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A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

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  • A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

    100 years ago this weekend, the great new White Star Liner "Titanic" collided with an ice berg on her way to New York on her maiden voyage. Just over 700 passengers and crew survived, 1500 others perished in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. And a century later the tragedy has lost little of its grip on our popular culture. Movies, TV shows, broadway musicals, books and articles all continue to keep the story alive. Really amazing when you consider the events that have transpired since that night.

    As a member of the Titanic Historical Society, I date my interest in the Titanic to my first reading of Walter Lord's seminal book "A Night to Remember" as a kid. The book marked the beginning of modern Titanic scholarship and hasn't been out of print since it was published in 1955.

    Many of us "know" some of the stories from that night: that a man got into a life boat dressed as a woman, that the orchestra played "Nearer My God To Thee" in the moments before she went down, that Captain Smith was trying to set a record for the fastest crossing ever. The problem is, two of those stories are absolutely false, while the third is probably sentimental tripe.

    Even so, the verifiable stories of that night: Mr. and Mrs. Strauss, Captain Rostran of the Carpathia, the gross dereliction of Captain Stanley Lord of the "Californian," and his clumsy efforts to cover up his negligence, the heroism of the musicians who played on, despite facing certain death, and many others continue to inspire and in some cases generate controversy. There is one story about a steward who gave his lifebelt to a third class passenger that I cannot tell or think about without choking up,

    The disaster has been used repeatedly as a metaphor for something or other. Goebbels underwrote an expensive film project based on the Titanic demonstrating Teutonic "virtues" and English failings.

    I just want to take notice of this event, even if no one else cares. Forgive this indulgence.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...allen-c-guelzo
    2011 Poser of the Year & Pulitzer Prize winning machine gunner.

  • #2
    Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

    Originally posted by Old Pio View Post
    100 years ago this weekend, the great new White Star Liner "Titanic" collided with an ice berg on her way to New York on her maiden voyage. Just over 700 passengers and crew survived, 1500 others perished in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. And a century later the tragedy has lost little of its grip on our popular culture. Movies, TV shows, broadway musicals, books and articles all continue to keep the story alive. Really amazing when you consider the events that have transpired since that night.

    As a member of the Titanic Historical Society, I date my interest in the Titanic to my first reading of Walter Lord's seminal book "A Night to Remember" as a kid. The book marked the beginning of modern Titanic scholarship and hasn't been out of print since it was published in 1955.

    Many of us "know" some of the stories from that night: that a man got into a life boat dressed as a woman, that the orchestra played "Nearer My God To Thee" in the moments before she went down, that Captain Smith was trying to set a record for the fastest crossing ever. The problem is, two of those stories are absolutely false, while the third is probably sentimental tripe.

    Even so, the verifiable stories of that night: Mr. and Mrs. Strauss, Captain Rostran of the Carpathia, the gross dereliction of Captain Stanley Lord of the "Californian," and his clumsy efforts to cover up his negligence, the heroism of the musicians who played on, despite facing certain death, and many others continue to inspire and in some cases generate controversy. There is one story about a steward who gave his lifebelt to a third class passenger that I cannot tell or think about without choking up,

    The disaster has been used repeatedly as a metaphor for something or other. Goebbels underwrote an expensive film project based on the Titanic demonstrating Teutonic "virtues" and English failings.

    I just want to take notice of this event, even if no one else cares. Forgive this indulgence.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...allen-c-guelzo
    I remember the movie - as a kid - and it made me cry. the "long pants" thing....
    Originally posted by mtu_huskies
    "We are not too far away from a national championship," said (John) Scott.
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    Originally posted by Brent Hoven
    Yeah, but you're my favorite hag.

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    • #3
      Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

      We really enjoyed Cameron's Nat Geo special on the sinking - until he climbed onto his lib soapbox in the final segment.
      Growing old is mandatory -- growing up is optional!

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      • #4
        Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

        I hated the 1997 movie, which was attributed to my age at the time (10). I still don't like it. Too much love triangle, and I loathe that grossly overplayed Celine Dion earworm.

        Titanic is probably the most famous shipwreck, and was a great tragedy. However as a Michigan native, Great Lakes wrecks have always fascinated me more. Even the Andrea Doria is more interesting to me, since the blame for the collision is still disputed to this day.

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        • #5
          Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

          Where's the love for the Edmund Fitzgerald?! (tArrogance)

          Honestly, it's a tragedy, but it was arrogance and stupidity that led to the tragedy that is Titanic.
          Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
          Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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          • #6
            Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

            Originally posted by SteveP View Post
            We really enjoyed Cameron's Nat Geo special on the sinking - until he climbed onto his lib soapbox in the final segment.
            I didn't watch for just that reason. Lifelong Titanicophiles (like me) are of two minds on the film. At the time, it was the most expensive, most popular, academy award winningest film ever. Some of the scenes are simply amazing. Cameron says he is proudest of the scenes of the ship heading out to sea, especially since previous films have put all the money into the sinking. But Cameron really gives us a sense of the majesty of this enormous, elegant beast getting underway (think of the scenes in the engine room). Certain members of the THS are referred to as "rivet counters," because they know so much about the ship that they're looking for misplacement of a toilet paper dispenser. Cameron had to do a little cheating: he put light fixtures on the tables in the First Class dining room for the needed light to film, he widened the grand staircase by a couple of feet, because what looked grand in 1912 didn't look so grand 90 years later and in many places on the ship light bulbs were just screwed into the wall, without shades. That was another thing that wouldn't look right to modern eyes. So he installed shades. Even so, on balance, a marvelous, stunningly accurate, very expensive recreation of the ship.

            Cameron actually found the designs for the carpeting in the First Class dining room and had the same company make more of it. A hideous expense for carpeting that would only be shown for a few seconds, and practically no body in the world would recognize. The great fictional love story is the price many of us were prepared to pay in order to get those magnificent images on screen.

            Members of the Society were given the opportunity to be extras in the film. They sent me the shooting schedule, which involved 5 weeks down in Mexico with Christmas in the middle week. They even had plans on entertaining us during the holiday week. Sadly, I'm not a professional person and don't own my own business. And my corporate masters at the time would hardly approve of me taking five weeks vacation. I'll always regret missing that opportunity. I can see myself as a bloated first class passenger, throwing an Irish lass into the water so I could get on a life boat (or something similar).

            Cameron created about a 7/8 size Titanic, used especially as it sank. It was only one side of the ship and could be "flipped" to make it look like the whole thing. He created a set that actually sank to make the frantic final moments look real. And they certainly did.

            In a movie about a week long, I'm still disappointed he left out the story of the rescue ship Carpathia and the unforgiveable dereliction of the Californian, the "ship that stood still."

            He lost me with his obnoxious pushing of the class warefare stuff. There is no evidence of the gates (let alone that they were locked and guarded by pinhead stewards who wouldn't let 3rd class passengers pass even when the ship was being abandoned and passengers ordered into the boats.) And the idea that a teenage steward would have access to firearms and would shoot passengers, is on the order of Jack and the Beanstalk. There were firearms on board. In a locked cabinet on the bridge. And late in the game Captain Smith had them distributed, to officers only. A greater percentage of 3rd class women than 1st class men survived. Some of those dudes took "women and children first" seriously.

            As a THS type, I didn't care so much about the romance I cared about the accuracy of the recreated ship and the story of the sinking. He did a pretty good job of it.
            Last edited by Old Pio; 04-13-2012, 10:40 PM.
            2011 Poser of the Year & Pulitzer Prize winning machine gunner.

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            • #7
              Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

              Originally posted by FadeToBlack&Gold View Post
              I hated the 1997 movie, which was attributed to my age at the time (10). I still don't like it. Too much love triangle, and I loathe that grossly overplayed Celine Dion earworm.

              Titanic is probably the most famous shipwreck, and was a great tragedy. However as a Michigan native, Great Lakes wrecks have always fascinated me more. Even the Andrea Doria is more interesting to me, since the blame for the collision is still disputed to this day.
              My lasting memory of that tragedy is the teenage girl who sent to sleep on the Doria, and wound up on the Stockholm. Yikes.

              As a kid, my family crossed Lake Michigan on the Milwaukee Clipper. And there were these over dressed, very young, unattached women in the lounge talking to the middle age men. I was about 8, and the old man tried to explain what was going on. They were doing the "Bunny Hop." The Great Lakes can gin up some of the most ferocious weather most of us have ever seen. And don't forget the occasional killer seiche.
              Last edited by Old Pio; 04-13-2012, 10:38 PM.
              2011 Poser of the Year & Pulitzer Prize winning machine gunner.

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              • #8
                Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                Originally posted by Brenthoven View Post
                Where's the love for the Edmund Fitzgerald?! (tArrogance)

                Honestly, it's a tragedy, but it was arrogance and stupidity that led to the tragedy that is Titanic.
                No argument. But remember, when somebody asks the questions: why didn't they slow down as they were approaching ice, why didn't they chart the ice warnings so they could see how big the ice field was, why didn't they have enough lifeboats, why weren't there binoculars in the crow's nest? The answer is: because the Titanic hadn't happened yet. Think of the two space shuttle disasters. Oh, yeah, maybe we should check those o-rings or check the leading edges of the wings to see if they'd been damaged by debris during launch. After the disasters, it's much clearer.
                Last edited by Old Pio; 04-13-2012, 10:26 PM.
                2011 Poser of the Year & Pulitzer Prize winning machine gunner.

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                • #9
                  Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                  Originally posted by Old Pio View Post
                  No argument. But remember, when somebody asks the questions: why didn't they slow down as they were approaching ice, why didn't they chart the ice warnings so they could see how big the ice field was, why didn't they have enough lifeboats? The answer is: because the Titanic hadn't happened yet. Think of the two space shuttle disasters. Oh, yeah, maybe we should check those o-rings or check the leading edges of the wings to see if they'd been damaged by debris during launch. After the disasters, it's much clearer.


                  To me, it was "Murica. We do things right. Shut yer mouth. We can't make mistakes. It's unpossible." It's a fault, I admit.
                  Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                  Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                    Originally posted by Brenthoven View Post
                    To me, it was "Murica. We do things right. Shut yer mouth. We can't make mistakes. It's unpossible." It's a fault, I admit.
                    I believe I read that Roger Beujolais (sp) the Morton Thiokol engineer who said "don't launch this b*tch" just passed away.
                    2011 Poser of the Year & Pulitzer Prize winning machine gunner.

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                    • #11
                      Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                      Originally posted by Old Pio View Post
                      I believe I read that Roger Beujolais (sp) the Morton Thiokol engineer who said "don't launch this b*tch" just passed away.
                      I think the ship was fine, it was the stupid navigators.
                      Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                      Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                        Originally posted by Brenthoven View Post
                        To me, it was "Murica. We do things right. Shut yer mouth. We can't make mistakes. It's unpossible." It's a fault, I admit.
                        Bunch of tards running that ship.

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                        • #13
                          Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                          Originally posted by Gurtholfin View Post
                          Bunch of tards running that ship.
                          Honestly:

                          Titanic: unsinkable ship. Whoops.
                          Challenger: whoops.
                          We mess up, because we think we are the best at everything. You do this, we top it. 'Murica. NOT that I have a problem with trying (and hopefully proving) it. But man, think it through.
                          Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                          Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                            I actually liked the movie and came away from it quite disturbed by the epic sinking scenes. I think that Cameron did a great job of putting you in the moment.

                            The little vignettes were especially powerful when added to the main story arc. The old couple in their cabin come to mind.

                            Also found the floaters thrashing on the surface after the ship went down to be cringe inducing.

                            Was nice to see what's her name's ta-tas too.


                            I agree with the other poster though that I find the Great Lakes wreaks to be more interesting (personally) coz of my living near them, or at least two of them, all of my life. Lake Superior is a cold and unforgiving abyss. Incredibly beautiful too.

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                            • #15
                              Re: A Century Later and The Titanic Hasn't Lost its Grip on Us

                              Originally posted by Brenthoven View Post
                              Honestly:

                              Titanic: unsinkable ship. Whoops.
                              Challenger: whoops.
                              We mess up, because we think we are the best at everything. You do this, we top it. 'Murica. NOT that I have a problem with trying (and hopefully proving) it. But man, think it through.
                              That was meant as a tie-in...

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