The film named other real-life passengers such as John Jacob Astor and the Strauses. Yet Thelma Ritter's character, who is quite obviously based on Molly Brown, is given the fictional name Maude Young. Was it ever explained why?
shareI myself do not know . . . however, as you, I too wondered . . . why not simply use the name Mrs. Brown, or something . . . why Maude Young? I can't figure . . .
shareSome have speculated the use of a real person's name that close to their lifetime. Molly's children were still alive at the time and Fox may have been concerned about legal entanglements. If you notice, A Night to Remember (5 years later) doesn't specifically name her either.
She's the focus of at least one teleplay in the 50s but they may have cleared it with her children. Same with The Unsinkable Molly Brown, since it's her life story.
I believe in ANTR, she does refer to her husband by name "Leadville Johnny Brown."
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