This page shouldn't even be here. But because the screenwriters
decided to make up their own historical accounts instead of what really
happened, up to that point, this page had to be made. Here are just a few mistakes
that the screenwriters did that Dr. Cussler had painstakingly researched
while writing his novel which they decided was best to alter for some
reason.
On the Opening sequence as they're showing pictures of the Titanic
back in 1912, they show a band with a man playing the cornet.
That band was never on the Titanic but is in fact the 1919 photo of
the "Original Dixieland One Step Band." (Updated 5-29-2003) Thanks
goes to Eric Paddon.
The last photo in the opening sequence show couples dancing.
This pictures was never taken on the Titanic. The photo looks
like it was taken in the roaring twenties.
As the opening credits are rolling up, it depicts the Titanic on
the ocean floor. If you look closely you can see the top layer
of the tank reflecting off the model. It's suppose to depict the
Titanic 2 1/2 miles down but it really looks like its at the bottom of
a 35-foot tank.
At the beginning of the novel, Dr. Cussler has Sid Koplin on the
island of Novaya Zemlya, an island that does exist. But if
you watch the movie, they have Koplin on the island of Svlardlov (I
think I spelled that right). An island, that I couldn't find in
the atlas, that probably does not exist.
The island depicts trees. In the arctic circle no trees can
survive the cold.
In the novel, Dr. Cussler had the first funnel break off during
the sinking which is historically correct. In the film, it is
the second funnel which was not historically correct. The reason
why the second funnel was broken off instead of the first one was
because the producers of the film thought it would be more dramatic
and that many people wouldn't even notice anything wrong if the first
stack was missing. (Updated 7-29-2002)
The hold that holds the byzanium in the novel is in cargo hold No.
1 G Deck again, historically correct that Dr. Cussler had backed up by
doing his research on the Titanic's deck plans. But in the movie
they decided to change it and make it cargo hold No. 9 D Deck.
Unfortunately, again, as always, they made it where there was no cargo
holds that existed on D Deck.
Both in the novel and in the movie they mentioned a Cornet Player
named Graham Farley. Historically, there is no Graham Farley who
was on board the Titanic. The Titanic's band never had any brass
players at all what-so-ever. But what Cussler did was say that
Graham Farley played three years on another White Star Ship called the
Oceanic for 3 years before he was selected to play in the Titanic's
orchestra. The screenwriter thought it would be best to say he
played on the Olympic for 3 years. Actually there were 2 ships
that had the name Oceanic. The first one was launched on
August 20, 1870 and its maiden voyage in August 27, 1871. The
second one's maiden voyage was January 14, 1899. I don't have
the date when it was launched though. And the Olympic was
launched on October 20, 1910 and its maiden voyager on May 31, 1911.
You do the math.
John Bigalow is mentioned both in the novel and in the film as a
junior officer (In the film he is a Junior Third Class Officer).
Historically, there were never any junior officers of any kind onboard
the Titanic. (Added 11-29-2002)
In the same scene after Seagram says, "That means the Titanic must
be in excellent condition." Pitt exclaims that they're not
looking for cornets but a ship that is 900 feet long. Unless it
grew, the Titanic is actually 882 feet long.
When the Titanic comes to the surface, there are two tall doodads on
either side of the foremast with cowl vents on top of them. And there
is a section of railing on the forecastle deck that is incorrect.
It runs from the prow (where Jack and Rose kissed in the 1997 TITANIC
movie) aft to roughly where the ship's name is. This railing is
"solid", and I have never seen it in any photo. Thanks goes to
John Mallory-*Note* This was an exact quote from his e-mail that
he sent to me. (Added 5-29-2002)
I think there was another part done the same way that was the back
of the main section of the ship when Dirk Pitt went back there to put
up the flag. WRONG! The White Star flag flew from the rear mast, not
the flagstaff at the stern. The British flag flew from the flagstaff
at the stern, but perhaps Dirk couldn't reach the lines on the rear
mast! (Added 6-29-2002) Thanks goes to Robert Gibbons.
*Note*
This was an exact quote from his e-mail that he sent to me.
The deck of the model was lifted with four lifting hooks. Ken had
designed plugs to be screwed into the deck after the hooks were
removed. Guess what--the hooks were never removed and if you look
close when the camera pans the model the when it is ready to be towed
to NYC, you can see them! They look like big rings sticking out of the
deck. Thanks goes to Robert Gibbons. *Note*
This was an exact quote from his e-mail that he sent to me.
(Added 8-29-2002)
After the Titanic is raised and as the cameras are panning across
the decks and finally past the bridge, you can see the horizon on
which the tank and the ocean meet. The color of the ocean water
is allot darker than the ocean water in the tank. You can see the
round rim of the tank. (Added 9-29-2002)
The Soviets are trying to claim the Titanic, and they land a
Soviet Helicopter on the deck of the Titanic. The problem is that this
helicopter is really a U.S. made Huey (like the ones flown in Vietnam)
with a red star painted on the side.
The RTT model has a small ariel sticking from the top of the (2nd
class entrance) structure at the back of the 4th funnel. This must be
used for FX crew when filming the model. Thanks goes to John Smith
(Added 2-28-2003)
Just after the scene of the "white model" of the Titanic is seen in
the tank with divers, Dirk Pitt and the rest of the actors enter the
room. Dirk has his shirt collar undone and his tie loosened to one side.
In the next shot we see him with his collar and tie straighter.
Thank goes to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
When the Titanic is found, the camera moves over the top of the bow
section. The left hand side of the "Athinai" bulkhead is missing, but
when the ship comes up, the bulkhead has been replaced. Thank goes
to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
During the raising scenes, the cargo boom that is blocking the exit
to the No1 cargo hatch is seen twisted and bent, but when you see the
ship in New York, the same cargo boom is straight. Thank goes to
John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
When the No1 funnel is found, we can see 3 bars at the top of the
funnel, these are funnel grates, but when the ship is raised, the other
funnels that are attached to the ship are missing these bars.
Thank goes to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
When the Titanic is found, we see the ships named TITANIC -
LIVERPOOL. The name plate letters on the movie model are raised, but the
letters on the real ship where cut into the hull plates. Thank
goes to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
During the raising scenes, you will notice a separation in the ships
plates along the side of the B-Deck area of the superstructure. This was
not there on the real Titanic. The movie model had this because the top
of the ship lifted away from the main section of the hull. Thank
goes to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
During the raising scenes, the forward skylight changes. Some shots
show the skylight crushed, some show it as normal before the sub crashes
into it. Thank goes to John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
After the first explosions have gone off, the control cabin shows
the computer drawing of a side profile of the Titanic. The profile
clearly shows the stern of the ship lifting, then it cuts to Dirk Pitt
who then says "she's just laying there", then when it cuts back to the
computer, the ships stern has gone back down again. Thank goes to
John Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
At the opening of the film, when Koplin is looking for the entrance
to the mine, he is using a electronic reader to search for traces of
Byzanium. The shot shows the face of the counter with the needle. The
needle is supposed to move, but it sticks, and the actor can be seen to
shake the counter to make the needle move. Thank goes to John
Smith (Added 2-28-2003)
In the scene with Pitt and Dana on the Washington street, the cars
in the background don't match from cut to cut. Thanks goes to
Patrick Waters (no relation). (Added 2-29-2004)
The ship's name seems to be missing from the bow in the actual scene
where the Titanic model breaks the surface. Thanks goes to Patrick
Waters (no relation). (Added 2-29-2004)
Leaving aside the many inaccuracies which have come to light since
the discovery of the wreck, there are many details about the Titanic
that should have been known to the film-makers. Including that the words
"Titanic" and "Liverpool" on the stern were painted on, and not done in
raised lettering as shown in the film. (Added 3-29-2004)
