MovieChat Forums > Titanic (2012) Discussion > Harry Widener (Spoiler Alert)

Harry Widener (Spoiler Alert)

posted 12 years ago by ammii_dark_angel
8 replies | jump to latest

Okay. I just finished watching this. And I'm upset about Harry's death.
Sure. I'm upset about the whole show. It was horrible. It made me cry in the end though. And I'm still stuck with a bunch of questions.

My main questions is about Harry though. Coz I'm devistated.

I've been going through the final episode over and over, checking what he wore, whether he wore a life jacket or not, his hair, his tie, etc. etc.
(I like the guy that acted as him. Noah Reid has been a babe for years.)

Anyway. The bit where Mario jumps onto the over-turned life-boat and calls out for Paulo, I realised that he helped someone from the sea onto the boat.
No, it's not what Harry was wearing. Harry was wearing a jacket, a vest, a white shirt and a white tie. But. He could have taken his jacket off just before he fell into the water. Maybe the water pulled it off of him, even.

Then the guy that Mario had pulled onto the boat died before they were rescued, leaving room for Jack (the funny seventeen year old) to get on.

We don't see this guys face just until they leave him in the water and he floats around on his back. It's blurry, so you can't really tell if it's him, but...

Now. My question is.
Could that have been Harry? It looked like his hair, a little. And I think it was his tie.
Because if it's not him, then just watching him turning over the boat before drowning (for about five seconds) was a *beep* death. He was such an adorable character. I would have liked to see something better there for him. I was so upset that he died.

And also. I know that his mother said that he can't swim in one of the earlier episodes. So that would explain why he died. But I'm curious. WHY THE FREAK DID HE NOT WEAR A LIFE JACKET IF HE KNEW HE COULDN'T SWIM?

[–] JordanCarrington 12 years ago

Harry Widener was a historical passenger..... he did perish.

[–] ammii_dark_angel 12 years ago

I know that. But I'm asking about how they had him die in the show. Coz it's really upsetting. It was too quick, and I'm just hoping that the person Mario pulled onto the boat that died in the end was indeed Harry.

[–] strwbryelf 12 years ago

Well, Harry Widener was a real person on the Titanic and did, in fact, die that night. So the guy pulled out of the water was not him. I'm sure someone with more Titanic research under their belt can attest to whether or not he wore a life jacket that night and if his body was ever recovered.

Also, wearing the life jackets didn't really make THAT much of a difference in this instance because of the temperature of the water. True, he didn't know how to swim but the frigidness of the water would've killed him anyway. Only a handful of people got pulled out of the water that night.

[–] ammii_dark_angel 12 years ago

But that's the thing. The guy Mario pulled out of the water died in the end anyway. I'm just holding onto false hope, aren't I. lol

[–] LilyEvans-Snape 12 years ago

Yes you are. I think you need to let that go.

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ljspin 12 years ago

Harry Widener most likely died in the sinking. His body was never recovered. He was a bibliophile, a lover of books, and was returning to the United States after buying several rare books, which were lost to the world with him.

After he helped his mother to a lifeboat, fellow First Class passenger William Ernest Carter asked if he would try to get into a boat. Harry replied, "I think I'll stick to the big ship, Billy, and take a chance."

Eleanor Widener gave a $2,000,000 donation to Harvard University to build a library to house Harry's collection of books and any other rare books the university may acquire.

There are several urban legends about Harry Widener's demise:
He could have climbed into the boat with his mother, but he ran off to save a 1598 copy of Francis Bacon's "Essais." (Harry did buy this book on his trip, but it was lost with him and the Titanic.)

Another legend says that Mrs. Widener asked that all Harvard men learn to swim before they graduatated, because she felt that knowing how to swim would have saved Harry.

A third legend says that Mrs. Widener decreed that ice cream, Harry's favorite dessert, be always served at dinner at Harvard. But these are just legends.

I haven't helped you in your hopes. Just thought I'd give a little more info.

A Titanic Geek
Spin

[–] carebear070483 12 years ago

Harry is next to Lightoller as they are trying to flip the overturned boat. He was still wearing his long coat. When the water comes up, you see him go under right before it cuts to the Allison's.