Bernard Hill: Captain Smith

Titanic

Captain Smith

Ismay: [Andrews enters room with crew behind him; he lays out architectural drawings on table, with Ismay behind him] Most unfortunate, captain!
Thomas Andrews: [perspiring and trembling] Water... fourteen feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the forepeak, in all three holds and in the boiler room six.
Ismay: When can we get underway, damnit!
Thomas Andrews: That's five compartments! She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached, but not five!
[tersely to Smith]
Thomas Andrews: Not five. As she goes down by the head, the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There's no stopping it.
Smith: The pumps... if we opened the doors...
Thomas Andrews: [interrupting] The pumps buy you time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.
Ismay: [incredulously] But this ship can't sink!
Thomas Andrews: She's made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty.
Smith: How much time?
Thomas Andrews: An hour... two at most.
Smith: And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?
1st Officer William Murdoch: 2,200 souls on board, sir.
Smith: [turning to Ismay] Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay.

Ismay: So you've not yet lit the last four boilers?
Smith: No, I don't see the need. We are making excellent time.
Ismay: The press knows the size of Titanic. Now I want them to marvel at her speed. We must give them something new to print! This maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines!
Smith: Mr. Ismay, I would prefer not to push the engines until they've been properly run in.
Ismay: Of course, I'm just a passenger. I leave it to your good offices to decide what's best. But what a glorious end to your final crossing if we were to get to New York on Tuesday night and surprise them all! Make the morning papers. Retire with a bang, eh E.J.?
Ismay: [Smith nods reluctantly] Good man.

Smith: [rushing to the helm after the iceberg strike] What was that, Mr. Murdoch?
1st Officer William Murdoch: An iceberg, sir. I put a hard a'starboard and ran the engines full astern, but it was too close. I tried to port 'round it, but she hit and the...
Smith: Close the watertight doors.
1st Officer William Murdoch: The doors are closed, sir.
Smith: [walking on deck] All stop!
[to Murdoch]
Smith: Find the carpenter. Get him to sound the ship.
1st Officer William Murdoch: Yes, sir!

Robert Hitchins: [deleted scene] C'mon, pull! Pull!
Smith: [Over brass megaphone] Come back! Come back to the ship! Boat 6, come back to the ship!
Molly Brown: [to other rowers] Stop! We have to go back!
Robert Hitchins: No. The suction will pull us down if we don't keep going.
Molly Brown: We've lots more room! I say we go back.
Robert Hitchins: No! It's our lives now, not theirs. And I'm in charge of this boat, madam! Now *row*!
Smith: This is the captain! This is the captain! Come back!
[pause]
Smith: The fools.

Smith: Clear.
Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller: Yes. I don't think I've ever seen such a flat calm.
Smith: Like a mill pond, not a breath of wind.
Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller: It will make the bergs harder to see... with no breaking water at the base.
Smith: Hmm. Well, I'm off. Mantain speed and heading, Mr. Lightoller.
Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller: Yes, sir.

[Captain Smith writes coordinates down on a piece of paper]
Harold Bride: CQD, sir?
Captain Smith: That's right, CQD, the distress call.
[hands the paper to Bride]
Captain Smith: That's our position.
[Bride reads the coordinates; Smith removes his hat]
Captain Smith: Tell whoever responds that we're going down by the bow and need immediate assistance.
[Smith puts his hat back on and leaves the radio room; Bride's associate looks at him in horror]
Harold Bride: Blimey!
[Bride puts on his headphones, turns on the radio and starts sending the distress call]