LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD

by Hedda Hopper

Film Story of Titanic Sinking Gets the Green Light

Hollywood, Feb. 22--Darryl Zanuck has given the green light to Charlie Brackett to produce one of the biggest pictures on the 20th Century-Fox schedule. It's called "Nearer My God to Thee," and is about the Titanic, the ship that hit an iceberg and sank on April 16, 1912. John Jacob Astor, Reggie Vanderbilt, Charles Frohman, were among those aboard when the cry went up: "Women and children first." More than 800 persons were saved, but some 1,500 lost their lives. The only star set so far is Clifton Webb. He's certainly getting the cream of the crop as far as films are concerned. He's also set for the John Phillip Sousa story. But the studio won't get around to making this film until the end of the year. Brackett already has Richard Breen and Walter Reisch working with him on the Titanic story.

Chicago Tribune, February 22, 1952, p. 12