Fiction and Newsreel

Titanic – In Nacht und Eis
R: Mime Misu. K: Willy Hameister, Emil Schünemann, Viktor Zimmermann. Bauten: Siegfried Wroblewsky. D: Anton Ernst Rückert, Otto Rippert, Waldemar Hecker u.a. P: Continental-Kunstfilm GmbH, Berlin. D 1912
Portug. Untertitel

Der Film entstand im Jahr der Katastrophe und ist, neben der amerikanischen Produktion ‘Saved from the Titanic’, der erste Titanic-Spielfilm der Kinogeschichte.

“Tatsächlich kann das Titanic-Unglück (…) als eines der ersten Medienereignisse des 20. Jahrhunderts gelten, bei denen der Gegensatz zwischen Fakt und Fiktion nicht mehr auszumachen, das ‘historische’ Ereignis als Objekt verifizierbaren Wissens verschwunden und mit den ihm zugeschriebenen Bedeutungen identisch geworden ist: Die über ein Geschichtsereignis verbreiteten ‘Fakten’ erscheinen in der Medienberichterstattung als Funktion der ihm verliehenen Bedeutungen und sind nicht mehr das Ausgangsmaterial, aus dem sich die historische Bedeutung eines Ereignisses – dessen ‘Mythos’, ‘Legende’ oder ‘Moral’ – ableiten lässt.”
Michael Wedel: Das Ereigniskino des Mime Misu. In: Thomas Elsaesser / Michael Wedel (Hrg.): Kino der Kaiserzeit. Zwischen Tradition und Moderne. München 2002, S. 220

Titanic Disaster – Genuine Footage
P: British Pathé. UK/Fr 1912

“This film contains the only genuine footage of the ‘Titanic’ held by British Pathe. There are slighty different versions of this film held by British Movietone and the National Film and Television Archive. There is a duplication of part of this footage on tape PM3478. Gaumont newsreel which contains only known footage of the Titanic. Pathe have joint rights in this film with holders of Gaumont footage. Introductory intertitle reads: ‘The `Titanic’ leaving Belfast lough for Southampton’. There follows eight shots of the ‘Titanic’ moored at Belfast – probably on April 2nd 1912. In several of the shots we see men walking beside the ship and smoke comes from the Titanic’s third funnel. The ship is not actually departing, the ship is virtually stationary through all shots.

Intertitle reads: ‘Before the disaster, Captain Smith on the Bridge.’ C/U of Captain Edward J. Smith – he is actually on board the ‘Olympic’ rather than the Titanic. Flashing intertitle reads: ‘C-Q-D Help! Help! We are sinking!’ followed by another intertitle: ‘The Graveyard of the Sea – Icebergs and ice floes near the scene of the disaster.’ Moving shot of some ice floes and icebergs. ‘The Yacht Mary Scully going out to meet the Carpathia at sea.’ The Mary Scully passes the camera. It has a banner along the side stating: ‘New York American Press Boat.’ ‘The `Carpathia’ nearing New York with survivors.’ ‘Carpathia’ passes camera. ‘The Carpathia Docked’ – boat seen beside quayside. ‘Captain Rostrum of the `Carpathia”. M/S of a group of gentlemen standing on quayside. ‘Some survivors of Titanic’s crew’ – M/S of half a dozen men – two wear White Star Line emblazoned jumpers. Two men talk. ‘Quartermaster Hitchens of the Titanic who went down with the ship and was afterwards picked up.’ M/S of Hitchens talking to a policeman. ‘Father Hogue, a passenger of the Carpathia who first sighted the Titanic lifeboats.’ Two shots of Father Hogue. ‘Some of the heroes of the Titanic’s crew picked up at sea.’ Various shots of some of the crew who wear lifejackets. Two of the crew act out how one saved the other from drowning. ‘Reporters interviewing survivors.’ C/U of group of journalists. ‘The crowd at the White Star offices New York awaiting news.’ People crowd around the office and arrive and leave through revolving doors. ‘Scene at the Cunard Docks the morning after the Carpathia’s arrival.’ Panning shot of the docks. ‘Marconi, whose marvelous discovery saved over 700 lives. C/U of Marconi and his wife (?)’ ‘The Mackay Bennet leaving Halifax in search of the dead.’ Various shots of crew on board the Mackay Bennet.”
emp34stream

More footage here: