Titanic (1997)

Bernard Hill: Captain Smith

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.

• 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.

• Smith : [rushing to the helm after the iceberg strike]  What was that, Mr. Murdoch?

  1st Officer William Murdoch : An iceberg, sir. I put a hard a'starboard and ran the engines full astern, but it was too close. I tried to port 'round it, but she hit and the...

  Smith : Close the watertight doors.

  1st Officer William Murdoch : The doors are closed, sir.

  Smith : [walking on deck]  All stop!

  [to Murdoch] 

  Smith : Find the carpenter. Get him to sound the ship.

  1st Officer William Murdoch : Yes, sir!

• Robert Hitchins : [deleted scene]  C'mon, pull! Pull!

  Smith : [Over brass megaphone]  Come back! Come back to the ship! Boat 6, come back to the ship!

  Molly Brown : [to other rowers]  Stop! We have to go back!

  Robert Hitchins : No. The suction will pull us down if we don't keep going.

  Molly Brown : We've lots more room! I say we go back.

  Robert Hitchins : No! It's our lives now, not theirs. And I'm in charge of this boat, madam! Now *row*!

  Smith : This is the captain! This is the captain! Come back!

  [pause] 

  Smith : The fools.

• Smith : Clear.

  Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller : Yes. I don't think I've ever seen such a flat calm.

  Smith : Like a mill pond, not a breath of wind.

  Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller : It will make the bergs harder to see... with no breaking water at the base.

  Smith : Hmm. Well, I'm off. Mantain speed and heading, Mr. Lightoller.

  Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller : Yes, sir.

• Smith : Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch. Let's stretch her legs.

• [Captain Smith writes coordinates down on a piece of paper] 

  Harold Bride : CQD, sir?

  Captain Smith : That's right, CQD, the distress call.

  [hands the paper to Bride] 

  Captain Smith : That's our position.

  [Bride reads the coordinates; Smith removes his hat] 

  Captain Smith : Tell whoever responds that we're going down by the bow and need immediate assistance.

  [Smith puts his hat back on and leaves the radio room; Bride's associate looks at him in horror] 

  Harold Bride : Blimey!

  [Bride puts on his headphones, turns on the radio and starts sending the distress call]