A Night to Remember poster & wallpaper

Anthony Bushell, David McCallum, Frank Lawton

Two years after 20th Century Fox released its melodramatic disaster film Titanic in 1953, Walter Lord's meticulously researched book A Night to Remember surprised its publishers by becom...( read more  read more... )ing a phenomenal bestseller. Lord had an intuition that readers craved the reality of the Titanic disaster and not the romantically mythologized translations (like Fox's film, starring Barbara Stanwyck), which relied on fictional characters to "enhance" the world's worst maritime disaster. Lord's book proved that the truth was far more compelling than fiction, outlining the many "if onlys" (if only the iceberg had been spotted a few minutes earlier, etc.) that lent somber irony to the loss of 1,500 Titanic passengers. Three years after Lord's book appeared, it was brought to the screen with the kind of riveting authenticity that Lord had insisted upon in his own research. The 1958 British production of A Night to Remember remains a definitive dramatization of the disaster, adhering to the known facts of the time and achieving a documentary-like immediacy that matches (and in some ways surpasses) the James Cameron epic released 39 years later. The film erroneously perpetuates the once-common belief that the Titanic sunk in one piece (instead of breaking in half as its bow began to plunge), but many other misconceptions are accurately corrected, and the intelligent screenplay by thriller master Eric Ambler is a model of factual suspense. By making Titanic the star of the film, director Roy Baker emphasizes the excessive confidence of the booming industrial age and creates an intense you-are-there realism that pays tribute to Walter Lord's tenacious quest for truth. Matching its laserdisc edition, the Criterion Collection's DVD of A Night to Remember includes feature-length audio commentary by expert Titanic historians Don Lynch and Ken Marschall (authors of Titanic: An Illustrated History and advisors on James Cameron's Titanic); an hour-long British TV documentary about the making of the film; and both the U.S. and British theatrical trailers. A must-have for Titanic buffs, A Night to Remember has stood the test of time, compares favorably to Cameron's later epic, and is superbly presented on Criterion's splendid DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

77% liked it

8,455 ratings

Unrated, 123 min.

Directed by: Roy Ward Baker

Release Date: July 1, 1958

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 16, 1998

Stats: 365 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (365)

  • flixsterman
    September 13, 2009
    flixsterman
    Hard to find on DVD. In my opinion, it's the BEST Titanic film ever made.
  • organgrinder136
    August 30, 2008
    organgrinder136
    this is a great film. it's not quite as good as the newer version with dicaprio and winslet in it because that has the added love story to get you even more involved but it's definitely not far off. the effects of the boat sinking and water coming from everywhere... way ahead of ...( read more)its time. saying that about the romance... if you're one who prefers the disaster film without a romantic story in it... then this is the version for you. this also has a lesser runtime if you can't be fucked to sit through an epic version and it's still bloody good!
  • bort16
    June 11, 2008
    bort16
    Of the many films made about the Titanic disaster, A Night to Remember stands at the top. While it doesn't have the pure visual replication carried out by Cameron's 1997 epic, it nevertheless creates an incredible replication of the great ship, especially considering that this w...( read more)as made in 1958. Roy Ward Baker's film, based on Walter Lord's book also spares the 3 hour schmooze fest and melodrama that hurt Cameron's film.
    A Night to Remember is akin to a police procedural, except you know, about a rapidly sinking boat conducted by civilians and crewmen. The film is set on no one in particular, but rather follows the exploits of various members of its cargo, officers, captains, rich folk, poor folk. Watching this one, you can certainly see the elements Cameron borrowed and suggested at in his version. Little time is wasted getting to know everyone, and in no time at all the great ship has hit and iceburg. It is comparable to the second half of Cameron's film - which I always felt should be the point of a Titanic film.
    The effects used for the sinking ship are outstanding, although viewers certainly will notice that the sinking ship sinks in a manner that we're not accustomed to. No we do not see the ship break in half here. That information was not officially gathered until the 1980s when the ship's remains were found (although some survivors had recalled seeing the ship break in half, the official story was that she went down intact).
    The film of course is subject to some fine hammy 50s acting (Molly Brown here is the worst offender) but overall this version is very subdued, aiming for an overall documentary like retelling.

    If you are looking for a Titanic without the 2 hour melodramatic prelude, you'ld be well to spend sometime with A Night to Remember.
  • jplong39
    March 20, 2008
    jplong39
    While J Cameron's version may be more historically accurate, this effort is more involving emotionally since we don't have to put up with 3 hours of Leo and Kate
  • YosemiteSamFan
    October 25, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    Superbly moving Titanic film. Very well done!
  • Yelverton
    November 8, 2009
    Yelverton
    Great film about the REAL Titanic.
  • anthonyandsandy
    October 15, 2009
    anthonyandsandy
    This is the movie to watch about the sinking of the Titanic
  • Sunshineyness
    August 30, 2009
    Sunshineyness
    Wow. This British movie came out only a few years after the big Hollywood version with Barbara Stanwyck but is light years ahead of it. This is one of the most quietly brilliant movies I have ever seen. For all the bigger budget, bigger effects versions of the sinking of the Tita...( read more)nic this one does a very good job of presenting the facts (as were known to them before the wreck was found in the 80's)

    It really does a great job of highlighting the class struggle of the time, and the tiny moments of life aboard the ship .

    Interesting to see some of the shots from the '97 flick were "homaged" to from this version and there is an authenticity to it that makes it something. Hell, even the production value and effects still hold the test of time. Very worth a watch. The editing is very cool as well. There is a scene that cuts back and forth from the steerage dancing party below decks to the first class finery above that is very intriguing.

    If I had a complaint it'd be that there is no main characters, you don't have a certain protagonist to glom on to which gives this movie more of a broad feel, but I think that's the point. We weave in and out of these true accounts and private lives of these people aboard the ship in a kind of heartbreaking way. You still care about these people and you still weep for them.

    And the Criterion transfer is gorgeous.
  • 339z
    August 29, 2009
    339z
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch....its not as good as the new version with kate winslet but this is a good movie 2 watch.....its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie.....i think that the director of this...( read more) drama/documentary/true-story movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect thorughout this movie....its a reallly powerful drama movie 2 watch but this is a good movie 2 watch n its enjoyable throughout this movie
  • JBainy
    August 19, 2009
    JBainy
    how many titanic movies do they need to make

View All A Night to Remember Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

  • lucasaq
    July 1, 2008
    lucasaq
    Definitely the best film based around the Titanic sinking disaster. I love how it developed such a great ensemble look at the affair and still managed to be nice and personal. The production values are fantastic for the time as well and still stand up very well.
Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Titanic
    Titanic (63%)
  • Titanic
    Titanic (45%)
  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown
    The Unsinkable Molly Brown (100%)

More Movies like A Night to Remember

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

A Night to Rememb... : Watch Free on TV

A Night to Remember Trivia

  • What actress said this quote in a 2006 movie?: "Everyone remembers what happened that night and what it meant for this country. But I will always remember the man and what he meant to me."   Answer »
  • In the film "Time Bandits",the footage of the Titanic sinking is actually footage from which other film?  Answer »
  • This movie deals with the sinking of the RMS Titanic, but it's not called Titanic. Can you name this Titanic movie?  Answer »
  • 14th of April 1912 11:51pm 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland a iceberg is struck by the grandest ship to ever sail. Kenneth More and David McCallum are in this brilliant telling of the sinking of the Titanic. What's the title of this film?  Answer »
More A Night to Remember Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add A Night to Remember to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?