Directing
"The Titanic is still news nearly a century after the world’s finest and largest ship struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in April, 1912. The events of that fateful voyage are told through dramatised contemporary accounts. These are enhanced by an extensive interview with survivor Eva Hart MBE, who was a girl of seven at the time. This is not only the story of a great tragedy, but also of Edward John Smith a potter’s son who rose from the backstreets of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, to become the premier sea captain of his day. Don Smith shows us some of Captain Smith’s possessions, handed down through the family. It is also the story of how such a terrible disaster can be turned into something of national pride by the press of the day. Pride in a captain and crew who could uphold the great traditions of the sea captured in Captain Smith’s last call from the bridge of the doomed ship. Be British!."
A sixty-minute documentary featuring William MacQuitty’s rare behind-the-scenes footage
The Twentieth Century swept in on a tide of Progress - with great advances in communications and transport. Society was still class-ridden, and at that time, Britain was still building 50% of the world's merchant ships. In the quest for speed, Cunard had built the largest and fastest liners in Lusitania and Mauritania. But The White Star Company opted for safety and comfort. They planned a new breed of huge liners which would be the safest and most luxurious afloat. The Olympic was first and the Titanic followed. Modifications gave here a greater tonnage than her sister. She was a floating palace, the biggest and - it seemed - the safest ship in the world. Her tragic maiden voyage was to bring about key changes in the law and mode of sea travel. This was not just another shipwreck - it was an End of an Era!
Robert Powell takes a look at the story of the Titanic...
British documentary takes a look at a few stories of the Titanic. Narrator/host Ray Johnson starts off talking about the actual sinking and then we break off into a few other subjects. Included are the various Titanic Societies from around the world and we get to meet a few of the people. They talk about why they're so fascinated with Titanic and tell a few of their personal stories.
A fascinating collection of interviews, recollections and documentary information about the fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic, and how it touched people's lives. Investigates the contemporary importance of the story of the Titanic, and the effects it has had on the lives of the many individuals still living. Walter Lord, author of "A night to remember", recalls some 26 stories survivors related to him personally and Eva Hart gives her own account of the events of April 14-15th, 1912. The Titanic tragedy represented, in its own right, the end of an era of arrogance and social discrimination in sea travel.
