Titanic (1953) {DVD Review}

Jason Lockard April 15, 2022

Reviewed by Jason Lockard

The day of this writing is the 110 year anniversary of one of the world's greatest tragedies. What was planned to be a joyous trip ended in horrific fashion as the RMS Titanic thought to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg and on April 15, 1912 the RMS Titanic went down. The truly sad part was the builders were so convinced that this luxury liner was unsinkable that they didn't have enough lifeboat, thus 1,500 people died and only 705 survived.

People have been mesmerized by this event for over 100 years. Books have been written. Television shows and documentaries have been produced. And even Academy Award winning film have been made all about this event. Today we focus on just one. We are going back to 1953. With a cast of legends. This is Titanic.

Julia Sturges is unhappily married and uncomfortable with life among the British upper crust. So she decides to takes her two children and boards the RMS Titanic for America. Her husband, Richard, also arranges passage on the doomed luxury liner in order to allow him to have custody of their two children, Annette and Norman. Meanwhile, Annette begins a romance with a young American college student and tennis player, Gifford Rogers. Unfortunately, their family problems soon seem minor when the Titanic strikes an iceberg.

Now this film is not the most faithful to the actual event. It is a dramatic tale that uses the tragedy of the Titanic to tell an amazing story. The cast is an amazing one to say the least, including, Clifton Webb (Cheaper by the Dozen), Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity), Robert Wagner (Hart to Hart), Audrey Dalton (Mr. Sardonicus), Thelma Ritter (Rear Window), and Brian Aherne (Merrily we live).

The film is transferred on DVD in it's original full screen format in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. It looks and sounds amazing on DVD. But the Studio Classics DVD is not a bare bones one, not by a long shot. This DVD is loaded with audio bonus features. Take a look at what is included.

* Commentary by Film Critic Richard Shickel
* Commentary by Robert Wagner, Audrey Dalton and Cinematographer Michael Lonza
* Beyond Titanic Documentary
* Movietone Newsreels
* Audio Essay by Titanic historian Silvia Stoddard
* Still Gallery
* Theatrical Trailer

Watch the Trailer Below:

If you love classic films as much as I do and are a fan of historical events. I highly recommend the 1953 film Titanic on DVD. You can order a copy on DVD or Blu-ray by heading over to Amazon today.