Ruin the ending: WI the 1943 Nazi version of "Titanic" was successful?

"Titanic" was made as a propaganda piece that proved to be a bomb. It was, sez WP, the first to use historical figures with fictional characters & first to use the ship's name as title.

So what would have happened had the film been a success? Would it have impacted the film world at all?
 

Japhy

Banned
It would probably have the exact same impact. As a foreign movie made by Nazis its not going to be respectable in the Post-War world, and as a mostly forgotten work James Cameron will still, most likely, Crib a bunch of it when he makes his movie.

Beyond that, and I fully admit depending on ones views of Chaos Theory and the Butterfly effect even that might be too much, there's not really any impact to be had.

And of course end of the day, there's no reason for it to be a successful Propaganda picture, there's really nothing you can turn the story into that will appeal to a people dealing with war on two fronts and having their homes bombed regularly at night.
 
Japhy said:
It would probably have the exact same impact. As a foreign movie made by Nazis its not going to be respectable in the Post-War world, and as a mostly forgotten work James Cameron will still, most likely, Crib a bunch of it when he makes his movie.

Beyond that, and I fully admit depending on ones views of Chaos Theory and the Butterfly effect even that might be too much, there's not really any impact to be had.

And of course end of the day, there's no reason for it to be a successful Propaganda picture, there's really nothing you can turn the story into that will appeal to a people dealing with war on two fronts and having their homes bombed regularly at night.
It need not be propaganda to be successful. Indeed, it would be better if it wasn't overt propaganda, but were "cheerful", like a lot of Hollywood films were. Or perhaps, given the ending, a melodrama not unlike Cameron's, perhaps with a wartime spy subplot (like 1975's "Hindenburg") instead of the absurd inter-class romance.:rolleyes:
 

Stolengood

Banned
Considering the director "killed himself" during production, I don't think this was EVER going to be a success, critical, profit, or otherwise...
 
Actually, I've heard that this movie very subtly critiqued the Nazis and that while it bombed in German, in places like Poland. Hungary and Romania it was a big success on that basis.
 

Japhy

Banned
It need not be propaganda to be successful. Indeed, it would be better if it wasn't overt propaganda, but were "cheerful", like a lot of Hollywood films were. Or perhaps, given the ending, a melodrama not unlike Cameron's, perhaps with a wartime spy subplot (like 1975's "Hindenburg") instead of the absurd inter-class romance.:rolleyes:

You apparently aren't familiar with how German Cinema Worked in the 1933-1945 era.
 
i saw this movie in original version in 1990s on german TV

it a hellish concoction of Propaganda movie
portraying British as murderous or cowardly Capitalist and Germans as good and nobel
no way that movie had become a success, more likely a infamous box office bomb.
even Goebbels consider this movie will be associated with downfall of The Third Reich

the movie do not critiqued the Nazis, that legend what formed
after the director of the Film, Herbert Selpin was arrested and found hanged in prison cell in 1943
he had criticized on set the War and crimes of Wehrmacht and was denunciated by Titanic screenwriter Walter Zerlett-Olfenius

Ironically in 1957 they recycle footage of this Movie for British movie "A Night to Remember" released in 1958
this Movie is consider as the high point by Titanic historians and survivors alike for its accuracy, until Cameron Titanic in 1997...
 
i saw this movie in original version in 1990s on german TV

it a hellish concoction of Propaganda movie
portraying British as murderous or cowardly Capitalist and Germans as good and nobel
no way that movie had become a success, more likely a infamous box office bomb.
even Goebbels consider this movie will be associated with downfall of The Third Reich

the movie do not critiqued the Nazis, that legend what formed
after the director of the Film, Herbert Selpin was arrested and found hanged in prison cell in 1943
he had criticized on set the War and crimes of Wehrmacht and was denunciated by Titanic screenwriter Walter Zerlett-Olfenius

Ironically in 1957 they recycle footage of this Movie for British movie "A Night to Remember" released in 1958
this Movie is consider as the high point by Titanic historians and survivors alike for its accuracy, until Cameron Titanic in 1997...

LOL ........
 
If I remember correctly, the term "box office bomb" doesn't exactly hit it, as the movie wasn't given a wide release by Goebbels... who correctly assumed that by the time it had been finished, the Third Reich looked too much like a sinking ship already.

Yes, it is overblown propaganda and definitely no masterpiece.
Nevertheless, the FX were quite good considering that this was the 40s and in the middle of the war. Also, if you know the movie you will realize that James Cameron also watched this one closely.
 
Well if Fredrick Zoller played the role of Jack, it may premiere at German Night in Paris . . .


Maybe it would have been better if Leni Reifenstahl directed, she could have possibly made it memorable
 
Beedok said:
Maybe we would see fewer Italian things that seem to think the Titanic was a work of fiction?
If the footage was reused OTL, & if Cameron did, indeed, use it as inspiration, what would stop a director in the '50s or '60s from doing either or both? IDK who, TBH. I'm thinking Frankenheimer, somehow.
 
Well if Fredrick Zoller played the role of Jack, it may premiere at German Night in Paris . . .

tumblr_mkxxxisIUb1qc04l9o1_500.gif

we hava a Bingo...

i look into the History of that Movie and found some interesting facts:

It's was order by Ministry of Propaganda, as Anti British Movie as support for War Effort in 1939
allot of Movie Studios try successful not to get the Order, Tobis Film GmBh volunteers and
offer a Skript based on Novel by Josef Pelz von Felinau, who claimed to be a survivors of Titanic, then became public he was not.
so they needed new script by Harald Bratt, now the Directors try not get involve in this mess special with Bratt brute force script
here Joseph Goebbels take the project in his hands order Walter Zerlett-Olfenius to write final script of "Titanic" and order Herbert Selpin to make the Movie because he was specialist on maritime movies.

The Movie was shot on ocean liner "Cap Arcona" and on the Baltic Sea; rest in studio in Berlin
but it was problematic by behavior of German Navy person on board "Cap Arcona" who grope the female actress and disrupted the Shooting.
back in Berlin Studios, Herbert Selpin belabour about German Navy on Set, his friend Walter Zerlett-Olfenius reported this to the GESTAPO
Selpin was arrest on Set, brought to Interrogation at GESTAPO HQ and found next morning hanged in his cell (assassinated)

Joseph Goebbels order Werner Klingler to complet the Movie, who already was delayed, cost rise to 4 million Reichsmark (US$180 million today).
as Movie was complete in 1943, time had change, the Nazi loose in Africa and Stalingrad and Soviet moving toward The Third Reich while Allies conquer Italy.
after first screening Goebbels was shocked, Titanic was a hellish concoction of Propaganda and disaster movie,
this would give the viewer the impression that the Third Reich is to go down,
A fact the film went on to have a respectable premiere in Paris in November 1943 "where it was surprisingly well-received by its audience" who understand clearly the impression,
while the premiere German theatre was bombed by RAF...
Finally Joseph Goebbels order that Movie is not show in german theaters and focus now on "Durchhalte Filme" (enduring Movies) to boost the Moral of Germans.
 
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