A Titanic Return
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Archive.org is back to 100% functionality so you know what that means: tapes! This week we are looking at a handful of home video releases centered around The Titanic and its sinking in 1912.
Titanic (1997) is one of those movies that practically everyone had a copy of when I was growing up, and it’s never more apparent than how often I come across it in thrift stores now. It is up there with Lion King (1994) and Ghostbusters (1984), reaching near ubiquitous status, with over 25 million copes of each being sold. There are collectors dedicating whole rooms of their homes to collecting Titanic on VHS.
Thankfully, it’s not such a bad movie. I’ve watched it quite a bit actually, though it’s been a long time since I put it on with the specific intention of paying full attention to it. It’s just in my collection of 5 or 6 tapes I like to put on while I do chores or work on a project to have something on besides music for once. I liked it enough at one point to buy both the regular release and the special edition widescreen release as well:
There is one VHS release I haven’t picked up yet. There exists a single-tape Extended Play (EP) Mode version that I’ve had some difficulties finding. This was put out late in the movie’s home video lifespan at a lower cost and could often be found at rental stores. I have seen a few copies in-person, but for whatever reason on those days I decided not to pick them up. Now that I’ve got Titanic on the brain I’m really wishing I had, even though I know I’m not missing much…
But this isn’t about Titanic: the movie film phenomenon. This is about The Titanic: the ship, the captain, the aftermath. And boy do I have some tapes on that!
First up is this A&E Home Video box set featuring over 200 minutes of information about The Titanic, covering everything from the building process to the aftermath of the ships sinking in the early 20th century. This is more my speed. I sat down and watched this one afternoon and gleaned a lot of new info about the history of the ship before it ever set sail.
After that we’ve got a tape that takes a deep look into the captain of the ship, Edward J. Smith —the events that led up to his decision to stay on course and not steer the ship around the incoming obstacle. And we will end on a slightly dramatized peek at some of the myths and “secrets” of the world famous unsinkable ship. All of these tapes have interviews with real survivors and family members of survivors and a whole host of experts.
Let’s get right into the tapes!
Titanic A&E Home Video Documentary
1994 | Runtime 50 Minutes
The "unsinkable" Titanic was a dream come true. Four city blocks long. A passenger list worth 250 million dollars. But on her maiden voyage in April 1912, that dream became a nightmare when the giant ship struck an iceberg and sank in the cold Atlantic. More than 1,500 lives were lost in one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century. Now, the sensational history of the premier liner is recounted definitively in TITANIC. Using newsreels, stills, diaries, and interviews with survivors, TITANIC charts the fateful history of the ship and its passengers in a gripping and authentic account of the legendary disaster.
She was the pride of the White Star Line. Nicknamed "The Wonder Ship" and the "Millionaire's Special" the ST Titanic's size and luxury were unprecedented. So was her passenger list: John Jacob Astor, perhaps the richest man in the world; Mr. and Mrs. Straus, founders of Macy's department store. At the helm would be the White Star's best, Captain Edward J. Smith, making his last voyage before retirement.
Titanic A&E Home Video Documentary
1994 | Runtime 50 Minutes
On April 10, 1912 in a gala sendoff that made headlines, the Titanic steams out of Southampton, England, bound for New York. Over the next four days, wireless operator Jack Phillips, just 22-years-old, receives several notices of icebergs ahead. At 11:40 pm, April 14, 1912, the hulking ship sideswipes an iceberg 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. To the shock of all on board, the "Unsinkable Ship" begins to go down.
Titanic A&E Home Video Documentary
1994 | Runtime 50 Minutes
As the massive ship sinks in the icy North Atlantic, Captain Edward J. Smith orders the lifeboats readied. With room for only half the passengers, they fill quickly with women and children. White distress flares are fired into the night. SOS signals are sent. Yet, only one ship responds. It is 58 miles away. Why didn't nearby ships reply? Why were there so few lifeboats? Why were the iceberg warnings ignored?
Titanic A&E Home Video Documentary
1994 | Runtime 50 Minutes
Almost 75 years after the fateful night, explorer Dr. Robert Ballard descends 13,000 feet beneath the waves in a tiny submarine to view the wreckage of the Titanic. On the murky ocean floor, he discovers answers to enduring mysteries surrounding the tragedy. Today, the legend of the mighty ship remains intact. Once intended to be man's greatest achievement, the Titanic turned out to be his ultimate folly.
The Story of Edward J. Smith:
The Captain of the Titanic
1998 | Runtime 55 Minutes
The Titanic is still "news" - several decades 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 dramatized contemporary accounts. These are enhanced by an extensive interview with survivor Miss Eva Hart M.B.E., who was a girl of 7 at the time. This is not only the story of that great tragedy, but also of Edward John Smith - a potter's son - who rose from the backstreets off Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, to become the country's premier sea captain. His great nephew, Don Smith, gives us an insight into the man. 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.
Secrets of the Unknown: The Titanic
1989 | Runtime 20 Minutes
What was the real reason behind the famous tragedy of the luxury liner Titanic that sent 1,500 passengers to the icy floor of the Atlantic? Why did this very avoidable accident happen? Were the crew warned of the approaching danger? Can interviews with survivors of the ill-fated voyage shed more light on this baffling mystery?...
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the tapes! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out the one of my ocean-themed posts below, or all of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
