Raise the Titanic [1980]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1979
Running Times: 113 mins
Length: 3,135 metres
Format: colour [DeLuxe]     35mm     70mm [blow-up]     Filmed in Technivision
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Recorded in Dolby Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Lord Grade presents a Martin Starger production
Copyright: © MVMLXXX ITC Films, Inc.
Executive in Charge of Production: Richard L. O'Conner
Executive Producer: Martin Starger
Produced by: William Frye
Production Manager: Robin Clark
Production Manager [U.K. / Malta]: Ray Frift
Production Manager [Greece]: Dimitri Dimitriadis
Assistant Production Manager [Greece]: Nicos Doucas
Production Coordinator: Nancy Meyer
European Unit Production Supervisor: Malcolm Christopher

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Adam Kennedy
Adaptation by: Eric Hughes
Based upon the novel by Clive Cussler

DIRECTION
Directed by: Jerry Jameson
Second Unit Director: Mickey Moore
First Assistant Director: Jim Westman
Second Assistant Directors: Scott Easton, Paul Chavez
Second Assistant Director [U.K. / Greece]: Roy Stevens

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Matthew F. Leonetti
Director of Photography - Second Unit: Rex Metz
Director of Photography - Full Size Underwater Inserts: Jack Cooperman
Camera Operator: Bill Johnson
First Assistant Camera: Dennis Matsuda
Second Assistant Camera: Pat McGinnis
Key Gaffer: John Baron
Gaffer [European Unit]: John Tythe
Key Grips: Doug Willis, John C. Kirk
Still Photography: Ralph Nelson
Ultracam 35 Cameras Provided by: Leonetti Cine Rentals Hollywood

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Film Editors: J. Terry Williams, Robert F. Shugrue
Assistant Editor: Martin Chielens

MUSIC
Music by: John Barry
Music Editor: Ken Hall

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Dean Gilmore
Sound Mixer [European Unit]: John Mitchell
Boom Man: Glen Lambert
Boom Operator [European Unit]: Keith Pamplin
Re-Recording Mixers: John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., Robert Thirlwell
Sound Effects Editors: William H. Wistrom, Ross Taylor
Glen Glen P.A.P. Systems: R. William Thiederman

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Makeup: Bob Dawn
Makeup [European Unit]: Robin Grantham
Hairstylist: Cherie
Hairstylist [European Unit]: Ramon Gow
Wardrobe Supervisor: John Anderson
Wardrobe: Diane Cohoon

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Alex Weldon
Model and Mechanical Effects Supervisor: John Richardson
Director - Model Unit [Malta]: Ricou Browning
Director of Photography - Model Unit [Malta]: Bob Steadman
Director of Photography - Additional Sequences: Arthur Wooster
High Speed Cinematography [Malta]: Bruce Hill
Construction Coordinator: Dick Frift
Set Decorator: Ian Whittaker

VISUAL EFFECTS
Matte Effect Supervisor: Wally Veevers
Main Title Design: Gene Kraft
Titles and Opticals by: Pacific Title

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designed by: John F. DeCuir
Art Director: John DeCuir Jr
Set Decorator [Wasington D.C.]: Raphael Bretton
Property Masters: Larry Bird, Ken Zimmerman
Supervisor of Construction: Hank Kentop
Supervising Painter: Sylvan Zimmerman

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Ray Quiros
Production Accountant: Ron Cook
Production Auditor: Dick Dixon
Production Secretary: Miriam Jacobs
Production Assistant [Greece / Malta]: Marilyse Morgan
Transportation Captain: Don Casella
Boat Master: Manny Louis
Unit Publicist: Arthur Wilde
Production Runner: Callum McDougall [uncredited]
Technical Advisors: Don Keach, Don Walsh
Navy Technical Advisor: Capt Bill Graves
Technical Coordinator: Don Nobles

LOCATIONS
Filmed at Studio Center, Hollywood and on locations in the United States, Greece, England and at Malta Film Facilities, Malta
Actual Locations [not credited on screen]: Bronson Caverns, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; San Diego, California, USA; Valdez, Alaska, USA; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St Ives, England, UK

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Producers wish to acknowledge the contribution of the following companies or organizations in teh making of this picture: Amatek, Straza Division Equipment; General Electric; Hewlett Packard; Klein Associates; Sony Video Products; Spectra-Physics; Rockwell International; Lockheed Ocean Laboratory; Enline Camera Systems; Hill Production Service; Transoceanic Cable Ship Company; Meridian House International; Oceanic Navigation Research Society and Charles Ira Sachs; Transatlantic Research; Sandecker's office provided by National Trust for Historical Preservation

CASTING
Casting by: Mike Fenton and Jane Feinberg

CAST
Starring
Jason Robards [Admiral James Sandecker]
Richard Jordan [Dirk Pitt]
David Selby [Dr Gene Seagram]
Anne Archer [Dana Archibald]
and
Alec Guinness [John Bigalow]

Co-Starring
Bo Brundin [Captain Andre Prevlov]
M. Emmet Walsh [Albert Giordino]
J.D. Cannon [Captain Joe Burke]

Featuring
Norman Bartold [Kemper]
Elya Baskin [Marganin]
Dirk Blocker [Merker]
Robert Broyles [Willis]
Paul Carr [Nicholson]
Michael C. Gwynne [Bohannon]
Harvey Lewis [Kiel]
Charles Macaulay [Busby]
Stewart Moss [Koplin]
Michael Pataki [Munk]
Marvin Silbersher [Antonov]
Mark L. Taylor [Spence]
Maurice Kowaleski [Dr Silverstein]
Nancy Nevinson [Sarah]
Trent Dolan [Isbell]
Paul Tuerpe [Klink]
Sander Vanocur [commentator]
Ken Place [drummer]
Michael Ensign [Northacker]
Craig Shreeve [Gunther]
Brendan Burns [Carter]
Jonathan Moore [Captain Parotkin]
George Whiteman [Beck]
Hilly Hicks [Woodson]
Mike Kulcsar [Russian sentry]
Alexander Firsow [Sloyuk]
Mark Hammer [Polevoi]
Ron David [reporter 2]
Franchelle Dorn [reporter 3]
Claire Lee [reporter 4]
Norvell McDonald [reporter 5]
James Scopelitis [reporter 6]
Gabrielle DeCuir-Carr [reporter 7]
James W. Gavin [helicopter pilot]
Bert Drake [helicopter passenger]
Nicos Savalas [Welch]
Roy Evans [gravedigger 1]
Tom Curnow [gravedigger 2]
Clive Cussler [bearded reporter at Sandecker press conference (uncredited)]
Garth Inns [safe cutter (uncredited)]

An American team plan to raise the wreck of the Titanic from its resting place on the Atlantic seabed. But they have competition from a Russian team, both groups desperate to lay their hands on a rare mineral that was being carried by the ship, a mineral that could help in the construction of a powerful laser weapon.

A ridiculous idea that might have worked fine on the printed page but when translated to the big screen loses an awful lot. The cast look bored and bewildered, the effects are merely adequate and only John Barry's stirring score saves the day. Even James Cameron's bloated and over-rated Titanic [1997] is better than this...

Germany
Video Distributor: VCL Communications GmbH
DVD Distributor: Laser Paradies [22578]; Cine Plus

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Associated Film Distribution
Laserdisc Distributor: CBS Fox [9023-80]

Finland
Rating: K-12

Norway
Rating: 12

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG

AWARDS

1981
Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Picture [William Frye] - nominated
Worst Screenplay [Eric Hughes, Adam Kennedy] - nominated
Worst Supporting Actor [David Selby] - nominated

1980
August
1: USA - theatrical release

October
31: Finland - theatrical release

1981
February
2: Sweden - theatrical release

March
3: Norway - theatrical release

2001
August
31: Germany - DVD release [Cine Plus]

2003
January
3: UK - television broadcast [on UK Gold]

2007
January
20: UK - television broadcast [on BBC Two]

They've found the Titanic. There's just one thing left to do...

They said that God himself couldn't sink it. Now they say that no man could raise it.

Hebt die Titanic - German title
Rescaten el Titanic - Spanish title
Nostakaa Titanic! - Finnish title
La guerre des abîmes - French title
Blitz nell'oceano - Italian title
A Guerra dos Abismos - Portugese title
Lyft Titanic - Swedish title

MAGAZINES

TV Times 17 - 23 August 1985 p.41
credits

TV Times 20 December 1986 - 2 January 1987 p.12
review

BOOKS

Film Review 1981-1982
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

book into film, cold war, divers, helicopters, military, new york, the ocean, scientists, shipwrecks, statue of liberty, submarines, titanic, twist endings, underwater

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007