At the end of the movie Titanic, when water flooded into every compartment and submerged the ship, the old couple hugged each other on the bed, silently watching the icy sea water flood into the cabin, rising around them.
The ill-fated lovers in this scene are based on a true story: Businessman Isidor Straus (67 years old) and his wife Ida Straus (63 years old) were among the wealthiest passengers on the Titanic.
What happened that fateful night?
Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the Titanic, once hailed by the media as `unsinkable`, collided with an iceberg, causing seawater to flood into every compartment of the ship.
According to Ida’s maid and Isidor’s colleague (both living witnesses told the story to the press at the time), Mrs. Ida boarded the lifeboat with a long mink coat to protect herself.
Historian, Straus professor Paul Kurzman – the couple’s great-grandson, told CountryLiving: `The officer then said: ‘Mr. Straus, we know who you are, of course you have a place on the lifeboat’.`
Despite the invitation, the millionaire still insisted on staying on the ship.
`The huge wave swept over the port side of the ship and swept both people into the sea.`
She took off her mink coat and gave it to maid Ellen Bird: `I don’t need it anymore. Take this with you when you get on the lifeboat to keep warm until you are rescued.`
“Isidor put his arms around her,” Kurzman said.
That tender moment is just one of many bittersweet final stories about the Titanic.
In the film, the scene where Isidor tries to convince Ida to get on the boat without him was deleted.
The scene was shown, the audience saw an old couple lying on the bed, holding hands, waiting for death.
Professor Kurzman said: “James told me he knew it was incorrect but still did it as the person responsible for production.
In an interview with USA Today, Cameron said: `I’m a screenwriter and I don’t think about becoming a historian.`
The love story of Isidor and Ida
Millionaire Isidor was born in Otterberg, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany on February 6, 1845.
The two fell in love with each other from their meetings.
Isidor became the owner of Macy’s and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1894. According to Kurzman, he was a confidant of many presidents and even had a close relationship with US president Grover Cleveland.
When Isidor had to go abroad on business, he wrote letters to his wife every day.
In 1872, Ida and Isidor welcomed their first child, Jesse Straus.
In 1912, the couple enjoyed a long vacation on the Mediterranean coast of the French Riviera.
They stayed in `a well-appointed apartment on C deck, including cabins 55 and 57,` June Hall McCash wrote in her book Titanic Love Story: Ida and Isidor Straus.
The witness recounted that on April 14, Isidor and Ida enjoyed a 10-course meal in the first-class dining room and then returned to their room.
Of the 2,224 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 perished, including Ida and Isidor.
Ms. Ida’s body was forever lying somewhere in the cold water of the Atlantic Ocean, while Mr. Isidor’s body was recovered and brought to New York for a memorial service.
`The locket has remained in my family ever since,` Mr. Kurzman said.
On May 12, more than 6,000 people attended a memorial service for Ida and Isidor at Carnegie Hall.
Coming to New York, visitors can visit the Straus Park memorial park located at the intersection of Broadway Avenue, near their home on 106th Street, Upper West Manhattan.
According to countryliving
