Back to Titanic: Film Information: Behind the Scenes: Scene Facts: Vertical Stern

Today in Titanic History - with Searching

Today in
Titanic History
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

1861 - 3rd class passenger Mr Alexander A. Robins was born to Samuel Robins (labourer) and Grace Robins in St Austell, Cornwall, England, UK.

1912 - Final arguments were made on Day 35 of the British inquiry into the Titanic disaster in Westminster, London, England, UK.

1941 - Fireman / Stoker and survivor Mr William John Murdoch died in New South Wales, Australia at the age of 62.

1907 - White Star Line placed the order for the Olympic and Titanic.

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Behind the Scenes: Scene Facts: Vertical Stern

These scenes were filmed 3/6/97-3/12/97 and were the most expensive filming days in motion picture history.
The lighting in the sinking sequence is wrong. The Titanic sunk on a moonless night so it would have been nearly pitch black after the ship's lights went out.
The stern section used for this shot weighed 1.3 million tons and was able to be attached and detached from the main ship.
The tilting poop deck was almost all nerf, to ensure that no injuries would occur. You can see a few people hit what's supposed to be a large metal reel. When they hit it, it crinkles, revealing that it's made of foam.
The priest reciting a passage from the Bible did exist on the Titanic. He is believed to be Father Byles of second class.
The full size set could only be tilted by splitting it in half. Two pieces of footage were composited to give the impression of the full ship sinking into the water.
Baker Joughin, the baker on Titanic, was sitting beside Rose on the railing. Joughin later said, "The ship's stern drops like an elevator."
On the tilting poop deck, 100 stuntmen were used. Any stuntman that slid down the deck had a specially made lifevest with wheels to aid the sliding.
Titanic sank differently than depicted in the movie. Once the ship broke in two, the rear part went slowly, straight down; there was very little suction. This is how people survived; they were just standing on the deck and when the ship went under, and they stayed afloat. In the movie, after the ship breaks in two, the back part is pulled perpindicular to the water surface again.

Film Info

cast and crew
characters
scene facts
reaction
script
movie timeline

Scene Facts
opening sequence
ghost ship
pay day
the woman in the picture
distant memories
boarding
lucky hand
paintings
king of the world
lunch
first glance
suicide
heart of the ocean
sketches on deck
dining in the snakepit
a real party
confrontations
flying
portrait
chased by lovejoy
the car
the iceberg
rescue
'not without you'
sinking
vertical stern
the promise
carpathia

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