When Titanic sailed into cinemas on this very day 25 years ago, it was hard to imagine James Cameron’s expensive extravaganza with its glum storyline and two relatively minor stars would go on to become the highest-grossing film of the time. But two-and-a-half decades later, the love story of Jack and Rose continues to live on. Here are 10 lesser-known facts from Titanic that you probably didn’t know.
James Cameron actually visited the Titanic wreck
James Cameron went on an actual diving expedition to the real RMS Titanic wreck before working on the script of the movie. He made 12 dives to reach the remains of the ship and used the footage in his film. Reportedly, Cameron was overcome with an extreme sense of loss during these diving trips and sought to recreate such emotions in the film.
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Leonardo DiCaprio was not the first choice for Jack
DiCaprio was not James Cameron’s first choice for the role of Jack. The director had reservations about the actor because he came to the audition with a diva-like attitude and initially refused to attend the script-reading session. Matthew McConaughey was almost cast in the iconic role. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Jeremy Sisto also auditioned for Jack’s role. But Leo charmed the director during the audition and the rest, as they say, is history.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Rose?
Like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet was also not the first choice for the role of Rose. James Cameron was actually considering someone like Gwyneth Paltrow to play that character. Even Madonna was considered for the role of Rose. Also in the running: Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, Cameron Diaz and Sharon Stone.
Cameron’s obsessive attention to detail
James Cameron’s reputation for his attention to detail is well known to cinephiles around the world. The stellar production design of the film is a testament of his microscopic vision. From the silverware to the tea cups with the White Star Line emblem — every tiny little element on the screen was painstakingly detailed. Cameron even wrote backstories for each of the extras who were part of this grand production.
The famous ‘door frame’ was based on an actual artefact from Titanic
The piece of wooden door frame on which Rose was floating after the sinking of Titanic has been in the eye of the storm for 25 years now. There have been heated debates on whether Jack could have fitted on that frame as well. James Cameron recently revealed that he had conducted a scientific study before filming Jack’s fate in Titanic. But did you know that the design of that door frame was based on a piece of furniture from the real ship’s wreckage? It is displayed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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Cameron paid tribute to the Pomeranians that survived the shipwreck
Gloria Stuart, in the role of an elderly Rose in the movie, owns a white Pomeranian. It was James Cameron’s way of paying tribute to the dogs that survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Two of the three dogs that survived the shipwreck were Pomeranians. Cameron filmed the scenes of the animals being released from their kennels when the ship was sinking, but they didn't make the final cut.
An iconic photograph from the ship was recreated for the movie
In the movie, when Jack sneaks onto the first class deck, there is a scene of a child spinning a top. James Cameron actually recreated this scene from a photo taken aboard the ship. On April 11, 1912 a six-year-old Robert Douglas Spedden was captured on camera by Francis Browne while playing the game. His father is also seen in the photograph standing nearby. The boy and the father survived the sinking of the ship.
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Cameron altered the incorrectly depicted night sky in the movie
Titanic was praised by viewers and critics alike for the historical accuracy in the film’s depiction of the tragedy. But the night sky was inaccurately depicted in the scene in which Rose was seen floating on the wooden door. Cameron rectified the error in the 2012 re-release version of the movie based on a constellation map of the night sky in April 1912, prepared by the much-acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
The Renault car in the movie was also aboard the real ship
In the beginning of the movie, we see a car being hoisted onto the Titanic. It was a 1912 Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville. You’d be surprised to know that the car used in the movie was actually on board the Titanic, according to the ship's cargo manifesto. It belonged to an American named William Carter of Bryn Mawr.
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Celine Dion changed Cameron’s mind about a song in the movie
Cameron didn’t want any song in Titanic. He initially approached Enya to compose the score for the film, but she declined. Cameron then turned to James Horner. Although the latter was aware of Cameron’s no-song wish, he still secretly recorded a demo tape of the song My Heart Will Go On with Celine Dion. The rest is history. The song has become as iconic as the movie and is also one of Dion’s signature songs.
