Last movies you saw & what you thought of them

[Hello Goodbye]

I'll have to look for Audrey Dalton in the Twilight Zone. 

She was cute, but really stuck up in the beginning of Titanic...





But was a whole lot better later on...






Thanks to Robert Wagner...

[Hello Goodbye]

Clifton Webb was simply outstanding...




I like this film version of Titanic best too, Kathy.

[Normandie]

Clifton Webb was simply outstanding ... I like this film version of Titanic best too, Kathy.

I'm glad to hear that; it's my favorite version, too. I remember back when I bought the DVD, I insulted because the clerk asked me whether I knew it wasn't James Cameron's movie. I was hard put to civilly tell her that yes, I was aware this was the 1953 version and not the 1997 one. (I mean, really! Did I look particularly obtuse?).

Those are great stills from the movie, HG.   

[KelMar]

1953 Titanic, one of my favorites. Clifton Webb is so great in it; I wanted to throttle his character. I've been watching it while editing some tables <yawn>. Just found the trailer on YouTube:

That looks good Kathy. I wasn't aware of this movie but I'm very intrigued by "No court in the world, no power in the Heaven can force me to give up my son." "He is not your son." And Robert Wagner doesn't hurt, either. 

[Hello Goodbye]

That looks good Kathy. I wasn't aware of this movie but I'm very intrigued by "No court in the world, no power in the Heaven can force me to give up my son." "He is not your son." And Robert Wagner doesn't hurt, either. 

20th Century Fox sure knew how to make a good trailer!

There were also 1912 and 1943 German propaganda film versions.  Better known is the 1958 British movie A Night To Remember based on Walter Lord's novel.  This was preceded by a British TV drama version by the same name.  Both are excellent.

The 1997 version was computerized crap, in my opinion.  But a lot of people went to see it, that's for sure.

[Dcazz]

When we went to see the Cameron one we were waiting in line for the earlier movie to finish getting out. My wife, Nancy's son Andrew and his date were leaving in the previous crowd and when he saw us waiting he shouts out " Hey mom!". "He dies in the end!" Well, 200 people in line went Ohhhh! all at the same time and Nancy was beside herself saying, "I don't believe it!". I'm going to kill him!" I'm going to kill him!" She was mad at him for weeks! He thought it was funny! It is now. Lol!

[Normandie]

20th Century Fox sure knew how to make a good trailer!

There were also 1912 and 1943 German propaganda film versions.  Better known is the 1958 British movie A Night To Remember based on Walter Lord's novel.  This was preceded by a British TV drama version by the same name.  Both are excellent.

The 1997 version was computerized crap, in my opinion.  But a lot of people went to see it, that's for sure.

Agreed on the 1997 version, although I liked the relatively good job they did of finding actors who physically resembled the nonfiction characters. Also, it was nice to see the interiors depicted in color, and in so much detail.

I've heard of the German propaganda films but haven't seen either of them.

I feel safe saying this because I'm on a Beatles forum: This is practically sacrilege in Titanic-dom, but -- I never liked the movie "A Night to Remember." It bored me stiff. (The book, on the other hand, is fantastic.)

I haven't bothered to watch the 1996 TV version, with George C. Scott, either, because I've heard nothing but bad things about it.

[Normandie]

When we went to see the Cameron one we were waiting in line for the earlier movie to finish getting out. My wife, Nancy's son Andrew and his date were leaving in the previous crowd and when he saw us waiting he shouts out " Hey mom!". "He dies in the end!" Well, 200 people in line went Ohhhh! all at the same time and Nancy was beside herself saying, "I don't believe it!". I'm going to kill him!" I'm going to kill him!" She was mad at him for weeks! He thought it was funny! It is now. Lol!

That is funny, Dave! It always cracked me up how Rose pushes Jack off that piece of driftwood while saying "I'll never let go." That always struck me as morbidly ironic. 

That looks good Kathy. I wasn't aware of this movie but I'm very intrigued by "No court in the world, no power in the Heaven can force me to give up my son." "He is not your son." And Robert Wagner doesn't hurt, either. 

You should see if it's on Netflix (or at your library) Kelley. It really is a good movie -- not the most historically accurate, but the fictitious storyline and characters are 'way better than any of the other Titanic movies, in my opinion.

On a Beatles-related note, the actor who played Chief Officer Wilde in the 1997 movie was up for the role of Mark David Chapman in "Chapter 27," but ironically his  name is  in fact Mark Chapman, and Yoko nixed it.

[Hello Goodbye]

I feel safe saying this because I'm on a Beatles forum: This is practically sacrilege in Titanic-dom, but -- I never liked the movie "A Night to Remember." It bored me stiff. (The book, on the other hand, is fantastic.)

See, Kathy, now I liked A Night To Remember.  It was an accurate depiction of what really happened with minimal fictitious storyline drama.  I guess that could make it boring to some but at least we have a few motion pictures which, in total, would appeal to everyone.

Now if looks could kill, the expression on First Officer William Murdoch's (Richard Leech) face when J. Bruce Ismay (the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line played by Frank Lawton) jumps onto a lifeboat while women and children were still being loaded, speaks volumes.  He pauses and says "Right.  Lower away."

[Hello Goodbye]

I'm very intrigued by "No court in the world, no power in the Heaven can force me to give up my son." "He is not your son."

You'll have to see the movie to find out what that was all about, Kelley.  As I said, 20th Century Fox knew how to make a trailer.  I'm sure that bit of dialogue between Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck brought in tons of moviegoers.

[Normandie]

See, Kathy, now I liked A Night To Remember.  It was an accurate depiction of what really happened with minimal fictitious storyline drama.  I guess that could make it boring to some but at least we have a few motion pictures which, in total, would appeal to everyone.

I guess my ideal Titanic movie would be a cross between ANTR and Cameron's movie: the former for its focus on the true story and the second for the interiors and (what I perceive as) the best true-to-life nonfiction characters. The characters in ANTR just didn't seem to me to nail the actual nonfiction characters as well as the ones in Cameron's movie. For example, in the latter the guy who played Quartermaster Hitchens, and Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews, were both just perfect, I thought. Garber's uncanny resemblance to Andrews helped, of course.

Now if looks could kill, the expression on First Officer William Murdoch's (Richard Leech) face when J. Bruce Ismay (the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line played by Frank Lawton) jumps onto a lifeboat while women and children were still being loaded, speaks volumes.  He pauses and says "Right.  Lower away."

I'll have to watch ANTR again. I have it only on video, not DVD, so I can't put it on here in the room where I work, although that still you posted showed the look pretty well. Ouch!

What'd you think of Murdoch's (as played by Ewan Stewart) look when Ismay gets in the lifeboat in the 1997 film? I thought that softer, but still good. (The remainder of the depiction of Murdoch from that point on in that movie went straight downhill...)

[Normandie]

It always cracked me up how Rose pushes Jack off that piece of driftwood while saying "I'll never let go." That always struck me as morbidly ironic. 

Just to clarify (sinful pride kicking in!), I do understand the character was speaking metaphorically.   

[Hello Goodbye]

I guess my ideal Titanic movie would be a cross between ANTR and Cameron's movie: the former for its focus on the true story and the second for the interiors and (what I perceive as) the best true-to-life nonfiction characters. The characters in ANTR just didn't seem to me to nail the actual nonfiction characters as well as the ones in Cameron's movie. For example, in the latter the guy who played Quartermaster Hitchens, and Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews, were both just perfect, I thought. Garber's uncanny resemblance to Andrews helped, of course.

I'll have to watch ANTR again. I have it only on video, not DVD, so I can't put it on here in the room where I work, although that still you posted showed the look pretty well. Ouch!

What'd you think of Murdoch's (as played by Ewan Stewart) look when Ismay gets in the lifeboat in the 1997 film? I thought that softer, but still good. (The remainder of the depiction of Murdoch from that point on in that movie went straight downhill...)

Kathy, I read A Night To Remember when I was 14.  I didn't see either Titanic (1953) or A Night To Remember until a few years later.  I liked them both but, being the male of the species, I thought the Clifton Webb-Barbara Stanwyck-Robert Wagner-Audrey Dalton melodrama bogged it down a bit in the middle of the motion picture.  It was a bit soap-operaish for me.  I grew to like Clifton Webb at the end, the remarkable actor he is!  And Harper Carter, who played Norman, acted well too.  Norman wanted so terribly to be a man.  He became a man on that voyage.

I liked the very British A Night To Remember because it portrayed the men on the ship the way they were described by the survivors that Walter Lord interviewed.  The officers and men showed bravery in getting the women and children into the lifeboats, knowing what their own fates would be.  There was a bit of family melodrama thrown in but just enough for my liking.  I'd like to believe that this is the way it happened that night. 

But because of the acting of that foursome I mentioned, Titanic (1953) wins as my favorite Titanic movie.

I think First Officer Murdoch was portrayed the way I believe he really was in A Night To Remember.  I only saw the 1997 movie once when it was shown on cable TV for the first time.  I really don't remember too much about it except for the obvious computer animation and awful music.  But again, I'm the male of the species. 

[Hello Goodbye]

It always cracked me up how Rose pushes Jack off that piece of driftwood while saying "I'll never let go." That always struck me as morbidly ironic. 

Dumb scene.  They could have both survived if they took turns on the driftwood.

[Normandie]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, Barry.    I thought the portrayal in the 1997 movie of the nonfiction characters (except for fictitious elements of the officers -- specifically, Murdoch accepting a bribe and committing suicide, Lightoller pulling a gun on passengers, and Lowe's timidity) was superior to all other versions.

The Webb/Stanwyck version is still my favorite, so glad we agree on that.