Titanic (1997)

Jonathan Hyde: Bruce Ismay

Photos 

Quotes 

• Ismay : [Andrews enters room with crew behind him; he lays out architectural drawings on table, with Ismay behind him]  Most unfortunate, captain!

  Thomas Andrews : [perspiring and trembling]  Water... fourteen feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the forepeak, in all three holds and in the boiler room six.

  Ismay : When can we get underway, damnit!

  Thomas Andrews : That's five compartments! She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached, but not five!

  [tersely to Smith] 

  Thomas Andrews : Not five. As she goes down by the head, the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There's no stopping it.

  Smith : The pumps... if we opened the doors...

  Thomas Andrews : [interrupting]  The pumps buy you time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.

  Ismay : [incredulously]  But this ship can't sink!

  Thomas Andrews : She's made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty.

  Smith : How much time?

  Thomas Andrews : An hour... two at most.

  Smith : And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?

  1st Officer William Murdoch : 2,200 souls on board, sir.

  Smith : [turning to Ismay]  Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay.

• Molly Brown : [to the group who are dining at the same table]  Hey, uh, who thought of the name Titanic? Was it you, Bruce?

  Ismay : Yes, actually. I wanted to convey sheer size, and size means stability, luxury, and above all, strength.

  Rose : Do you know of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you.

  Ruth : [whispering]  What's gotten into you?

  Rose : Excuse me.

  [She rises and leaves] 

  Ruth : I do apologize.

  Molly Brown : She's a pistol, Cal! Hope you can handle her.

  Cal Hockley : Well, I may have to start minding what she reads from now on, won't I, Mrs. Brown?

  Ismay : Freud? Who is he? Is he a passenger?

• Ismay : So you've not yet lit the last four boilers?

  Smith : No, I don't see the need. We are making excellent time.

  Ismay : The press knows the size of Titanic. Now I want them to marvel at her speed. We must give them something new to print! This maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines!

  Smith : Mr. Ismay, I would prefer not to push the engines until they've been properly run in.

  Ismay : Of course, I'm just a passenger. I leave it to your good offices to decide what's best. But what a glorious end to your final crossing if we were to get to New York on Tuesday night and surprise them all! Make the morning papers. Retire with a bang, eh E.J.?

  Ismay : [Smith nods reluctantly]  Good man.

• Ismay : Do you know who I am?

  Fifth Officer Lowe : You're a passenger and I'm a ship bloody officer! NOW DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!

• Ruth : Tell us of the accomodations in steerage, Mr. Dawson. I hear they're quite good on the ship.

  Jack : The best I've seen, Ma'am. Hardly any rats.

  [laughter from the table] 

  Cal Hockley : Mr. Dawson is joining us from the Third Class. He was of some assistance to my fiancée last night.

  Rose : It turns out that Mr. Dawson is quite a fine artist. He was kind enough to show me some of us work today.

  Cal Hockley : Rose and I differ somewhat in our opinion of fine art...

  [to Jack] 

  Cal Hockley : Not to impune you work, sir.

  Jack : [Jack shrugs it off as no offense; Jack looks down at his utensils, confused as which to use, he turns to Molly Brown]  Are these all for me?

  Molly Brown : Just start from the outside and work your way in.

  Ismay : He has every rivet in it, don't you, Thomas?

  Rose : Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Andrews, truly.

  Thomas Andrews : Thank you, Rose.

  Waiter : [to Jack]  How do you take your caviar, sir?

  Jack : No caviar for me, thanks. Never did like it much.

  Ruth : And where exactly do you live, Mr. Dawson?

  Jack : Well, right now, my address is the RMS Titanic, after that, I'm on God's good humor.

  Ruth : And how is it you have means to travel?

  Jack : I work my way from place to place, you know, tramp steamers and such, but I won my ticket on Titanic here in a lucky hand of poker, a very lucky hand.

  Col. Archibald Gracie : All life is a game of luck.

  Cal Hockley : A real man makes his own luck, Archie. Right, Dawson.

  Jack : Mm-hmm.

  Ruth : And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?

  Jack : Well, yes, ma'am, I do. I mean, I've got everything I need right here with me. I've got air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's going to happen or...

  [Eating of piece of bread] 

  Jack : ... Who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night, I was sleeping under a bridge and now, here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people.

  [to the waiter] 

  Jack : I'll take some more of that.

  [Back to the table] 

  Jack : I figured life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you.

  [Seeing Cal getting ready to light up a cigarette, he throws Cal his lighter] 

  Jack : Here you go, Cal.

  [Back to the table] 

  Jack : To make each day count.

  Molly Brown : Well said, Jack.

  Col. Archibald Gracie : Here, here.

  Rose : [Raising her glass for a toast]  To making it count.

  [the table joins in on the toast]