trust in that mighty vessel I again
lay down. Some one knocked at my door, and the voice of a friend said:
'Come quickly to my cabin; an iceberg has just passed our window; I know
we have just struck one.'
No
confusion, no noise of any kind, one could believe no danger imminent.
Our stewardess came and said she could learn nothing. Looking out into
the companionway I saw heads appearing asking questions from half-closed
doors. All sepulchrally still, no excitement. I sat down again. My
friend was by this time dressed; still her daughter and I talked on,
Margaret pretending to eat a sandwich. Her hand shook so that the bread
kept parting company from the chicken. Then I saw she was frightened,
and for the first time I was too, but why get dressed, as no one had
given the slightest hint of any possible danger? An officer's cap passed
the door. I asked: 'Is there an accident or danger of any kind? 'None,
so far as I know', was his courteous answer, spoken quietly and most
kindly. This same officer then entered a cabin a little distance down
the companionway and, by this time distrustful of everything, I listened
intently, and distinctly heard, 'We can keep the water out for a
while.' Then, and not until then, did I realize the horror of an
accident at sea. Now it was too late to dress; no time for a waist, but a
coat and skirt were soon on; slippers were quicker than shoes; the
stewardess put on our life-preservers, and we were just ready when Mr
Roebling came to tell us he would make us to our friend's mother, who
was waiting above ...
Two lifeboats approach the
Carpathia April 15, 1912No laughing throng, but on either side [of the
staircases] stand quietly, bravely, the stewards, all equipped with the
white, ghostly life-preservers. Always the thing one tries not to see
even crossing a ferry. Now only pale faces, each form strapped about
with those white bars. So gruesome a scene. We passed on. The awful
good-byes. The quiet look of hope in the brave men's eyes as the wives
were put into the lifeboats. Nothing escaped one at this fearful moment.
We left from the sun deck, seventy-five feet above the water. Mr Case
and Mr Roebling, brave American men, saw us to the lifeboat, made no
effort to save themselves, but stepped back on deck. Later they went to
an honoured grave.
Our
lifeboat, with thirty-six in it, began lowering to the sea. This was
done amid the greatest confusion. Rough seamen all giving different
orders. No officer aboard. As only one side of the ropes worked, the
lifeboat at one time was in such a position that it seemed we must
capsize in mid-air. At last the ropes worked together, and we drew
nearer and nearer the black, oily water. The first touch of our lifeboat
on that black sea came to me as a last good-bye to life, and so we put
off - a tiny boat on a great sea - rowed away from what had been a safe
home for five days.
The
first wish on the part of all was to stay near the Titanic. We all felt
so much safer near the ship. Surely such a vessel could not sink. I
thought the danger must be exaggerated, and we could all be taken aboard
again. But surely the outline of that great, good ship was growing
less. The bow of the boat was getting black. Light after light was
disappearing, and now those rough seamen put to their oars and we were
told to hunt under seats, any place, anywhere, for a lantern, a light of
any kind. Every place was empty. There was no water - no stimulant of
any kind. Not a biscuit - nothing to keep us alive had we drifted
long...
Sitting
by me in the lifeboat were a mother and daughter. The mother had left a
husband on the Titanic, and the daughter a father
Survivors on the deck of
the Carpathiaand husband, and while we were near the other boats those
two stricken women would call out a name and ask, 'Are you there?'
'No,'would come back the awful answer, but these brave women never lost
courage, forgot their own sorrow, telling me to sit close to them to
keep warm... The life-preservers helped to keep us warm, but the night
was bitter cold, and it grew colder and colder, and just before dawn,
the coldest, darkest hour of all, no help seemed possible...
...The
stars slowly disappeared, and in their place came the faint pink glow
of another day. Then I heard, 'A light, a ship.' I could not, would not,
look while there was a bit of doubt, but kept my eyes away. All night
long I had heard, 'A light!' Each time it proved to be one of our other
lifeboats, someone lighting a piece of paper, anything they could find
to burn, and now I could not believe. Someone found a newspaper; it was
lighted and held up. Then I looked and saw a ship. A ship bright with
lights; strong and steady she waited, and we were to be saved. A straw
hat was offered it would burn longer. That same ship that had come to
save us might run us down. But no; she is still. The two, the ship and
the dawn, came together, a living painting."
RMS
Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden
voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April
1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest
peacetime maritime disasters in history.
The
largest passenger steamship in the world at the time, the Olympic-class
RMS Titanic was owned by the White Star Line and constructed at the
Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, UK. After setting sail
for New York City on 10 April 1912 with 2,223 people on board, she hit
the iceberg four days into the crossing, at 11:40 pm on 14 April 1912,
and sank at 2:20 am the following morning. The high casualty rate
resulting from the sinking was due in part to the fact that, although
complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats
for only 1,178 people. A disproportionate number of men died due to the
"women and children first" protocol that was enforced by the ship's
crew.
Titanic
was designed by experienced engineers, using some of the most advanced
technologies and extensive safety features of the time. The sinking of a
passenger liner on her maiden voyage, the high loss of life and media
frenzy over Titanic's famous victims, the legends about the sinking, the
resulting changes in maritime law, and the discovery of the wreck have
all contributed to the enduring interest in Titanic.
A
pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a
pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist.
They were the most common type of watch from their development in the
16th century until wristwatches became popular after World War I during
which a transitional design, trench watches, were used by the military.
Pocket watches generally have an attached chain to allow them to be
secured to a waistcoat, lapel, or belt loop, and to prevent them from
being dropped. Watches were also mounted on a short leather strap or
fob, when a long chain would have been cumbersome or likely to catch on
things. This fob could also provide a protective flap over their face
and crystal. Women's watches were normally of this form, with a watch
fob that was more decorative than protective. Chains were frequently
decorated with a silver or enamel pendant, often carrying the arms of
some club or society, which by association also became known as a fob.
Ostensibly "practical" gadgets such as a watch winding key, vesta case
or a cigar cutter also appeared on watch chains, although usually in an
overly decorated style. Also common are fasteners designed to be put
through a buttonhole and worn in a jacket or waistcoat, this sort being
frequently associated with and named after train conductors.
An
early reference to the pocket watch is in a letter in November 1462 from
the Italian clockmaker Bartholomew Manfredi to the Marchese di Mantova
Federico Gonzaga[citation needed], where he offers him a "pocket clock"
better than that belonging to the Duke of Modena. By the end of the 15th
Century, spring-driven clocks appeared in Italy, and in Germany. Peter
Henlein, a master locksmith of Nuremberg, was regularly manufacturing
pocket watches by 1524. Thereafter, pocket watch manufacture spread
throughout the rest of Europe as the 16th century progressed. Early
watches only had an hour hand, the minute hand appearing in the late
17th century.[1][2] The first American pocket watches with machine made
parts were manufactured by Henry Pitkin with his brother in the later
1830s.
Jewellery
Forms
Anklet
Belt buckle Belly chain Bindi Bracelet Brooch Chatelaine Collar pin
Crown Cufflink Earring Lapel pin Necklace Pendant Ring Tiara Tie clip
Tie pin Toe ring Watch pocket
Making
People
Bench jeweler Clockmaker Goldsmith Silversmith Jewelry designer Lapidary Watchmaker
Processes
Casting
centrifugal lost-wax vacuum Enameling Engraving Filigree Metal clay
Plating Polishing Repoussé and chasing Soldering Stonesetting Wire
sculpture Wire wrapped jewelry
Tools
Draw plate File Hammer Mandrel Pliers
Materials
Precious metals
Gold Palladium Platinum Rhodium Silver
Precious metal alloys
Britannia silver Colored gold Crown gold Electrum Shakudō Shibuichi Sterling silver Tumbaga
Base metals
Brass Bronze Copper Mokume-gane Pewter Stainless steel Titanium Tungsten
Mineral gemstones
Aventurine
Agate Amethyst Beryl Carnelian Chrysoberyl Diamond Diopside Emerald
Garnet Jade Jasper Lapis lazuli Larimar Malachite Marcasite Moonstone
Obsidian Onyx Opal Peridot Quartz Ruby Sapphire Sodalite Sunstone
Tanzanite Tiger's eye Topaz Tourmaline Turquoise Yogo sapphire
Organic gemstones
Abalone Amber Ammolite Copal Coral Ivory Jet Pearl Nacre
Other natural objects
Shell jewelry
Terms
Carat (mass) Carat (purity) Finding Millesimal fineness
A
watch is a timepiece, typically worn either around the wrist or
attached on a chain and carried in a pocket. Wristwatches are the most
common type of watch used today. Watches evolved in the 17th century
from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The
first watches were strictly mechanical. As technology progressed, the
mechanisms used to measure time have, in some cases, been replaced by
use of quartz vibrations or electronic pulses.[1] The first digital
electronic watch was developed in 1970.[2]
Before
wristwatches became popular in the 1920s, most watches were pocket
watches, which often had covers and were carried in a pocket and
attached to a watch chain or watch fob.[3] In the early 1900s, the
wristwatch, originally called a Wristlet, was reserved for women and
considered more of a passing fad than a serious timepiece. Men, who
carried pocket watches, were quoted as saying they would "sooner wear a
skirt as wear a wristwatch".[4] This changed in World War I, when
soldiers on the battlefield found pocket watches to be impractical and
attached their watches to their wrist by a cupped leather strap. It is
also believed that Girard-Perregaux equipped the German Imperial Navy
with wristwatches in a similar fashion as early as the 1880s, to be used
while synchronizing naval attacks and firing artillery.[4]
Most
inexpensive and medium-priced watches used mainly for timekeeping are
electronic watches with quartz movements.[1] Expensive collectible
watches, valued more for their workmanship and aesthetic appeal than for
simple timekeeping, often have purely mechanical movements and are
powered by springs, even though mechanical movements are less accurate
than more affordable quartz movements. In addition to the time, modern
watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic
watches may have many other functions. Watches that provide additional
time-related features such as timers, chronographs and alarm functions
are not uncommon. Some modern designs even go as far as using GPS[5]
technology or heart-rate monitoring[6] capabilities.
The study of timekeeping is known as horology.
Time measurement and standards
Time Chronometry Orders of magnitude Metrology
UTC
UTC offset UT ΔT DUT1 IERS ISO 31-1 ISO 8601 TAI 12-hour clock 24-hour
clock Barycentric Coordinate Time Civil time Daylight saving time
Geocentric Coordinate Time International Date Line Leap second Solar
time Terrestrial Time Time zone
Barycentric Dynamical Time Ephemeris time Greenwich Mean Time Prime meridian
Absolute
time and space Spacetime Chronon Continuous time Coordinate time
Cosmological decade Discrete time Planck epoch Planck time Proper time
Theory of relativity Time dilation Gravitational time dilation Time
domain T-symmetry
Clock
Astrarium Atomic clock Complication Equation of time History of
timekeeping devices Hourglass Marine chronometer Marine sandglass Radio
clock Sundial Watch Water clock
Astronomical
Dominical letter Epact Equinox Gregorian Hebrew Hindu Intercalation
Islamic Julian Leap year Lunar Lunisolar Seven-day week Solar Solstice
Tropical year Weekday determination Weekday names
Dating methodologies Geologic time scale International Commission on Stratigraphy
Galactic year Nuclear time scale Precession Sidereal time
Century Day Decade Fortnight Hour Jiffy Lustrum Millennium Minute Month Paksha Saeculum Second Shake Tide Week Year
Chronology Duration Mental chronometry Metric time System time Time value of money Timekeeper
Rank Title Studio Worldwide Domestic / % Overseas / % Year^
1 Avatar Fox $2,788.0 $760.5 27.3% $2,027.5 72.7% 2009^
2 Titanic Par. $2,186.8 $658.7 30.1% $1,528.1 69.9% 1997^
3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens BV $2,068.2 $936.7 45.3% $1,131.6 54.7% 2015
4 Jurassic World Uni. $1,670.4 $652.3 39.0% $1,018.1 61.0% 2015
5 Marvel's The Avengers BV $1,518.8 $623.4 41.0% $895.5 59.0% 2012
6 Furious 7 Uni. $1,516.0 $353.0 23.3% $1,163.0 76.7% 2015
7 Avengers: Age of Ultron BV $1,405.4 $459.0 32.7% $946.4 67.3% 2015
8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 WB $1,341.5 $381.0 28.4% $960.5 71.6% 2011
9 Frozen BV $1,276.5 $400.7 31.4% $875.7 68.6% 2013
10 Iron Man 3 BV $1,214.8 $409.0 33.7% $805.8 66.3% 2013
11 Minions Uni. $1,159.4 $336.0 29.0% $823.4 71.0% 2015
12 Captain America: Civil War BV $1,153.3 $408.1 35.4% $745.2 64.6% 2016
13 Transformers: Dark of the Moon P/DW $1,123.8 $352.4 31.4% $771.4 68.6% 2011
14 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $1,119.9 $377.8 33.7% $742.1 66.3% 2003^
15 Skyfall Sony $1,108.6 $304.4 27.5% $804.2 72.5% 2012
16 Transformers: Age of Extinction Par. $1,104.1 $245.4 22.2% $858.6 77.8% 2014
17 Beauty and the Beast (2017) BV $1,100.3 $471.1 42.8% $629.2 57.2% 2017
18 The Dark Knight Rises WB $1,084.9 $448.1 41.3% $636.8 58.7% 2012
19 Toy Story 3 BV $1,067.0 $415.0 38.9% $652.0 61.1% 2010
20 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest BV $1,066.2 $423.3 39.7% $642.9 60.3% 2006
21 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story BV $1,055.9 $532.1 50.4% $523.8 49.6% 2016
22 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides BV $1,045.7 $241.1 23.1% $804.6 76.9% 2011
23 Jurassic Park Uni. $1,029.2 $402.5 39.1% $626.7 60.9% 1993^
24 Finding Dory BV $1,028.6 $486.3 47.3% $542.3 52.7% 2016
25 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Fox $1,027.0 $474.5 46.2% $552.5 53.8% 1999^
26 Alice in Wonderland (2010) BV $1,025.5 $334.2 32.6% $691.3 67.4% 2010
27 Zootopia BV $1,023.8 $341.3 33.3% $682.5 66.7% 2016
28 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey WB (NL) $1,021.1 $303.0 29.7% $718.1 70.3% 2012
29 The Dark Knight WB $1,004.6 $534.9 53.2% $469.7 46.8% 2008^
30 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone WB $974.8 $317.6 32.6% $657.2 67.4% 2001
31 Despicable Me 2 Uni. $970.8 $368.1 37.9% $602.7 62.1% 2013
32 The Lion King BV $968.5 $422.8 43.7% $545.7 56.3% 1994^
33 The Jungle Book (2016) BV $966.6 $364.0 37.7% $602.5 62.3% 2016
34 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End BV $963.4 $309.4 32.1% $654.0 67.9% 2007
35 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 WB $960.3 $296.0 30.8% $664.3 69.2% 2010
36 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug WB (NL) $958.4 $258.4 27.0% $700.0 73.0% 2013
37 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies WB (NL) $956.0 $255.1 26.7% $700.9 73.3% 2014
38 Finding Nemo BV $940.3 $380.8 40.5% $559.5 59.5% 2003^
39 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix WB $939.9 $292.0 31.1% $647.9 68.9% 2007
40 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince WB $934.4 $302.0 32.3% $632.5 67.7% 2009
41 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers NL $926.0 $342.6 37.0% $583.5 63.0% 2002^
42 Shrek 2 DW $919.8 $441.2 48.0% $478.6 52.0% 2004
43 The Fate of the Furious Uni. $908.4 $163.6 18.0% $744.8 82.0% 2017
44 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire WB $896.9 $290.0 32.3% $606.9 67.7% 2005
45 Spider-Man 3 Sony $890.9 $336.5 37.8% $554.3 62.2% 2007
46 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Fox $886.7 $196.6 22.2% $690.1 77.8% 2009
47 Spectre Sony $880.7 $200.1 22.7% $680.6 77.3% 2015
48 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets WB $879.0 $262.0 29.8% $617.0 70.2% 2002
49 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $877.2 $161.3 18.4% $715.9 81.6% 2012
50 The Secret Life of Pets Uni. $875.5 $368.4 42.1% $507.1 57.9% 2016
51 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice WB $873.3 $330.4 37.8% $542.9 62.2% 2016
52 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring NL $871.5 $315.5 36.2% $556.0 63.8% 2001^
53 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire LGF $865.0 $424.7 49.1% $440.3 50.9% 2013
54 Inside Out BV $857.6 $356.5 41.6% $501.1 58.4% 2015
55 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Fox $848.8 $380.3 44.8% $468.5 55.2% 2005^
56 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen P/DW $836.3 $402.1 48.1% $434.2 51.9% 2009
57 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 LG/S $829.7 $292.3 35.2% $537.4 64.8% 2012
58 Inception WB $825.5 $292.6 35.4% $533.0 64.6% 2010
59 Spider-Man Sony $821.7 $403.7 49.1% $418.0 50.9% 2002
60 Independence Day Fox $817.4 $306.2 37.5% $511.2 62.5% 1996^
61 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them WB $814.0 $234.0 28.8% $580.0 71.2% 2016
62 Shrek the Third P/DW $799.0 $322.7 40.4% $476.2 59.6% 2007
63 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban WB $796.7 $249.5 31.3% $547.1 68.7% 2004
64 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Uni. $792.9 $435.1 54.9% $357.8 45.1% 1982^
65 Fast & Furious 6 Uni. $788.7 $238.7 30.3% $550.0 69.7% 2013
66 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Par. $786.6 $317.1 40.3% $469.5 59.7% 2008
67 Spider-Man 2 Sony $783.8 $373.6 47.7% $410.2 52.3% 2004
68 Deadpool Fox $783.1 $363.1 46.4% $420.0 53.6% 2016
69 Star Wars Fox $775.4 $461.0 59.5% $314.4 40.5% 1977^
70 Guardians of the Galaxy BV $773.3 $333.2 43.1% $440.2 56.9% 2014
71 2012 Sony $769.7 $166.1 21.6% $603.6 78.4% 2009
72 Maleficent BV $758.5 $241.4 31.8% $517.1 68.2% 2014
73 The Da Vinci Code Sony $758.2 $217.5 28.7% $540.7 71.3% 2006
74 The Amazing Spider-Man Sony $757.9 $262.0 34.6% $495.9 65.4% 2012
75 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 LGF $755.4 $337.1 44.6% $418.2 55.4% 2014
76 Shrek Forever After P/DW $752.6 $238.7 31.7% $513.9 68.3% 2010
77 X-Men: Days of Future Past Fox $747.9 $233.9 31.3% $513.9 68.7% 2014
78 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted P/DW $746.9 $216.4 29.0% $530.5 71.0% 2012
79 Suicide Squad WB $745.6 $325.1 43.6% $420.5 56.4% 2016
80 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe BV $745.0 $291.7 39.2% $453.3 60.8% 2005
81 Monsters University BV $744.2 $268.5 36.1% $475.7 63.9% 2013
82 The Matrix Reloaded WB $742.1 $281.6 37.9% $460.6 62.1% 2003
83 Up BV $735.1 $293.0 39.9% $442.1 60.1% 2009
84 Gravity WB $723.2 $274.1 37.9% $449.1 62.1% 2013
85 Captain America: The Winter Soldier BV $714.3 $259.8 36.4% $454.5 63.6% 2014
86 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Sum. $712.2 $281.3 39.5% $430.9 60.5% 2011
87 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Fox $710.6 $208.5 29.3% $502.1 70.7% 2014
88 The Twilight Saga: New Moon Sum. $709.7 $296.6 41.8% $413.1 58.2% 2009
89 Transformers P/DW $709.7 $319.2 45.0% $390.5 55.0% 2007
90 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Sony $709.0 $202.9 28.6% $506.1 71.4% 2014
91 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Sum. $698.5 $300.5 43.0% $398.0 57.0% 2010
92 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Par. $694.7 $209.4 30.1% $485.3 69.9% 2011
93 The Hunger Games LGF $694.4 $408.0 58.8% $286.4 41.2% 2012
94 Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Par. $682.7 $195.0 28.6% $487.7 71.4% 2015
95 Forrest Gump Par. $677.9 $330.3 48.7% $347.7 51.3% 1994^
96 Doctor Strange BV $677.6 $232.6 34.3% $444.9 65.7% 2016
97 Interstellar Par. $675.1 $188.0 27.8% $487.1 72.2% 2014
98 The Sixth Sense BV $672.8 $293.5 43.6% $379.3 56.4% 1999
99 Man of Steel WB $668.0 $291.0 43.6% $377.0 56.4% 2013
100 Kung Fu Panda 2 P/DW $665.7 $165.2 24.8% $500.4 75.2% 2011
Titanic
is a 1997 American epic romance-disaster film directed, written,
co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of
the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate
Winslet as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard
the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.
Cameron's
inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks; he
felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to
convey the emotional impact of the disaster. Production began in 1995,
when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck. The modern scenes
on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav
Keldysh, which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck. Scale
models, computer-generated imagery, and a reconstruction of the Titanic
built at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create
the sinking. The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and
20th Century Fox. It was the most expensive film made at that time, with
an estimated budget of $200 million.
Upon
its release on December 19, 1997, Titanic achieved critical and
commercial success. Nominated for fourteen Academy Awards, it tied All
About Eve (1950) for the most Oscar nominations, and won eleven,
including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director, tying Ben Hur
(1959) for the most Oscars won by a single film. With an initial
worldwide gross of over $1.84 billion, Titanic was the first film to
reach the billion-dollar mark. It remained the highest-grossing film of
all time until Cameron's 2009 film Avatar surpassed it in 2010. A 3D
version of Titanic, released on April 4, 2012 to commemorate the
centennial of the sinking, earned it an additional $343.6 million
worldwide, pushing the film's worldwide total to $2.18 billion. It
became the second film to gross more than $2 billion worldwide (after
Avatar).
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron
Jon Landau
Written by James Cameron
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Kate Winslet
Billy Zane
Kathy Bates
Frances Fisher
Bernard Hill
Jonathan Hyde
Danny Nucci
David Warner
Bill Paxton
Music by James Horner
Cinematography Russell Carpenter
Edited by Conrad Buff
James Cameron
Richard A. Harris
Production
company
Paramount Pictures[1]
20th Century Fox [1]
Lightstorm Entertainment[1]
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
(North America)
20th Century Fox
(International)
Release date
November 1, 1997 (Tokyo)
December 19, 1997 (United States)
Running time
195 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $200 million[3][4][5]
Box office $2.187 billion
Plot
In
1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team aboard the research
vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh search the wreck of RMS Titanic for a
necklace with a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. They recover a
safe containing a drawing of a young woman wearing only the necklace
dated April 14, 1912, the day the ship struck the iceberg.[Note 1] Rose
Dawson Calvert, the woman in the drawing, is brought aboard Keldysh and
tells Lovett of her experiences aboard Titanic.
In
1912 Southampton, 17-year-old first-class passenger Rose DeWitt
Bukater, her fiancé Cal Hockley, and her mother Ruth board the luxurious
Titanic. Ruth emphasizes that Rose's marriage will resolve their
family's financial problems and retain their high-class persona.
Distraught over the engagement, Rose considers suicide by jumping from
the stern; Jack Dawson, a penniless artist, intervenes and discourages
her. Discovered with Jack, Rose tells a concerned Cal that she was
peering over the edge and Jack saved her from falling. When Cal becomes
indifferent, she suggests to him that Jack deserves a reward. He invites
Jack to dine with them in first class the following night. Jack and
Rose develop a tentative friendship, despite Cal and Ruth being wary of
him. Following dinner, Rose secretly joins Jack at a party in third
class.
Aware
of Cal and Ruth's disapproval, Rose rebuffs Jack's advances, but
realizes she prefers him over Cal. After rendezvousing on the bow at
sunset, Rose takes Jack to her state room; at her request, Jack sketches
Rose posing nude wearing Cal's engagement present, the Heart of the
Ocean necklace. They evade Cal's bodyguard and have sex in an automobile
inside the cargo hold. On the forward deck, they witness a collision
with an iceberg and overhear the officers and designer discussing its
seriousness.
Cal
discovers Jack's sketch of Rose and an insulting note from her in his
safe along with the necklace. When Jack and Rose attempt to inform Cal
of the collision, he has his bodyguard slip the necklace into Jack's
pocket and accuses him of theft. Jack is arrested, taken to the
master-at-arms' office, and handcuffed to a pipe. Cal puts the necklace
in his own coat pocket.
With
the ship sinking, Rose flees Cal and her mother, who has boarded a
lifeboat, and frees Jack. On the boat deck, Cal and Jack encourage her
to board a lifeboat; Cal claims he can get himself and Jack off safely.
After Rose boards one, Cal tells Jack the arrangement is only for
himself. As her boat lowers, Rose decides that she cannot leave Jack and
jumps back on board. Cal takes his bodyguard's pistol and chases Rose
and Jack into the flooding first-class dining saloon. After using up his
ammunition, Cal realizes he gave his coat and consequently the necklace
to Rose. He later boards a collapsible lifeboat by carrying a lost
child.
After
braving several obstacles, Jack and Rose return to the boat deck. The
lifeboats have departed and passengers are falling to their deaths as
the stern rises out of the water. The ship breaks in half, lifting the
stern into the air. Jack and Rose ride it into the ocean and he helps
her onto a wooden panel only buoyant enough for one person. He assures
her that she will die an old woman, warm in her bed. Jack dies of
hypothermia[7] but Rose is saved.
With
Rose hiding from Cal en route, the RMS Carpathia takes the survivors to
New York City where Rose gives her name as Rose Dawson. She later finds
out Cal committed suicide after losing all his money in the 1929 Wall
Street crash.
Back
in the present, Lovett decides to abandon his search after hearing
Rose's story. Alone on the stern of Keldysh, Rose takes out the Heart of
the Ocean — in her possession all along — and drops it into the sea
over the wreck site. While she is seemingly asleep or has died in her
bed, photos on her dresser depict a life of freedom and adventure
inspired by the life she wanted to live with Jack. A young Rose reunites
with Jack at the Titanic's Grand Staircase, applauded by those who
died.
Cast
Fictional characters
Leonardo DiCaprio (top), who portrayed Jack Dawson, and Kate Winslet (bottom), who portrayed Rose DeWitt Bukater.
Leonardo
DiCaprio as Jack Dawson: Cameron said he needed the cast to feel as
though they were really on the Titanic, to relive its liveliness, and
"to take that energy and give it to Jack, [...] an artist who is able to
have his heart soar".[8] Jack is portrayed as an itinerant, poor orphan
from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who has toured numerous places in the
world, including Paris. He wins two tickets onto the RMS Titanic in a
poker game and travels as a third-class passenger with his friend
Fabrizio. He is attracted to Rose at first sight and meets her when she
contemplates throwing herself off the stern of the ship. Her fiance's
"reward", an invitation to dine with them the next evening, enables Jack
to mix with the first-class passengers for a night. When casting the
role, various established actors, including Matthew McConaughey, Chris
O'Donnell, Billy Crudup, and Stephen Dorff, were considered, but Cameron
felt that a few of the actors were too old for the part of a
20-year-old.[9][10][11][12] Tom Cruise was interested in portraying the
character, but his asking price was too much for the studio to
consider.[10] Cameron considered Jared Leto for the role, but Leto
refused to audition.[13] DiCaprio, 21 years old at the time, was brought
to Cameron's attention by casting director Mali Finn.[9] Initially, he
did not want to portray the character and refused to read his first
romantic scene on the set (see below). Cameron said, "He read it once,
then started goofing around, and I could never get him to focus on it
again. But for one split second, a shaft of light came down from the
heavens and lit up the forest." Cameron strongly believed in DiCaprio's
acting ability and told him, "Look, I'm not going to make this guy
brooding and neurotic. I'm not going to give him a tic and a limp and
all the things you want." Cameron rather envisioned the character as a
James Stewart type.[9] Although Jack Dawson was a fictional character,
in Fairview Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where 121 victims are
buried, there is a grave labeled "J. Dawson". The real J. Dawson was
Joseph Dawson, who shoveled coal in the bowels of the ship. "It wasn't
until after the movie came out that we found out that there was a J.
Dawson gravestone," said the film's producer, Jon Landau, in an
interview.[14]
Kate
Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater: Cameron said Winslet "had the thing
that you look for" and that there was "a quality in her face, in her
eyes," that he "just knew people would be ready to go the distance with
her".[8] Rose is a 17-year-old girl, originally from Philadelphia, who
is forced into an engagement to 30-year-old Cal Hockley so she and her
mother, Ruth, can maintain their high-class status after her father's
death had left the family debt-ridden. Rose boards the RMS Titanic with
Cal and Ruth, as a first-class passenger, and meets Jack. Winslet said
of her character, "She has got a lot to give, and she's got a very open
heart. And she wants to explore and adventure the world, but she [feels]
that's not going to happen."[8] Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, Claire
Danes, and Gabrielle Anwar had been considered for the
role.[9][15][16][17] When they turned it down, 20-year-old Winslet
campaigned heavily for the role. She sent Cameron daily notes from
England, which led Cameron to invite her to Hollywood for auditions. As
with DiCaprio, casting director Mali Finn originally brought her to
Cameron's attention. When looking for a Rose, Cameron described the
character as "an Audrey Hepburn type" and was initially uncertain about
casting Winslet even after her screen test impressed him.[9] After she
screen tested with DiCaprio, Winslet was so thoroughly impressed with
him, that she whispered to Cameron, "He's great. Even if you don't pick
me, pick him." Winslet sent Cameron a single rose with a card signed,
"From Your Rose", and lobbied him by phone. "You don't understand!" she
pleaded one day when she reached him by mobile phone in his Humvee. "I
am Rose! I don't know why you're even seeing anyone else!" Her
persistence, as well as her talent, eventually convinced him to cast her
in the role.[9]
Billy
Zane as Caledon Nathan "Cal" Hockley: Cal is Rose's 30-year-old fiancé.
He is arrogant and snobbish, and the heir to a Pittsburgh steel
fortune. He becomes increasingly embarrassed by, jealous of, and cruel
about Rose's relationship with Jack. The part was originally offered to
Matthew McConaughey.[10]
Frances
Fisher as Ruth DeWitt Bukater: Rose's widowed mother, who arranges her
daughter's engagement to Cal to maintain her family's high-society
status. She loves her daughter but believes that social position is more
important than having a loving marriage. She scorns Jack, even though
he saved her daughter's life.
Gloria
Stuart as Rose Dawson Calvert: Rose narrates the film in a modern-day
framing device. Cameron stated, "In order to see the present and the
past, I decided to create a fictional survivor who is [close to] 101
years, and she connects us in a way through history."[8] The
100-year-old Rose gives Lovett information regarding the "Heart of the
Ocean" after he discovers a nude drawing of her in the wreck. She tells
the story of her time aboard the ship, mentioning Jack for the first
time since the sinking. At 87, Stuart had to be made up to look older
for the role.[10] Of casting Stuart, Cameron stated, "My casting
director found her. She was sent out on a mission to find retired
actresses from the Golden Age of the thirties and forties."[18] Cameron
said that he did not know who Stuart was, and Fay Wray was also
considered for the role. "But [Stuart] was just so into it, and so
lucid, and had such a great spirit. And I saw the connection between her
spirit and [Winslet's] spirit," stated Cameron. "I saw this joie de
vivre in both of them, that I thought the audience would be able to make
that cognitive leap that it's the same person."[18] Stuart died on
September 26, 2010, at age 100, approximately the same age elder Rose
was in the film.[19]
Bill
Paxton as Brock Lovett: A treasure hunter looking for the "Heart of the
Ocean" in the wreck of the Titanic in the present. Time and funding for
his expedition are running out. He later reflects at the film's
conclusion that, despite thinking about Titanic for three years, he has
never understood it until he hears Rose's story.
Suzy
Amis as Lizzy Calvert: Rose's granddaughter, who accompanies her when
she visits Lovett on the ship and learns her grandmother's true identity
and romantic past with Jack Dawson.
Danny
Nucci as Fabrizio De Rossi: Jack's Italian best friend, who boards the
RMS Titanic with him after Jack wins two tickets in a poker game.
Fabrizio does not board a lifeboat when the Titanic sinks and is killed
when one of the ship's funnels breaks and crashes into the water.
David
Warner as Spicer Lovejoy: An ex-Pinkerton constable, Lovejoy is Cal's
English valet and bodyguard, who keeps an eye on Rose and is suspicious
about the circumstances surrounding Jack's rescue of her. He dies when
the Titanic splits in half, causing him to fall into a massive opening.
Jason
Barry as Thomas "Tommy" Ryan: An Irish third-class passenger who
befriends Jack and Fabrizio. Tommy is killed when he is accidentally
pushed forward and shot by a panicked First Officer Murdoch.
Historical characters
Although
not intended to be an entirely accurate depiction of events,[20] the
film includes portrayals of several historical figures:
The
real Margaret Brown (right) giving Captain Arthur Henry Rostron an
award for his service in the rescue of Titanic's surviving passengers.
Kathy
Bates as Margaret "Molly" Brown: Brown is looked down upon by other
first-class women, including Ruth, as "vulgar" and "new money". She is
friendly to Jack and lends him a tuxedo (bought for her son) when he is
invited to dinner in the first-class dining saloon. Although Brown was a
real person, Cameron chose not to portray her real-life actions. Molly
Brown was dubbed "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" by historians because she,
with the support of other women, commandeered Lifeboat 6 from
Quartermaster Robert Hichens.[21] Some aspects of this altercation are
portrayed in Cameron's film.
Victor
Garber as Thomas Andrews: The ship's builder, Andrews is portrayed as a
very kind and pleasant man who is modest about his grand achievement.
After the collision, he tries to convince the others, particularly
Ismay, that it is a "mathematical certainty" that the ship will sink. He
is depicted during the sinking of the ship as standing next to the
clock in the first-class smoking room, lamenting his failure to build a
strong and safe ship. Although this has become one of the most famous
legends of the sinking of the Titanic, this story, which was published
in a 1912 book (Thomas Andrews: Shipbuilder) and therefore perpetuated,
came from John Stewart, a steward on the ship who in fact left the ship
in boat n. 15 at approximately 1:40 a.m.[22] There were testimonies of
sightings of Andrews after that moment.[22] It appears that Andrews
stayed in the smoking room for some time to gather his thoughts, then he
continued assisting with the evacuation.[22] Another reported sighting
was of Andrews frantically throwing deck chairs into the ocean for
passengers to use as floating devices. Andrews was last seen leaving the
ship at the last moment.
Bernard
Hill as Captain Edward John Smith: Smith planned to make the Titanic
his final voyage before retiring. He retreats into the wheelhouse on the
bridge as the ship sinks, dying when the windows implode from the water
whilst he clings to the ship's wheel. There are conflicting accounts as
to whether he died in this manner or later froze to death in the water
near the capsized collapsible lifeboat "B".[23]
Jonathan
Hyde as J. Bruce Ismay: Ismay is portrayed as a rich, ignorant
upper-class man. In the film, he uses his position as White Star Line
managing director to influence Captain Smith to go faster with the
prospect of an earlier arrival in New York and favorable press
attention; while this action appears in popular portrayals of the
disaster, it is unsupported by evidence.[24][25] After the collision, he
struggles to comprehend that his "unsinkable" ship is doomed. Ismay
later boards Collapsible C (one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship)
just before it is lowered. He was branded a coward by the press and
public for surviving the disaster while many women and children had
drowned.
Eric
Braeden as John Jacob Astor IV: A first-class passenger whom Rose
(correctly) calls the richest man on the ship. The film depicts Astor
and his 18-year-old wife Madeleine (Charlotte Chatton) as being
introduced to Jack by Rose in the first-class dining saloon. During the
introduction, Astor asks if Jack is connected to the "Boston Dawsons", a
question Jack neatly deflects by saying that he is instead affiliated
with the Chippewa Falls Dawsons. Astor is last seen as the Grand
Staircase glass dome implodes and water surges in.
Bernard
Fox as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV: The film depicts Gracie making a
comment to Cal that "women and machinery don't mix", and congratulating
Jack for saving Rose from falling off the ship, though he is unaware
that it was a suicide attempt. Fox had portrayed Frederick Fleet in the
1958 film A Night to Remember.
Michael
Ensign as Benjamin Guggenheim: A mining magnate traveling in
first-class. He shows off his French mistress Madame Aubert (Fannie
Brett) to his fellow passengers while his wife and three daughters wait
for him at home. When Jack joins the other first-class passengers for
dinner after his rescue of Rose, Guggenheim refers to him as a
"bohemian". He is seen in the flooding Grand Staircase during the
sinking, saying he is prepared to go down as a gentleman.
Jonathan
Evans-Jones as Wallace Hartley: The ship's bandmaster and violinist who
plays uplifting music with his colleagues on the boat deck as the ship
sinks. As the final plunge begins, he leads the band in a final
performance of Nearer, My God, to Thee, to the tune of Bethany,[26][27]
and dies in the sinking.
Mark
Lindsay Chapman as Chief Officer Henry Wilde: The ship's chief officer,
who lets Cal on board a lifeboat because he has a child in his arms.
Before he dies, he tries to get the boats to return to the sinking site
to rescue passengers by blowing his whistle. After he freezes to death,
Rose uses his whistle to attract the attention of Fifth Officer Lowe,
which leads to her rescue.
Ewan
Stewart as First Officer William Murdoch: The officer who is put in
charge of the bridge on the night the ship struck the iceberg. During a
rush for the lifeboats, Murdoch shoots Tommy Ryan as well as another
passenger in a momentary panic, then commits suicide out of guilt. When
Murdoch's nephew Scott saw the film, he objected to his uncle's
portrayal as damaging to Murdoch's heroic reputation.[28] A few months
later, Fox vice-president Scott Neeson went to Dalbeattie, Scotland,
where Murdoch lived, to deliver a personal apology, and also presented a
£5000 donation to Dalbeattie High School to boost the school's William
Murdoch Memorial Prize.[29] Cameron apologized on the DVD commentary,
but stated that there were officers who fired gunshots to enforce the
"women and children first" policy.[30] According to Cameron, his
depiction of Murdoch is that of an "honorable man," not of a man "gone
bad" or of a "cowardly murderer." He added, "I'm not sure you'd find
that same sense of responsibility and total devotion to duty today. This
guy had half of his lifeboats launched before his counterpart on the
port side had even launched one. That says something about character and
heroism."[31]
Jonathan
Phillips as Second Officer Charles Lightoller. The film depicts
Lightoller informing Captain Smith that it will be difficult to see
icebergs without breaking water. He is seen brandishing a gun and
threatening to use it to keep order. He can be seen on top of
Collapsible B when the first funnel collapses. Lightoller was the most
senior officer to have survived the disaster.
Simon
Crane as Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall: The officer in charge of firing
flares and manning Lifeboat 2 during the sinking. He is shown on the
bridge wings helping the seamen firing the flares.
Ioan
Gruffudd as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe: The ship's only officer to lead a
lifeboat to retrieve survivors of the sinking from the icy waters. The
film depicts Lowe rescuing Rose.
Edward
Fletcher as Sixth Officer James Moody: The ship's only junior officer
to have died in the sinking. The film depicts Moody admitting Jack and
Fabrizio onto the ship only moments before it departs from Southampton.
Moody is later shown following Mr. Murdoch's orders to put the ship to
full speed ahead, and informs First Officer Murdoch about the iceberg.
He is last seen clinging to one of the davits on the starboard side
after having unsuccessfully attempted to launch collapsible A.
James
Lancaster as Father Thomas Byles: Second-class passenger Father Byles, a
Catholic priest from England, is portrayed praying and consoling
passengers during the ship's final moments.
Lew
Palter and Elsa Raven as Isidor Straus and Ida Straus: Isidor is a
former owner of R.H. Macy and Company, a former congressman from New
York, and a member of the New York and New Jersey Bridge Commission.
During the sinking, his wife Ida is offered a place in a lifeboat, but
refuses, saying that she will honor her wedding pledge by staying with
Isidor. They are last seen lying on their bed embracing each other as
water fills their stateroom.
Martin
Jarvis as Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon: A Scottish baronet who is rescued in
Lifeboat 1. Lifeboats 1 and 2 were emergency boats with a capacity of
40. Situated at the forward end of the boat deck, these were kept ready
to launch in case of a person falling overboard. On the night of the
disaster, Lifeboat 1 was the fourth to be launched, with 12 people
aboard, including Duff-Gordon, his wife and her secretary. The baronet
was much criticized for his conduct during the incident. It was
suggested that he had boarded the emergency boat in violation of the
"women and children first" policy and that the boat had failed to return
to rescue those struggling in the water. He offered five pounds to each
of the lifeboat's crew, which those critical of his conduct viewed as a
bribe. The Duff-Gordons at the time (and his wife's secretary in a
letter written at the time and rediscovered in 2007) stated that there
had been no women or children waiting to board in the vicinity of the
launching of their boat, and there is confirmation that lifeboat 1 of
the Titanic was almost empty and that First Officer William Murdoch was
apparently glad to offer Duff-Gordon and his wife and her secretary a
place (simply to fill it) after they had asked if they could get on.
Duff-Gordon denied that his offer of money to the lifeboat crew
represented a bribe. The British Board of Trade's inquiry into the
disaster accepted Duff-Gordon's denial of bribing the crew, but
maintained that, if the emergency boat had rowed towards the people who
were in the water, it might very well have been able to rescue some of
them.[32][33]
Rosalind
Ayres as Lady Duff-Gordon: A world-famous fashion designer and Sir
Cosmo's wife. She is rescued in Lifeboat 1 with her husband. She and her
husband never lived down rumors that they had forbidden the lifeboat's
crew to return to the wreck site in case they would be
swamped.[34][35][36]
Rochelle
Rose as Noël Leslie, Countess of Rothes: The Countess is shown to be
friendly with Cal and the DeWitt Bukaters. Despite being of a higher
status in society than Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon, she is kind, and
helps row the boat and even looks after the steerage passengers.
Scott G. Anderson as Frederick Fleet: The lookout who saw the iceberg. Fleet escapes the sinking ship aboard Lifeboat 6.
Paul
Brightwell as Quartermaster Robert Hichens: One of the ship's six
quartermasters and at the ship's wheel at the time of collision. He is
in charge of lifeboat 6. He refuses to go back and pick up survivors
after the sinking and eventually the boat is commandeered by Molly
Brown.
Martin East as Reginald Lee: The other lookout in the crow's nest. He survives the sinking.
Gregory
Cooke as Jack Phillips: Senior wireless operator on board the Titanic
whom Captain Smith ordered to send the distress signal.
Craig Kelly as Harold Bride: Junior wireless operator on board the Titanic.
Liam
Tuohy as Chief Baker Charles Joughin: The baker appears in the film on
top of the railing with Jack and Rose as the ship sinks, drinking brandy
from a flask. According to the real Joughin's testimony, he rode the
ship down and stepped into the water without getting his hair wet. He
also admitted to hardly feeling the cold, most likely thanks to
alcohol.[37]
Terry
Forrestal as Chief Engineer Joseph G. Bell: Bell and his men worked
until the last minute to keep the lights and the power on in order for
distress signals to get out. Bell and all of the engineers died in the
bowels of the Titanic.
Cameos
Several
crew members of the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh appear in the film,
including Anatoly Sagalevich, creator and pilot of the MIR
self-propelled Deep Submergence Vehicle.[38] Anders Falk, who filmed a
documentary about the film's sets for the Titanic Historical Society,
makes a cameo appearance in the film as a Swedish immigrant whom Jack
Dawson meets when he enters his cabin; Edward Kamuda and Karen Kamuda,
then President and Vice President of the Society who served as film
consultants, were cast as extras in the film.[39][40]