William MacQuitty’s 1958 disaster film A Night To Remember is one the earliest adaptations of the Titanic story based off Walter Lord’s novel of the same title. MacQuitty had a fascination with the ill-fated Belfast liner mainly because he had grown up in Northern Ireland and saw Titanic launch from Harland and Wolff when he was just six years old. This sparked a lifelong fascination with Titanic and ended up with him making a film. Many praise MacQuitty’s adaptation due to his involvement of survivors such as first class passenger Edith Russell, when the film was being shot. Now the film is approaching it’s 61st anniversary let’s go back to Titanic and see just how much they got right.
Charles Lightoller
The film’s plot largely follows the story of second officer Charles Lightoller played by Kenneth Moore . In one of the early scenes Lightoller is seen talking to his wife about the Titanic. Lightoller says “I’d rather be serving as second officer on the Titanic than first on any other ship.” This is correct as previously mentioned Lightoller had been serving as Titanic’s second officer however, this scene is a subtle nod to the original spot Lightoller had secured. Originally Lightoller had been serving as first officer under the command of Captain Haddock. However, after Haddock stepped down from skippering Titanic, Edward John Smith joined Titanic and reshuffled the officers, some of these changes included the replacement of William Murdoch from chief officer (replaced by Henry Wilde) to the first officer, this naturally meant that Lightoller was demoted to the second officer.
The real Charles Lightoller had actually been heavily involved with the filming A Night To Remember and much of his actions in the film are based off a real life interview he had given. During the sinking of the Titanic Lightoller can be seen talking to another officer, presumably first officer Murdoch saying “we’ll try and float them (the collapsibles) off as she goes down.” This was an idea Lightoller had suggested in the real event. Titanic had four collapsible lifeboats, which were essentially slimmer versions Titanic’s 16 regular lifeboats she was carrying. However, in practice the collapsibles were not as effective as hoped. Out of the four only one managed to successfully get away, this carried Titanic’s owner and manager of the White Star Line J.Bruce Ismay. Lightoller also ended up on an overturned collapsible after the Titanic sank.
In the film Charles Lightoller is seen to fire his pistol to stop frightened passengers jumping into a lifeboat. The use of firearms on Titanic has always been a trouble spot for many. It’s most commonly thought that Charles Lightoller didn’t fire his gun, but he did use it. At 1:30 am it was reported that Lightoller had forced two men out of lifeboat 2 at gunpoint. It was fifth officer Harold Lowe who had fired his pistol 3 times to stop people pushing for a spot on the lifeboat.
After Titanic had foundered in the film Lightoller is seen to oversee an overturned lifeboat which according to various sources was collapsible B. This actually happened and the process was quite horrific. To stop the collapsible capsizing further Lightoller had suggested that people took turns in the water. In effect when someone was too tired to stand or like many died of a combination of fear and shock to the temperature they were lowered into the water and someone else who was waiting nearby would be allowed on.
In the film Lightoller says that he’s been shipwrecked twice. this is true Lightoller’s first vessel he sailed on, The Primrose Hill had been shipwrecked and soon after Lightoller whilst serving on The Knight Of Saint Michael had assisted when the ship’s cargo hold caught fire. His sea career was turbulent to say the least but overall MacQuitty got his representation of Charles Lightoller spot on.
Edith Russell
Edith Russell was a first class passenger travelling on the Titanic. Russell was fortunate enough to survive the sinking and went on to help MacQuitty in the production of his film. Russell gets a cameo in the movie. The testimony of Edith Russell is something that fascinates people to this day. It’s haunting for a few reasons the first is her overall attitude to Titanic. In an interview given she stated, “there was something about the Titanic that was so very formal, it was very stiff, the atmosphere was very stiff.” Whilst on board Titanic Russell wrote to her freind. In the letter she commented “This is the most wonderful boat you can think of….but not the cozy ship-board feeling of former years." This in comparison to other opinions on titanic differs quite drastically most were very pleased that they were able to sail on Titanic. The second was the musical pig she was carrying. When evacuated from Titanic Russell was placed on lifeboat number 11 in which to calm some of the children and women in the boat, she began to play her musical pig. After the Titanic disaster Russell took the pig almost everywhere with her. The next time you watch A Night To Remember see if you can spot Edith Russell and her pig.
The split theory
An area of debate that has raged on since the sinking of the Titanic was did Titanic break in half? More recent interpretations of the event have come to conclusion that Titanic did in fact break in two due to the way the wreck was found, with the bow and stern nearly 6 miles apart and facing in opposite directions. MacQuitty’s version of events contrasts this theory. In A Night To Remember Titanic sinks in one piece, let’s look at why MacQuitty chose this version of events. According to the US Senate inquiry Charles Lightoller was asked
Senator Smith: “Was the vessel broken in two in any manner, or intact?”
Charles Lightoller: “absolutely intact.”
Testimony of Herbert Pitman: Titanic’s 3rd officer
Senator Smith: “Did you see the Titanic go down?”
Pitman: “Yes sir.”
Senator Smith: “Describe if you can, how she sank?”
Pitman: “ Judging by what I could see from a distance, she gradually disappeared until the forecastle head was submerged to the bridge. Then she turned right on end and went down perpendicularly.”
However, whilst it might be easy to say that MacQuitty used this interpretation due to testimonies from 1912, the testimony of George Moore, an able seaman in lifeboat 3 is a contradiction to the previous testimonies.
Senator Newlands: “Did you see the ship go down?”
Moore: “Yes, sir.”
Senator Newlands: “ What was the appearance of the ship at this point?”
Moore: “I saw the forward part of her go down, and it appeared to me as if she broke in half.”
Although this testimony challenges the other two testimonies given it’s more than likely that MacQuitty favoured the version in which Titanic did not split in half simply because before the discovery of the wreck it was commonly believed that the Titanic did sink intact.
Overall, despite the film being made nearly 60 years ago it’s one of the most popular re-telling of the Titanic story. Due to the assistance of real life survivors that MacQuitty and the fact that MacQuitty grew up practically next door to the Titanic whilst she was being built. It allowed him to open up a whole new interest in the Titanic since the disaster in 1912.
As always, I’ll leave a few external links on the subject. It’s more than likely that there will be a part two of A Night To Remember at some stage because there’s no way I could have covered everything in the film. Just a quick disclaimer all the testimonies used from this article came from Encyclopaedia Titanica’s document What Did Survivors See of the Break-up of the Titanic? It’s a handy document and formatted in an accessible way, and of course the full PDF will be linked down below. Also linked below is a recording of Edith Russell’s musical pig, the tune was played as her lifeboat watched hundreds of people perish in the water around them.
Any further questions or anything else you might want to ask don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Have a titanic week, Millie.
Encyclopaedia Titanica’s break up testimonies: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/what-did-survivors-see-break-up-titanic.html
Edith Russell interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awaa2fXCVHg
Edith Russell’s pig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhwZSPmtHNI
The sinking of the Titanic as told by Charles Lightoller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vZ0Z3E863w
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