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A Night to Remember



A Night to Remember (1958)

Director: Roy Baker
Writers: Walter Lord (book), Eric Ambler (screenplay)
Cast: Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres
Genre: Biography, Drama, History


At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner R.M.S. Titanic, billed as an unsinkable ship, sinks on it's maiden voyage in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean....after striking an iceberg a few hours earlier the ship began taking on water and was doomed. The Titanic carried 2,200 passengers and crew, with only enough life boats to save less than half that number. CR

There's been well over a dozen films made about the Titanic...A Night To Remember is considered by many to be the best of the bunch. The story is based on actual transcripts from the hearings in 1912 about the sinking of the Titanic, as told by those who had survived. The film tells the story from the viewpoint of one of the souls who did survive, 2nd Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller aptly played by Kenneth More. Lightoller is our guide into a movie that plays out like a you-are-there documentary, that then gives us a deep insight into the tragedy.



After watching this and Titanic (1953) what struck me is how real A Night To Remember felt. It captured the initial confusion that resulted from most passengers on the ship not even knowing that they were sinking. And it brought home the sheer panic caused by utter desperation in the loading of the lifeboat scenes.

Another powerful aspect of the film was how by incorporating stock footage of other similar size ships, it seemed as if we saw Titanic being launched and sailing out of the harbor to it's destiny.

The interior sets are fantastic! I've seen many documentaries on the Titanic and the decor in the movie looked very much like the real thing.



I loved the boiler room scenes. You could almost feel the heat from the coal fires and the deadly cold from the sea water pouring in...the drama was very human.