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Associated Movie: Titanic, starring Leonardo
DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane and Kathy Bates "Highly Recommended. Of particular interest are the interviews featuring two surviving crewmen. Although these are audio interviews only, one crewman gives a particularly vivid picture of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and his astonishing survival." -EMRO Review Found in a garden shed in England where it had been lying for nearly 90 years, this program contains the only movie film footage from 1912 ever taken of the RMS Titanic, and the only footage of the aftermath of the tragedy. Shots include the ship at Belfast before leaving to start the fateful maiden voyage; the ice flows where she hit the berg; the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia, returning with survivors; women from New York bringing clothing to the docks to comfort survivors; a 1937 radio interview with Charles Herbert Lightoller, the most senior officer to survive; plus, interviews with the 90-year-old woman who discovered the film, as well as conversations with two actual survivors. Produced by Kingfisher Productions. 07DR IJSCA 30 min. Associated Program: The Titanic Phenomenon |
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Associated Movie: Titanic, starring Leonardo
DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane and Kathy Bates "Recommended. The ongoing fascination with all things 'Titanic' ensures interest in this production that charts the 1912 maritime tragedy." -Booklist On April 10, 1912, the 882 foot, 46,000 ton RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world at the time, departed Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage. Five days later, this "virtually unsinkable epitome of British engineering" struck an iceberg and sank to the ocean floor, and 1,503 passengers and crew perished. Over the past 85 years, interest in the Titanic has grown to phenomenal levels: collectors are spending hundreds of dollars on memorabilia, museums are devoting more and more space to exhibits, movies are being made, Internet sites are being created, and dozens of historical societies are emerging, all to meet the demands of an almost mystifyingly inquisitive public. The recent commercially funded exploration of the vessel on the ocean floor has further fueled the public's zeal for information and memorabilia concerning the Titanic. This program addresses the increasing public "appeal and fascination" with the Titanic, from both historical and commercial perspectives. It includes rare archival footage and new underwater film of the Titanic, as well as interviews with authors, collectors, historians and Titanic survivor, Ms. Millvina Dean. It also includes an interview with British psychologist Ludwig Lowenstein, who explains how and why the Titanic has achieved legendary status and has become a phenomenon throughout the world. Produced by David and Sharon Ellery. 08DR IJSCA 50 min. Associated Program: The Lost Film of the Titanic |
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"Highly Recommended. This excellent documentary recounts
one of the 20th century's greatest tragedies at sea, the sinking of the
British luxury liner Lusitania by a German U-boat during World War 1."
-National Review Three years after the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 14, 1912, the world was shocked by another tragedy at sea, the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915; however, this disaster was no accident. At 1:40 p.m. of that fateful day, a German U-boat fired one torpedo at the luxurious British ocean liner, penetrating the hull of the great ship just below the waterline, which led to a second explosion, and in a matter of 18 minutes the RMS Lusitania sank just 14 miles off the coast of southern Ireland at Old Head of Kinsale. The severe listing of the ship prevented most of the lifeboats from being launched and 1,198 of the 1,959 people on board perished. Although Germany and England were in the midst of World War I, people around the world were outraged that a submarine would sink a vessel ferrying civilians across the Atlantic. Lord Mersey, who was chairman of the official investigation, was quoted as saying, "The 'Lusitania' case was a damned, dirty business!" Because Captain William Thomas Turner had steered the ship into a dangerous war zone; also, because the submarine commander, Walther Schwieger, insisted only one torpedo had been fired, which led to speculation there may have been ammunition hidden in the cargo hold, much controversy and debate surrounded the sinking of great liner. This investigative program explores the history of the ship, recounts the tragedgy, while shedding new light on the intrigue and mystery surrounding the second explosion. Produced by a Yellow Production. 08DR JSCA 52 min. |
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From its maiden voyage on May 27, 1936, until its
decommissioning in 1967, the RMS Queen Mary served as the Flag Ship
of British ocean transportation, and as a lasting example of British
"endeavor, achievement, and excellence." The Queen Mary was designed
with the wealthiest travelers in mind and with an eye toward garnering the
majority of the trans-Atlantic passenger business during the mid 1930's and
for years to come. This program showcases the memories and memorabilia of
actual designers, crew members, and passengers of the Queen Mary, who
recount the unprecedented splendor and engineering marvels of this ship and
the lasting impact the vessel had upon them. The program is rich with
original film and still photographs, and it includes an appropriately
engaging and flowing musical score. Viewers see the lush originality, the
uncompromising furnishings, the unparalleled craftsmanship, and the endless
amenities that were lavished upon the celebrities, royalty, and millionaires
who were fortunate enough to book transport on the Queen Mary.
Viewers also experience the same sense of sadness felt by residents of
Southampton, England, when their Queen Mary departed on its final
voyage on October 31, 1967, eventually docking in Long Beach, California,
where she was converted into a world-class hotel. Viewers will be awestruck
by the sheer enormity and grandeur of this storybook ocean liner and too
will feel as though they have been enriched by this "floating palace."
Produced by David and Sharon Ellery. 08DR IJSCA 50 min. Associated Program: The Queen Mary's Maiden Voyage |
| This is an unforgettable trip to Paradise - to the beautiful islands of the South Pacific. But as viewers will quickly see, this is no ordinary journey. We cross the "time lines" using two magnificent vessels: the Sea Cloud is a grand square-rigged tall ship, perhaps the tallest ship anywhere, with four masts and 29 sails, a vision of the past, reflecting what once was; the Wind Song is a modern sailing ship with state-of-the-art technology whose functions respond to, and are guided by, computers. On the first leg of our voyage, we meet the crews and watch how each ship uniquely navigates the open seas. Then we follow the path of Stevenson, Gauguin, Melville and countless others across the Pacific to the Marquesas Islands, where Gauguin spent his last years, to the Solomons where, between August, 1942, and February, 1943, American troops drove the Japanese from Guadalcanal and the rest of the Solomons. Produced by Lenra Productions. 08DR JSCA 60 min. |
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6. A History of Great Ships |
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Narrated by Tom Baker, this history of great ships
first examines the important roles these vessels played in history, looking
back at a century that was dominated by two world wars, then into the modern
world to discover nuclear-powered submarines, aircraft carriers and
luxurious cruise liners. Produced by Green Umbrella Productions, Inc. 2007
JSCA "Special Box-Set Savings" - 2 Parts in a 1-DVD Box Set! Also
available on 2 DVDs, Videos or Digital Files. 6a. A History of Great Ships - Part 1: 1900 - World War II After recognizing the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, the oldest of the British armed services, this history of great ships begins in 1906 with warships, such as the battleship HMS Dreadnaught, which was the first all big-gun battleship that revolutionized a generation of ship design; then the battlecruiser HMS Lion, whose lineage dates back to the early 16th century. Next, when Germany and Great Britain raced passenger liners, we're introduced to the RMS Lusitania, which was tragically sunk by a German U-boat during WW I, it's sister ship, the RMS Mauretania, and the RMS Titanic, which sunk in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Equally impressive liners were Germany's SS Imperator, the SS Vaterland (later the SS Leviathan), the SS Bremen and the SS Europa. The start of WW I brought an array of ships, including submarines and aircraft carriers, such as the USS Langley, the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier. After the war great luxury liners included France's SS Normandie and England's Queen Mary 1, which sailed for 31 years and today is permanently berthed in Long Beach, California, serving as a museum ship and hotel. Next, we learn of great ships that served during WW II, including England's the SS Athenia, the first British ship sunk by Germany, the HMS Warspite, which was nicknamed "The Old Lady," the HMS Exeter, the HMS Hood, and Germany's Bismark, which was sunk three days after Winston Churchill's famous order, "sink the 'Biskmark.'" 60 min. 6b. A History of Great Ships - Part 2: World War II - Today This study of great ships continues during WW II, first with the heroic American tanker USS Ohio; next to the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse, which were sunk by the Japanese three days after Pearl Harbor; at the Battle of the Coral Sea we see the USS Yorktown and the USS Lexington, which was lost during the battle. "Operation Neptune" was the term used for the naval side of "Operation Overlord," when the Allies landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944; the warships included six battleships, twenty-three cruisers, 135 destroyers with escort ships and 508 various other ships. After the war greater strides are made with ships, including the world's first nuclear-powered ship, the USS Nautilus, and Britain's first nuclear-powered submarine, the HMS Dreadnought; steam-powered catapults are used on aircraft carriers to propel aircraft forward, allowing them to take off in a shorter distance; light aircraft carriers, such as the HMS Illustrious will replace the HMS Invincible; lastly, cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth 2, the Queen Mary 2, the Canberra and Aurora, offer passengers everything possible for the ultimate cruise experience. 60 min. |