Although James Cameron's epic Titanic film is now considered the version of the most famous ship disaster in history, this film should never be eclipsed overlooked. A Night To Remember is a straightforward documentary style drama of what went wrong. I'm sure with all the folks in steerage in Titanic there must have been an Irishman named Murphy and his law was working in full force in April of 1912.
The leading cast member of A Night To Remember is Kenneth More as Charles Herbert Lightoller who has been cited in most accounts as showing exceptional leadership and bravery during that night. You won't forget easily what More does in saving a number of people who are in the water as the ship is in its final agonies. Lightoller was the highest ranking ship's officer to survive that night.
The famous Denver millionairess Molly Brown who gets her own story in The Unsinkable Molly Brown is played by Tucker McGuire and she and the more famous passengers on the Titanic are reduced to the background. Still enough of her irreverent and feisty character shines through.
Although he does have a speaking part I looked in vain in the credits for who played Captain Archibald Butt, military aide to both Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in the White House. By April 14, 1912 he was one of the few people who was on speaking terms with both men. It's long been a source of interesting speculation that he might have brokered some kind of truce between them. But that was not to be and Roosevelt ran on the Progressive Party ticket for president later that year.
Laurence Naismith is the gallant and intrepid Captain Smith of the Titanic. In the true traditions of the sea, Smith went down with his ship. It was hardly his fault that not enough lifeboats were provided, sacrificed for frills for the very first class passengers. It was Smith and a thousand others who paid, interestingly enough not J. Bruce Ismay head of the White Star Lines who is played by Frank Lawton and who survived the disaster. If the Titanic story has a villain he was it.
Unlike James Cameron's Titanic, this film had the advantage of several Titanic survivors still alive who remembered and were technical advisers on the film. It doesn't have a romance with attractive young people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, but if want to know the real story, A Night To Remember is THE Titanic movie.
The leading cast member of A Night To Remember is Kenneth More as Charles Herbert Lightoller who has been cited in most accounts as showing exceptional leadership and bravery during that night. You won't forget easily what More does in saving a number of people who are in the water as the ship is in its final agonies. Lightoller was the highest ranking ship's officer to survive that night.
The famous Denver millionairess Molly Brown who gets her own story in The Unsinkable Molly Brown is played by Tucker McGuire and she and the more famous passengers on the Titanic are reduced to the background. Still enough of her irreverent and feisty character shines through.
Although he does have a speaking part I looked in vain in the credits for who played Captain Archibald Butt, military aide to both Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in the White House. By April 14, 1912 he was one of the few people who was on speaking terms with both men. It's long been a source of interesting speculation that he might have brokered some kind of truce between them. But that was not to be and Roosevelt ran on the Progressive Party ticket for president later that year.
Laurence Naismith is the gallant and intrepid Captain Smith of the Titanic. In the true traditions of the sea, Smith went down with his ship. It was hardly his fault that not enough lifeboats were provided, sacrificed for frills for the very first class passengers. It was Smith and a thousand others who paid, interestingly enough not J. Bruce Ismay head of the White Star Lines who is played by Frank Lawton and who survived the disaster. If the Titanic story has a villain he was it.
Unlike James Cameron's Titanic, this film had the advantage of several Titanic survivors still alive who remembered and were technical advisers on the film. It doesn't have a romance with attractive young people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, but if want to know the real story, A Night To Remember is THE Titanic movie.