On the fateful night of April 14th, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest and most luxurious ocean liner of its time, set sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. Little did the passengers and crew know that this voyage would be their last. As the Titanic sailed through the icy waters of the Northern Atlantic, a collision with an iceberg would seal its fate and all those on board. The sinking of the Titanic shocked the world and served as a sobering reminder of the fragility of human life.
The 1997 movie Titanic, directed by James Cameron, tells the story of the doomed voyage and the lives of those on board.
Today we’re taking a look at 10 historical details Titanic got wrong. And make sure you watch right to the end for an interesting detail they actually got right.
Number 10: Will Murdoch
Will Murdoch, one of the officers in the film, was depicted as an incompetent, nervous and almost villainous man who took the lives of third-class passengers before taking his own. In reality, this didn’t happen. In fact, he was actually a hero, who was responsible for saving many lives before going down with the ship.
James Cameron had regrets when it came to his depiction of First Officer Murdoch, saying, “I was being a screenwriter. I wasn’t thinking about being a historian, and I think wasn’t as sensitive about the fact that his family, his survivors might feel offended by that and they were.”
Number 9: Molly Brown
One of the most endearing characters of the film is Margaret Brown who’s played by Kathy Bates. Margaret was a real historical figure too. Although she was depicted well in the film, in reality she wasn’t yet known as Molly during the voyage.
She wasn’t actually called this until after the sinking when she became famous for helping fellow passengers and urging to crew to offer more assistance. Due to these heroics, she became known as “the unsinkable Molly Brown.”
Number 8: Jack’s first class dinner appearance
In one of the more famous scenes in the movie, Jack attends a fancy dinner party with the first-class passengers alongside Rose after he saves her life. In reality, it’s unlikely that any third-class passenger would ever be allowed to mingle with the elites.
Unfortunately, one of the better scenes in the movie is something that would almost certainly have never happened.
Number 7: Jack and Rose make it off the ship
Jack and Rose are some of the last passengers to make it off the boat as they hang onto the railing when the ship succumbs to the sea. Once they make it into the cold waters of the ocean, their fates are decided. But before they ever made it this far, the truth is they would have died. The couple is seen running through the halls of third class far where water has filled up the hallways.
The water from the Atlantic is so cold that running and swimming through it for the hour that Jack and Rose did is simply unrealistic. They would have died from hypothermia long before making it off the Titanic.
Number 6: Bruce Ismay Sneaking Into a Lifeboat
Titanic depicts Bruce Ismay, the president of the company that constructed the great ship, as a villainous coward. He is seen sneaking into a lifeboat ahead of women and children in a cowardly and selfish act. “According to the British Inquiry Report, Ismay got in a boat after he had helped many passengers board.” Cameron portrayed Ismay in a negative light for dramatic effect.
Number 5: 3rd class passengers locked below deck
In a scene that causes outrage in the film, third class passengers are locked below deck by crew members, giving them little chance of survival. Ultimately Jack and his friends break through the gates and free everyone.
Historian Richard Howells argues there is no historical evidence to support this. "The gates seen in the film weren’t meant for a shipwreck, but for preventing the spread of infectious diseases.” There almost certainly was no malicious attempt by crew members to keep passengers from escaping.
Number 4: Rose quoting theories that didn’t exist
“Do you know of Dr. Freud? His ideas with male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you, Mr. Ismay.” This is a line that Rose utters to Bruce Ismay during a conversation, quoting theories of Sigmund Freud. The only problem is this theory wasn’t published until years after the Titanic sank. A small historical inaccuracy James Cameron was willing to overlook in exchange for witty dialogue.
Number 3: The SS Californian
As Titanic went under on the dark, cold night, There was a actually another ship nearby, the SS Californian. There was no mention of this in Cameron’s film. The SS Californian saw the distress calls but did not answer, leading to condemnation from both the United States and English governments. The ship's captain, Stanley Lord was never formally charged but his actions were considered “reprehensible”
Number 2: Officers Using Flashlights
After the Titanic goes under, lifeboat officers look for survivors using flashlights. The only problem? They didn't exist yet in 1912. This isn't necessarily a mistake, though: Director James Cameron knew it wasn't historically accurate, but needed them to make the scene work.
Number 1: The claim that Titanic was unsinkable
Throughout the film, the phrase “unsinkable” is repeated several times when describing the grand ship. Thomas Andrews, Captain Smith and Bruce Ismay, all allude to the unsinkable nature of the ship, highlighting its giant and immovable nature. In reality, no one actually claimed this to be true. It certainly was a marvel of architecture, but most everyone accepted the notion that it could sink like any other ship.
And now, one interesting point that the film got RIGHT. There was actually a J. Dawson on the ship - Joseph Dawson, an Irish trimmer. Like Jack, he sadly died in the sinking and is buried in Halifax.
So there it is. What did you think of my list? Are there any other historical inaccuracies you noticed in the movie? Let me know in the comments below!