Back to Titanic: Making Waves: The Flub Report: High and Low Heels

Today in Titanic History - with Searching

Today in
Titanic History
Wednesday, April 22, 2026

1887 - 2nd class survivor Mrs Emily Richards was born to William Rowe Hocking (confectioner and baker) and Elizabeth "Eliza" Neads (?Needs) Hocking in Penzance, Cornwall, England, UK.

1870 - 3rd class passenger Mrs Helena Wilhelmina Rosblom was born.

1912 - Day 3 of the American inquiry into the Titanic disaster in Washington, D. C., USA. Witnesses called that day: Vice President of International Mercantile Marine Co. Philip A. S. Franklin, and Fourth Officer Joseph Groves Boxhall.

1912 - John Jacob Astor's body found by the small ship McKay-Bennett. They came to believe he was hit by a funnel. The report made: "No. 124- Male- Estimated age 50 - Light hair and mustache. Clothing - Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with 'A.V.'; belt with gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt, 'J.J.A.' on back of collar. Effects- Gold watch; cuff links, gold with diamonds; diamond ring with three stones; 225 pounds in English notes; 2440 in notes; 5 pds in gold; 7s in silver; 5 ten franc pieces; gold pencil; pocketbook. First Class: Name - J.J. Astor".

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The Flub Report: High and Low Heels

For our first installment, I want to address these claims regarding Rose's shoes: "During Jack and Rose's trip on the deck to the bow right before the sinking, she is wearing flat shoes. In the water, laying on the furniture (as Jack hangs on) she is wearing high heels."

"Young Rose's shoes are clearly off in one wide shot as she stands on the railing of the ship. As they cut to her before she turns around, when you can see her entire body, you can clearly see in two shots her toes outlined by black nylons clutching the rail, and NOT her heels as seen previously in other shots before and afterward when she slips on her gown going back over the rail to safety."

As Rose climbs over a railing and then jumps down to the well deck, she throws her legs over the railing. This is most clearly seen in Exhibit A:

We know that Rose has been wearing the same heels (unbelievably) through running through the boiler room, rescuing Jack, running down that flooding hallway, and all the way through to boarding the Carpathia. When she is floating on the debris, you can most clearly see this as in Exhibit B:

This first claim is decidedly true.

Rose's attempt at suicide places her perilously over the stern railing. Was Kate Winslet in stocking feet as she stood on the set (which really had her only 12 feet off the ground)? Would they have traded out her slippery shoes during the scene so she wouldn't fall? Even after going through the scene frame-by-frame, I can't decide. This one I will leave up to you. Notice in Exhibit C how her feet appear darker than her bright red shoes from Exhibit D.

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Exhibit C is split into the original lighting conditions from the movie, on the left, and my adjusting the lighting via computer to try and reveal more detail, on the right. Of course Exhibit D has her shoes in more light, so perhaps Exhibit C shows the same shoes in less light. The claim says these are her stocking feet because there is an outline of her toes, but those could very well be the ledge obscuring parts of the shoes. For this claim, I am undecided.

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