A Night to Remember (1958)
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100% of critics liked it
(19 reviews) -
80% of users liked it
(10,125 ratings)
This meticulous re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic was adapted by Eric Ambler from the best-selling book by Walter Lord, and it preceded the blockbuster Titanic by almost 40 years. The film covers the life and death of the huge vessel from its launching celebration to that fateful night of… More This meticulous re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic was adapted by Eric Ambler from the best-selling book by Walter Lord, and it preceded the blockbuster Titanic by almost 40 years. The film covers the life and death of the huge vessel from its launching celebration to that fateful night of April 14, 1912, when the "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Of the 2224 passengers on board, 1513 were drowned as a result of the bad planning of lifeboats and escape routes. Kenneth More heads a huge and stellar cast, with 200 speaking parts, as second officer Herbert Lightoller, from whose point-of-view the story unfolds. Also in the cast are Laurence Naismith as the ill-fated Captain Smith; Michael Goodliffe as conscience-stricken ship's designer Thomas Andrews; Tucker McGuire as feisty American millionaire Molly Brown, whose courage and tenacity saved many lives; and Anthony Bushell as the captain of the Carpathia, who launched a noble but vain rescue mission once he was apprised of the disaster. Also appearing are two future TV favorites: The Avengers' Honor Blackman as a woman who believes that she has nothing to live for, and The Man From UNCLE's David McCallum as a wireless operator. The climactic sinking of the vessel is re-created with painstaking accuracy; filmed in "real time," it is a mere 37 minutes shorter than the actual tragedy. Two years before the film's release, an American TV adaptation of A Night to Remember set a precedent as the most elaborate and technically complex "live" broadcast of its time. Some viewers will find this movie a more accurate and gripping representation of this sea disaster than the romance-heavy Titanic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Roy Ward Baker
- Written By
- Eric Ambler, Walter Lord
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
- In Theaters
- Jul 1, 1958 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Tom Huddleston, Time Out
Baker cuts to the chase - the iceberg strikes 30 minutes in - and maintains tension with consummate skill: not an easy task when the outcome is already known.
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Brian Costello, Common Sense Media
1950s British take on Titanic tragedy is a masterpiece.
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Christopher Long, Movie Metropolis
(We have) stood witness to a spectacular tragedy that took place on a perfectly unspectacular, dead calm night
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Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Kenneth More essays the central role of Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller, and he's the reassuring presence throughout a film that breaks down the incident in powerful fashion.
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Catherine Shoard, Guardian [UK]
A restrained, nearly austere ensemble drama that manages to intertwine a dozen different stories without tripping up on any of them, it relies on real-life survivor testimony for almost every line and incident, to immensely moving and dignified effect.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Kenneth More
as Herbert Lightoller
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Honor Blackman
as Mrs. Lucas
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Anthony Bushell
as Capt. Rostron
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Ronald Allen
as Clarke
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Robert Ayres
as Peuchen
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Jane Downs
as Mrs. Lightoller
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Jill Dixon
as Mrs. Clarke
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Kenneth Griffith
as Phillips
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James Dyrenforth
as Col. Gracie
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Michael Goodliffe
as Thomas Andrews
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Harriette Johns
as Lady Richard
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Frank Lawton
as Chairman
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Richard Leech
as William Murdoch
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David McCallum
as Bride
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Alec McCowen
as Cottam
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Tucker McGuire
as Mrs. Brown
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John Merivale
as Lucas
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Laurence Naismith
as Capt.Edward J. Smith
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Russell Napier
as Capt. Lord
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George Rose
as Joughin
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Jack Watling
as Boxall
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Bee Duffell
as Mrs. Farrell
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Patrick Waddington
as Sir Richard
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Geoffrey Bayldon
as Evans
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Michael Bryant
as Moody
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John Cairney
as Murphy
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Cyril Chamberlain
as Q.M. Rowe
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Richard Clarke
as Gallagher
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Harold Goldblatt
as Benjamin Guggenheim
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Gerald Harper
as 3rd Officer Carpathia
- Thomas Heathcote
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Andrew Keir
as Engineer Officer Hesketh
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Eddie Malin
as Steward
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Ralph Michael
as Yates
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Redmond Phillips
as Hoyle
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Philip Ray
as Clergyman Carpathia
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Harold Siddons
as Stone
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Julian Somers
as Bull
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Marianne Stone
as Stewardess No. 2
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Joseph Tomelty
as Dr. O'Loughlin
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Tim Turner
as Groves
- John Richardson
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Barry MacGregor
as Gibson
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Meier Tzelniker
as Straus
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Richard Hayward
as Victualling Manager
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Patrick McAlinney
as Farrell
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Howard Pays
as Lowe
- Alan Frank
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Christina Lubicz
as Polish Girl
- Tom Naylor

