Titanic
Unhappily married, Julia Sturges decides to go to America with her two children on the Titanic. Her husband, Richard also arranges passage on the luxury liner so as to have custody of their two children. All this fades to insignificance once the ship hits an iceberg.
Critics Sentiment
Richard tells Norman he has been proud of him every day
Richard coldly rebuffs Norman after learning the truth
The dramatic shift from Richard's cruel rejection of Norman after learning he's not his biological son to their deeply moving final scene where he tells the boy he's proud of him
The 1953 Titanic builds steadily from solid character establishment through increasingly tense drama, with critics consistently praising the Webb-Stanwyck performances and the film's focus on human relationships over spectacle. The emotional peak comes in the final act with Richard's redemption scene with Norman, which reviewers found genuinely moving. While some found early pacing slow, the film maintains strong critical appreciation for its mature storytelling and respectful treatment of the disaster.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 35
Clifton Webb
Richard Ward Sturges
Barbara Stanwyck
Julia Sturges
Robert Wagner
Gifford "Giff" Rogers
Audrey Dalton
Annette Sturges
Thelma Ritter
Maude Young
Brian Aherne
Capt. Edward John Smith
Richard Basehart
George S. Headley
Allyn Joslyn
Earl Meeker
James Todd
Sandy Comstock
Frances Bergen
Madeleine Astor
William Johnstone
John Jacob Astor
Mae Marsh
Woman to Whom Norman Gave His Seat (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Lifeboat Survivor (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Rennie
End Narrator (Voice)
Hamilton Camp
Messenger Boy (uncredited)
Harper Carter
Norman Sturges (uncredited)
Helen Van Tuyl
Ida Strauss
Harry Cording
Boiler Room Engineer (uncredited)
David Hoffman
Ship's Tailor (uncredited)
Crew
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