Titanic (1943 film)

Titanic
DVD cover based on the original film poster
Directed by	Herbert Selpin Werner Klingler (uncredited)
Produced by	Willy Reiber
Written by	Walter Zerlett-Olfenius Herbert Selpin
Starring	Sybille Schmitz Hans Nielsen
Production company	Tobis Filmkunst
Distributed by	UFA IHF (USA, Video) Kino Video (DVD, USA)
Release date	10 November 1943 (1943-11-10)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	Nazi Germany
Language	German
Budget	4,000,000 Reichsmark

Titanic is a 1943 German propaganda film made during World War II in Berlin by Tobis Productions for UFA. Despite the fact that a British company had already released a German-language film about the RMS Titanic in 1929, the film was commissioned by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels with the intent of showing not only the superiority of German filmmaking, but also as a propaganda vehicle which would show that British and American capitalism was responsible for the disaster. The addition of an entirely fictional heroic German officer to the ship's crew was intended to demonstrate the superior bravery and selflessness of German men as compared to the British officers.

The film's original director, Herbert Selpin, was arrested during production after speaking out against the Nazi regime – he was later found hanged in prison – and the film was completed by Werner Klingler, who was not credited.

Although the film had a brief theatrical run in parts of German-occupied Europe starting in November 1943, it was not shown within Germany by order of Goebbels, who feared that it would weaken the German citizenry's morale instead of improving it. Goebbels later banned the playing of the film entirely, and it did not have a second run.

The "Nazi Titanic" film was the first on the subject which was simply titled Titanic, and the first to combine various fictional characters and subplots with historical personae and events of the sinking; both conventions went on to become a staple of Titanic films.

A proclamation to the stockholders of the White Star Line declares the value of their stock is falling. The president of the Line, J. Bruce Ismay (E.F. Fürbringer), promises to reveal a secret during the maiden voyage of the line's new RMS Titanic that will change that. He alone knows she can break the speed record and receive the Blue Riband, and he believes this will raise the stock's value. Ismay and the board of the White Star Line plan to by selling short their own stock in order to buy it back at a lower price just before the news about the ship's record speed is revealed to the press.