Statue of Liberty by Karis Youngman
Most films about the Titanic have been filmed mainly in studio settings or at the wreck itself. There has been some location filming.
Titanic 1997
Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York USA
This iconic statue is seen at the end of the film when Rose arrives in New York. Designed by Frédérick Bartholdi, the statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States. It shows Libertas, the Roman goddess of Freedom holding a torch and a tablet evoking the law. The statue seen in the film is not quite as it would have been seen by Titanic survivors. The original colour was brown, and it has changed colours over the years, while the gold flame colour was added in 1986. There is public access to the statue and its crown.
SS Jeremiah O’Brien, The National Liberty Ship, Memorial, Pier 45, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco USA
The SS Jeremiah O’Brien is a seagoing Liberty Ship, originally launched in WWII. It took part in the D Day landings and was also present at the commemoration in 1994. It is the last unaltered Liberty ship and is historically accurate. The ship is now a floating museum in San Francisco. Boilers are lit and the reciprocating steam engine is operated on steaming weekends. Many of the Titanic scenes showing the engines in action were filmed on board this ship.
Raise the Titanic!
Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Los Angeles USA
Bronson Caves are a favourite location for Hollywood filmmakers. The caves are man made, the result of quarrying during the early part of the twentieth century. It comprises a 50 feet long cavern, with three exit caves, and a canyon like area on the far side of the cave complex. This site was used for the scene where Koplin finds Jake Hobart’s frozen body on a Russian island. The rocks were covered with white plastic to create the impression of a frozen mine in the middle of the Russian Arctic.
St Ives, Cornwall
Scenes featuring Pitt (Richard Jordan) and Bigalow (Sir Alec Guinness) were filmed around the town of St Ives. The pub used at the end of this scene is the Sloop Inn. St Ives is a pretty seaside town set around a sheltered harbour. There are many granite cottages, cobbled streets and narrow alleyways.
Dr Who: Voyage of the Dammed
The Coal Exchange, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay
The Coal Exchange was built between 1883 and 1886 and was where the owners of coal mines and shipping firms met to organise business deals. The first recorded million pound business deal was struck here. The trading hall is a stunning room complete with Corinthian columns, oak balcony and wood panelling. The Coal Exchange has now become an arts and entertainment centre. In Voyage of the Dammed, the trading hall became the Titanic’s lounge. London Street nearby was used for the filming the scene where David Tennant and Kylie Minogue are teleported to earth and passengers are invited to explore the shops.
Titanic Blood & Steel
St James’s Gate, Dublin, Eire
The area around St James’s Gate was used in the filming of Titanic Blood & Steel. It closely resembles what Belfast shipyards would have looked like when the Titanic was being built. The cobblestone streets and brown brick buildings found in the area are similar to those which would have been found in Belfast around 1907. The size of the Guinness plant replicates the scale of industry Harland & Wolff was to Belfast.