Actor who played Murdoch

[Susan Alby]

I thought the actor who played Murdoch was very good. The scene where he through Cal's money at him and said that his money couldn't save him was priceless. Is he English or American?

 

[Desiree Pearse]

The actor who played Murdoch, Ewan Stewart, is Scottish.

I agree, he was very good in the part. The shooting scene must of been tough to do, though. You can read more about Ewan and his other acting ventures here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829380/

 

[brigitte coonie]

Other than the shooting scene Ewan Stewart did a good job of portraying Murdoch.

 

[Lucy Steigerwald]

It's funny, but I don't mind the Murdoch shooting scene as much as some things Cameron did. At least it was a disturbing scene and was based on rumors. Some of the stuff, Margaret Brown being quelled in the lifeboat and how Lightoller acted, as far as I know came out of thin air.

I mean, even thought I clearly see the reasons for the Murdoch shooting himself scene objections, I personally find other things worse.

 

[Jack Coburn]

I didn't mind the shooting scene either. I always knew Cameron's intention was to draw sympathy to the character, he was forced into that unfortunate situation of killing those people. Likewise, with the bribery, i don't think Murdoch was shown with the greatest enthusiasm in accepting that money. I don't even think he did accepted it, Cal just shoved it straight into his pocket.

There was a much worse shooting scene Cameron did, and that was Cal's performance down the grand staircase.

 

[Roy Kristiansen]

>>There was a much worse shooting scene Cameron did, and that was Cal's performance down the grand staircase.

That scene was just loony and is one of several I usually skip past.

Roy

 

[mark garfien]

How does Cal even know who Murodch is and how does Murdoch know Cal. That always bothers me.
-Mark

 

[Andrew Y Liu]

Hello Mark,
Cal probably knew Murdoch because they probably saw each other around on the Titanic. That is how Murdoch knew Cal. Plus, Ewan Stewart did a Great Job!

 

[Michael H. Standart]

If somebody was a regular North Atlantic traveler, it's not outside the realm of possibility that such a person might be aquainted with some officers other then the Captain. Especially if they had a tendency to stick with the same line.

It may not be the likeliest scenerio, but it's not impossible.

 

[Robert T. Paige]

Hello, Mark ,

My two cents worth.:

Cal probably knew Murdoch from sight. And it might not have been the other way around all that well - Murdoch knowing Cal, that is - maybe just from sight also- and after all Cal was a rich young millionaire playboy - not exactly an inconspicuous passenger ! Lovejoy makes a remark to Cal - something to the effect that Murdoch "seems to be reasonable" - so maybe Lovejoy and Murdoch knew each other more than Cal and Murdoch. "Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men ?".....or James Cameron.

Hello to you too, Michael -

This, too, may not be the likeliest scenario, but it's just one more to add....again "It's only a movie !" Nevertheless I would have to rate Ewan Stewart ahead of Billy Zane in the acting department. LOL.

 

[Robert T. Paige]

Hello again, Mark and Michael-

Some more fictional scenarios.:

I believe it's in one of the deleted scenes that Rose mentions to Jack that Lovejoy was an ex-Pinkerton Man or some kind of "cop".

So maybe Lovejoy would have had previous dealings with Ship's Officers - maybe even Murdoch on previous sailings - before Nathan Hockley hired him to look after his sometimes wayward son ?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>So maybe Lovejoy would have had previous dealings with Ship's Officers - maybe even Murdoch on previous sailings - before Nathan Hockley hired him to look after his sometimes wayward son ?<<

It's a possibility. The Pinkertons got around, and it's not unknown for cops to take an interest in shipping, particularly if smuggling is a problem. (Which it was in the real world.) Lovejoy came across as a keen observer, which for a detective is to be expected. Even if he didn't know the officers, I think he would make it his business to find out.

That he was packing a gun tells me he was a lot more then a manservent.

 

[sharon rutman]

Lovejoy was Cal's glorified babysitter hired to protect this fool from himself. The shooting scene where Cal seizes Lovejoy's gun and starts chasing Jack and Rose down the Grand Stair case still leaves me speechless. Cal, oblivious to everything else, shoots at the fleeing pair wildly begins firing at them! I'm amazed that no one else was hurt or killed! Didn't Cal ever hear of the phrase "innocent bystanders?"

All things considered, Ewan Stewart did a remarkable job as Murdoch. The only positive scene involving Murdoch was his deadly showdown with the iceberg.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

The one concession to credibility there was that there was nobody in the dining room at the time. Of course, there was a problem with a bit of water getting into the carpet.

As to Lovejoy, I tend to think of him less as a babysitter and more along the lines of a hired thug who was kept handy to do Cal's dirty work.

 

[sharon rutman]

And alas, Cal also ran out of bullets. What a pity.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

Regarding Ewan Stewart, wasn't he interviewed over his role as Murdoch? I read somewhere (I think on this board) that he caught some "heck" over the shooting, too, or that he was asked his perspective over that particular incident.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Susanne Stormer interviewed him for A Career at Sea, Mark. It's been a while since I've reread it...the essential gist of his remarks seems to have been, from my recollection, that it was just a job.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

Really, Inger? That doesn't sound too exciting. I'd also be curious about whether or not Johnny Phillips, Ian Gruffuth (sp?), and Mark Lyndsay Chapman ever did interviews.

 

[George L. Lorton]

Hey Mark.

Ioan (Yo-Ann) Gruffrydd (Griffith) is how the Welsh spell it I think. Or you could just say John Griffith which is his name in English but he'd probably not like that. Sorry I don't mean to come off as a know it all.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

No, not at all. I knew there was a 'y,' 'u' and two 'd's in there, but I just couldn't remember how the letters were arranged. I do remember, however, that his last name was a variation on "Griffith," that Welsh 'Io's are pronounced like the English 'Y', and the 'w' is a vowel, believe it or not, sounding much like the English 'u'. I have a strong academic background in linguistics, but my knowledge in Welsh/Celtic is limited. There are similarities and parallels to Latin, which I find very interesting. It's easy once you start learning it.