A Night To Remember
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A Night to Remember is a 1958 British historical disaster docudrama film based on the eponymous 1955 book by Walter Lord, and depicts the final night of RMS Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage after striking an iceberg in 1912. Adapted by Eric Ambler and directed by Roy Ward Baker, the film stars Kenneth More as the ship's Second Officer Charles Lightoller and features Michael Goodliffe, Laurence Naismith, Kenneth Griffith, David McCallum and Tucker McGuire. It was filmed in the United Kingdom and tells the story of the sinking, portraying incidents and people in a documentary-style fashion with considerable attention to detail. The production team, supervised by producer William MacQuitty (who saw the original ship launched) used blueprints of the ship to create authentic sets, while Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall and ex-Cunard Commodore Harry Grattidge worked as technical advisors on the film. Its estimated budget of up to £600,000 (£13.1 million adjusted for inflation [2019]) was exceptional and made it the most expensive film ever made in Britain up to that time. The film's score was written by William Alwyn. A Night to Remember was released on 3 July 1958. The film disappointed at the box office, but received widespread critical acclaim, with praise going to the sets, soundtrack, cinematography, historical accuracy and the performances of the cast, particularly More, Goodliffe and Naismith, and won the 1959 "Samuel Goldwyn International Award" at the Golden Globe Awards. Among the many films about the Titanic, A Night to Remember is regarded highly by Titanic historians and survivors for its accuracy, despite its modest production values, compared with the 1997 film Titanic. Retrospective analysis by both critics and regular viewers has been favourable; for example, on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a score of 100% based on twenty-two critical reviews and a 90% value according to audience responses.