Lawrence Beesley

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Christine Geyer

Guest
Dear Cook!

Yes, it's two of the ones you describe. The one shows him sitting in a lifeboat speaking and the other, which I personally find rather touching, shows him standing at the railing alone. In the background you see dozens of extras wearing lifebelts but he is all by himself, even not noticing he gets photographed and his eyes look far far in a distance. Maybe I found those even more touching than the pictures of other survivors because of the intensity of his describing in his book. So we feel somewhat familiar with him. The underlining of this special picture says that Mr. Beesley was deeply moved to see the action taking part there. And you can really see that in his face.

Unfortunately I don't have an own scanner but I will bring the book to the office and make scans of it next monday. Then I'll try if I can publish them here.

The book even shows pictures with Edith Russel (with the pig !!) when she visited the studios and one shows Mr. Boxhall talking to three others. I'll scan them all if you like. By the way I got the book from THS. And the package included even... *psssst* ... my 24 k golden OFFICERS BUTTON REPLICA ! HA !
Proud
But that's something completely different...

Many regards
Christine
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Dear Christine,

Thanks for letting me know which photos appear in the book. Have you ever seen the film "The Making of 'A Night to Remember'"? For a few brief moments, you can see moving footage (the only such footage I know of) of Beesley as he smiles for the camera. Apparently, he contributed a bit to the background material for that movie. According to Laurien, during it's filming, Lawrence was persuaded by the director "to sit in a caravan with a tape recorder and try to reproduce the despairing cries which the survivors in the lifeboats heard as the Titanic went down. It is a curious and macabre thought that the cries my father recorded were then used as a basis for part of the film's soundtrack."

One can only wonder what was going through Lawrence's mind as he did this.

Best regards,
Cook
 
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Christine Geyer

Guest
Dear Cook,

I haven't known that a film about the making of A night to remember existed at all !! I thought I made a rare find with the book already... Hmpf... It sounds absolutely interesting and I would love to see it. But I assume it is even as hard to find ?? Do you have any idea if you buy or order it on video/dvd anywhere ??

I amost couldn't believe my eyes when I just read your posting. They asked him to imitate the screams ?? That doesn't sound quite sensitive, does it ?? I would've never thought that he agreed to do this since he seemed to suffer from the remembrance of those screams. What do you think was his motivation for it ?? The wish to help to make the movie become as authentic as it could be ?? I would've bet that he refused to do so. Makes me become a goose-skin when I imagine that situation... The poor man...

Many regards
Christine
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Dear Christine,

The film version of "The Making of 'A Night To Remember'", I believe, has been out for a few years now. I don't know this for sure but I am lead to believe it was this version that led to the book (if anyone knows differently on this, please let me know). I taped my copy off a cable channel "American Movie Classics". I'll check around but right now I can't tell you where to find a copy.

Regarding the tape recorder episode, I felt much the same way as you did upon first reading it. There is one more episode involving Lawrence and the movie which, possibly, may be connected. As you know, Lawrence and his daughter, Laurien, dressed as passengers, forged passes and got on the 'mock Titanic' during a night shoot to be with those who went down with the ship. They were discovered and removed before the cameras began to toll, however. I don't know which episode came first, this or the tape recorder, but I have often wondered if the director, after removing Beesley from the ship, gave him the tape recorder to allow Beesley to participate more in the project.

It is a chilling story, at any rate, and one can only wonder what became of that tape.

Best regards,
Cook
 
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Mike Herbold

Member
The video version of "The Making of a Night To Remember" is available from:
VideoVaudeVille,
65 Tontine Street,
Folkestone
Kent CT20 1JR
England

They are a regular advertiser in the "Atlantic Daily Bulletin." Unfortunately for those of us in the colonies, they don't take credit cards, so they are a bit awkward to deal with. I can't remember if they take American or other checks. I think I sent them cash. The price is 14 lbs 99 ounces or some such, postage paid in England. To get it to the States, it's probably about $29.95.
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Thanks for that, Mike.

Did a little digging of my own and came across this:

http://www.criterionco.com/Pages/ln.htm

The Criterion tape includes the movie "A Night to Remember" plus interviews with Ken Marschall and Don Lynch PLUS "The Making of 'A Night To Remember". This is some package! Sells for around $30.00

Hope this is of some help.

Best regards,
Cook
 
Phillip Gowan

Phillip Gowan

RIP
Mike/Pat
That's Dave Bryceson who owns VideoVaudeVille in England. He's a super nice fellow--now working on a book on the life of Elizabeth Ramell Nye (later Mrs. George Darby). I'll send you his e-mail privately and you can ask what forms of payment he'll take.

Phil
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Thanks, Phil.

I had no idea Bryceson was connected with this company! I need to check out this site a bit more to see what other 'goodies' he may have.

Look forward to your email.

A fellow Texan,
Cook
 
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Christine Geyer

Guest
Thank you all very much for your help !! I'm very curious to finally see the making of now. Cook, that package would be perfect since I have to admit I don't have the actual film on video too. I see I have to extend my videoshelf as well, not only the bookshelf.

See you here later, I remember my father has a scanner too. I'm visiting him today and see if I can show you the photos later.

Many regards
Christine
 
G

Geoff Whitfield

Member
Dear Grandad Cook,
Check out Dave Bryceson's advert in the "Atlantic Daily Bulletin" it gives a fairly comprehensive list of his wares.

Your Obedient Grandson

Ethelbert
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Thanks, Christine. And you too, Ethel. I'll check out my copy of the ADB.

By the way, that Criterion site, as far as I can tell, only sells their version on CDs and DVDs - didn't see any on videotape. Don't TELL me they're fazing out THOSE now! I still miss my 8-track player!

Best regards,
Cook
 
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Christine Geyer

Guest
Cook, I sent you a mail today. *thinkingofthecopyrightsandsuddenlyforgettinganyintentionofpublishinganythingfromanybookhere*

Many innocent regards
Proud

Christine
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Hey, Christine,

Thanks for the email and surprises!

Isentyouanemailrightbackbytheway

Best regards,
Cook
 
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Christine Geyer

Guest
Talking about Lawrence Beesley and his actions in ANTR I just took his book once again and read it in at a single blow (the only good thing about having a cold is that you've got plenty of time to read). And once more I was wondering how it came that he stated so definite the ship was going down as a whole, while he was watching it going down deliberately and he had such a sharp eye and power of observation. In his book he writes so clear about a great lot of details, which constitutes the special fascination of his book for a good part. He remembers so many little things, so careful. So I always wonder how it came that just he stated it was going down as a whole.

I would be interested in your opinions about that.

Many regards
Christine
 
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Pat Cook

Member
Hi Christine,

Here I'm reminded of a line spoken by Sydney Wang (a character played by the late Peter Sellers in Neil Simon's movie "Murder By Death") - "Answer simple. But question...very hard!"

The answer, IMHO, is Lawrence Beesley believed the ship sank in one piece. The question is why did he believe this? Here are some other accounts from #13 (I've tried to stick to accounts as close in time to the event as possible - later accounts tend to 'spread out' a bit.)

Albert Caldwell, in The Platte County Gazette, May 9, 1912, stated he noticed the Titanic "now with its lights burning which burned until ten minutes before the ship went down, its bow went lower and lower till it was standing at an angle of almost 45 degrees, and then amid yells and shrieks, with an almost straight plunge, with the sound of s slush, the Titanic went down to the bottom of the sea two miles below."

Elizabeth Dowdell, in her account in the April 20, 1912 edition of the Hudson Dispatch: "About two o'clock we could notice the Titanic settling very rapidly, with the bows and the bridge completely under water. In a few moments she was devoured by the great waters of the ocean."

I've found later accounts by Mary Davis and Bridget Bradley (written by her daughter - I personally do not believe Bradley was in #13) who do not mention anything about the ship breaking up. The only account I've found so far by a #13 occupant was Washington Dodge's Commonwealth Speech given May 11, 1912: "As one who was then in the ocean in the ocean expressed it: 'It looked like a great mountain hanging directly over my head, which I expected would instantly fall back on me." Following this the vessel was seen to buckle close to the water line, and immediately she took her final plunge into the ocean depths." (He states "the vessel was seen to buckle", inferring he did not see this himself.)

My guess is Beesley was another who agreed with these people in his boat. My idea here, and I haven't checked this out, is that when the Titanic went under, #13 was directly behind the stern. Consequently, they could only see the aft section rise, fall and rise again as it took its final plunge.

Again, just my opinion here. But thanks for asking the question - I'm making a separate file of accounts on just this question now.

Best regards,
Cook
 
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