A Night to Remember is a 1958 British docudrama film based on the eponymous 1955 book by Walter Lord. The film and book recount the final night of RMS Titanic, which on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and then sank in the early morning hours of Monday, 15 April 1912. Adapted by Eric Ambler and directed by Roy Ward Baker, the film stars Kenneth More as the ship's Second Officer Charles Lightoller and features Michael Goodliffe, Laurence Naismith, Kenneth Griffith, David McCallum and Tucker McGuire. It was filmed in the United Kingdom and tells the story of the sinking, portraying the main incidents and players in a documentary-style fashion with considerable attention to detail. The production team, supervised by producer William MacQuitty (who saw the original ship launched) used blueprints of the ship to create authentic sets, while Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall and ex-Cunard Commodore Harry Grattidge worked as technical advisors on the film. Its estimated budget of up to £600,000 (£13.1 million adjusted for inflation [2019]) was exceptional and made it the most expensive film ever made in Britain up to that time.
The World Premiere was on Thursday, 3 July 1958, at the Odeon Leicester Square. Titanic survivor Elizabeth Dowdell attended the American premiere in New York on Tuesday 16 December 1958. The film disappointed at the box office. However, it received critical acclaim and won the 1959 "Samuel Goldwyn International Award" for the UK at the Golden Globe Awards.The film has been described as "the definitive cinematic telling of the story." Among the many films about the Titanic, A Night to Remember is regarded highly by Titanic historians and survivors for its accuracy, despite its modest production values, compared with the Oscar-winning film Titanic (1997).
Cast
Kenneth More as Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller
Michael Goodliffe as shipbuilder Thomas Andrews
Laurence Naismith as Captain Edward J. Smith
Kenneth Griffith as Wireless Operator Jack Phillips
David McCallum as Assistant Wireless Operator Harold Bride
Tucker McGuire as Mrs. Margaret "Molly" Brown
Frank Lawton as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line J. Bruce Ismay
Richard Leech as First Officer William McMaster Murdoch
John Cairney as Mr. Murphy
Richard Clarke as Martin Gallagher
Patrick McAlinney as Mr. James Farrell
Anthony Bushell as Captain Arthur Rostron
Alec McCowen as Wireless Operator Harold Thomas Cottam, RMS Carpathia
Ronald Allen as Mr. Clarke
Jill Dixon as Mrs. Clarke
Geoffrey Bayldon as Wireless Operator Cyril Evans, SS Californian
George Rose as Chief Baker Charles Joughin
John Merivale as Robbie Lucas
Honor Blackman as Mrs. Liz Lucas
Robert Ayres as Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
Ralph Michael as Jay Yates
James Dyrenforth as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV
Russell Napier as Captain Stanley Lord
Jane Downs as Iowa Sylvania Zillah "Sylvia" Hawley-Wilson (Mrs. Sylvia Lightoller)
Patrick Waddington as Sir Richard
Harriette Johns as Lady Richard
Redmond Phillips as Mr. Hoyle
Joseph Tomelty as Dr. William O'Loughlin
Jack Watling as Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall
Michael Bryant as Sixth Officer James Paul Moody
Howard Lang as Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde (uncredited)
Cyril Chamberlain as Quartermaster Rowe
Bee Duffell as Mrs. Farrell
Harold Goldblatt as Benjamin Guggenheim
Gerald Harper as Third Officer, RMS Carpathia
Thomas Heathcote as Steward
Andrew Keir as Second Engineer Officer John Henry 'Harry' Hesketh
Howard Pays as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe
Harold Siddons as Second Officer Herbert Stone, SS Californian
Julian Somers as Mr. Bull
Rosamund Greenwood as Mrs. Bull (uncredited)
Arthur Gross as Quartermaster Hichens (uncredited)
Charles Belchier as Bandleader Wallace Hartley (uncredited)
Emerton Court as Chief Engineer Joseph G. Bell (uncredited)
Teresa Thorne as Miss Edith Russell (uncredited)
John Moulder Brown as boy (uncredited)
Henry Campbell as William T. Stead (uncredited)
Larry Taylor as bearded seaman (uncredited)
Ray Austin as seaman (high fall into water stunt) (uncredited)
Edward Malin as Dining Saloon Steward
John Martin as Lost Boy (uncredited)
Victor Wood as Steward (uncredited)
Richard Shaw as Crewman (uncredited)
Jack Stewart as Stoker (uncredited)
Olwen Brookes as Miss Evans (uncredited)
Paul Hardwick as Guggenheim's Valet (uncredited)
Comment secret code saying "HOLY SHIP!"
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
The World Premiere was on Thursday, 3 July 1958, at the Odeon Leicester Square. Titanic survivor Elizabeth Dowdell attended the American premiere in New York on Tuesday 16 December 1958. The film disappointed at the box office. However, it received critical acclaim and won the 1959 "Samuel Goldwyn International Award" for the UK at the Golden Globe Awards.The film has been described as "the definitive cinematic telling of the story." Among the many films about the Titanic, A Night to Remember is regarded highly by Titanic historians and survivors for its accuracy, despite its modest production values, compared with the Oscar-winning film Titanic (1997).
Cast
Kenneth More as Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller
Michael Goodliffe as shipbuilder Thomas Andrews
Laurence Naismith as Captain Edward J. Smith
Kenneth Griffith as Wireless Operator Jack Phillips
David McCallum as Assistant Wireless Operator Harold Bride
Tucker McGuire as Mrs. Margaret "Molly" Brown
Frank Lawton as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line J. Bruce Ismay
Richard Leech as First Officer William McMaster Murdoch
John Cairney as Mr. Murphy
Richard Clarke as Martin Gallagher
Patrick McAlinney as Mr. James Farrell
Anthony Bushell as Captain Arthur Rostron
Alec McCowen as Wireless Operator Harold Thomas Cottam, RMS Carpathia
Ronald Allen as Mr. Clarke
Jill Dixon as Mrs. Clarke
Geoffrey Bayldon as Wireless Operator Cyril Evans, SS Californian
George Rose as Chief Baker Charles Joughin
John Merivale as Robbie Lucas
Honor Blackman as Mrs. Liz Lucas
Robert Ayres as Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
Ralph Michael as Jay Yates
James Dyrenforth as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV
Russell Napier as Captain Stanley Lord
Jane Downs as Iowa Sylvania Zillah "Sylvia" Hawley-Wilson (Mrs. Sylvia Lightoller)
Patrick Waddington as Sir Richard
Harriette Johns as Lady Richard
Redmond Phillips as Mr. Hoyle
Joseph Tomelty as Dr. William O'Loughlin
Jack Watling as Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall
Michael Bryant as Sixth Officer James Paul Moody
Howard Lang as Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde (uncredited)
Cyril Chamberlain as Quartermaster Rowe
Bee Duffell as Mrs. Farrell
Harold Goldblatt as Benjamin Guggenheim
Gerald Harper as Third Officer, RMS Carpathia
Thomas Heathcote as Steward
Andrew Keir as Second Engineer Officer John Henry 'Harry' Hesketh
Howard Pays as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe
Harold Siddons as Second Officer Herbert Stone, SS Californian
Julian Somers as Mr. Bull
Rosamund Greenwood as Mrs. Bull (uncredited)
Arthur Gross as Quartermaster Hichens (uncredited)
Charles Belchier as Bandleader Wallace Hartley (uncredited)
Emerton Court as Chief Engineer Joseph G. Bell (uncredited)
Teresa Thorne as Miss Edith Russell (uncredited)
John Moulder Brown as boy (uncredited)
Henry Campbell as William T. Stead (uncredited)
Larry Taylor as bearded seaman (uncredited)
Ray Austin as seaman (high fall into water stunt) (uncredited)
Edward Malin as Dining Saloon Steward
John Martin as Lost Boy (uncredited)
Victor Wood as Steward (uncredited)
Richard Shaw as Crewman (uncredited)
Jack Stewart as Stoker (uncredited)
Olwen Brookes as Miss Evans (uncredited)
Paul Hardwick as Guggenheim's Valet (uncredited)
Comment secret code saying "HOLY SHIP!"
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."