Main Cast: Franklin Dyall, Ellaline Terriss, Donald Calthrop, John Stuart, Madeleine Carroll
Release Year: 1929
Country: DE/US/UK
Run Time: 87 minutes
Plot
Nearly 70 years before James Cameron made the Titanic tragedy his own personal property, E. A. DuPont offered his own spectacular spin on the same story in the landmark early talkie Atlantic. Adhering to the classic three-act structure, the first portion of the film concentrates on the passengers -- both above and below deck -- of a huge luxury liner on its maiden voyage. The middle portion deals with the liner's collision with an iceberg and the reactions of the passengers, ranging from mild annoyance to outright panic. Dupont reserves the best for last, as the great ship Atlantic begins its final descent amidst the terrified cries of the passengers as they try to crowd into too few lifeboats. Stalwart courage and craven cowardice come head to head in the climactic scenes, but in the final summation it is the special effects, rather than the behavior of the characters, that linger longest in the memory. Amazingly, the film fades before the ship sinks beneath the waves, which may be why Atlantic came nowhere near the box-office success of Cameron's Oscar-winning Titanic (besides, who had a billion dollars back in 1930?) In addition, too much time is spent on a comedy-relief steward, as if the death of the great ship was some sort of Broadway musical revue. Based on a stage play by Ernest Raymond, Atlantic was simultaneously filmed in English, French and German-language versions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Francis Lister - Padre; John Longden - Lanchester; Arthur Hardy - Maj. Boldy; Monty Banks - Dandy; Joan Barry - Betty Tate-Hughes; D.A. Clarke-Smith - Freddie Tate-Hughes; Syd Crossley - Wireless Operator; Dino Galvani - Steward; Danny Green - Passenger; Helen Haye - Clara Tate-Hughes
Atlantic is a drama film based on the RMS Titanic and set aboard a fictional ship, called the Atlantic. The main synopsis revolves around a man who has a shipboard affair with a fellow passenger, which is eventually discovered by his wife. The ship also has aboard an elderly couple, the Rools, who are on their anniversary cruise. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic strikes an iceberg and is damaged to the point where it is sinking into the Atlantic. A shortage of lifeboats causes the crew to only allow women and children in and many couples are separated. Mrs. Rool refuses to leave her husband and after the boats are gone all the passengers gather on the deck and sing "Nearer, My God, to Thee" as the Atlantic sinks into the ocean. The final scenes depict a group of passengers saying the Lord's Prayer in a flooding lounge.
Produced by Ewald André Dupont, John Maxwell, & James Scura
Original Music by John Reynders
Cinematography by Charles Rosher
Film Editing by Emile de Ruelle
Art Direction by Hugh Gee
Assistant Directors: Marjorie Gaffney, J.F. Green, & John Harlow
Sound Department: Jack Mair & Alec Murray
Musical director: John Reynders
Sound
Atlantic was one of the first British films made with sound on film and was Germany's first sound movie. In England, it was released in both sound and silent prints. The French version was the fourth French feature with sound on film. The Danish version used early sound recorders, many of which were lost until the 1990s.
Trivia
The movie was originally made as "Titanic" but after lawsuits it was renamed "Atlantic".
The final scene of the movie was filmed as a shot of the liner sinking but it was cut at the last minute as it was feared it would upset Titanic survivors.
