An Icy Reaction

Consider, if you will, the tale of William Murdoch, first officer aboard the ill-fated Titanic. History shows Murdoch, 47, the bridge officer when the iceberg struck, acted promptly to deal with the emergency and then acted selflessly to help passengers onto lifeboats. He went down with the ship, and has been considered a hero in his home town of Dalbeattie, Scotland, ever since. Then, 86 years later, the film “Titanic” steams onto movie screens portraying Murdoch as a cowardly murderer who accepts bribes for lifeboat space and kills himself as the ship goes down. Townsfolk in Dalbeattie were so outraged that, on Wednesday’s anniversary of the sinking, 20th Century Fox apologized to residents and Murdoch’s family and presented $8,000 to a fund in Murdoch’s memory.