Titanic (1953)

Fearing that her elitist husband (Clifton Webb) is turning their children into carbon copies of himself, his wife (Barbara Stanwyck) leaves Europe and takes their daughter (Audrey Dalton) and son (Harper Carter) back to America with her on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. But the husband discovers her ruse and surprises her by showing up on the voyage. Directed by Jean Negulesco (THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN), the film eschews spectacle and concentrates on its characters. It's not historically accurate but then again, it's not really a film about the sinking of the Titanic (the special effects are modest) which is a backdrop to the dramatic story of a fractured family. Webb is particularly good here, showing that he can do more than play wasps spouting acidic quips. There's also a subplot about a defrocked priest (Richard Basehart) but the time spent on a banal shipboard romance between Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner only drags the movie down. Other than that, it's an enjoyable effort with half the running time of its more famous 1997 Oscar winning sister. With Thelma Ritter, Brian Aherne, Edmund Purdom, Allyn Joslyn, Frances Bergen and Mae Marsh.