1st Officer Petersen Quotes in Titanic (1943)

1st Officer Petersen: Now money means nothing. Now it's just about survival.

1st Officer Petersen: [First Officer Peterson addresses President Ismay and Captain Smith about the dangerous course the ship is on] There are warnings about drift ice, and even reports of icebergs.

Captain Edward J. Smith: What measures have you taken?

1st Officer Petersen: I've changed course and reduced our speed.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Why? You'll certainly recognize an iceberg in plenty of time.

1st Officer Petersen: Pardon me, but you're mistaken. Some icebergs are miles long, and 7/8 of them are underwater. There is the danger of colliding with the underwater mass.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Danger? That's ridiculous. The 'Titanic' is unsinkable.

1st Officer Petersen: Proof of that has not yet been provided.

Sir Bruce Ismay: [Getting impatient, he turns to address Capt. Smith] I demand you maintain direct course and full speed, Captain.

Captain Edward J. Smith: That is a great responsibility for me.

1st Officer Petersen: If I may be permitted to comment... such a responsibility is intolerable for any seaman.

Sir Bruce Ismay: [Annoyed] What is that supposed to mean?

1st Officer Petersen: Staying the course at full speed would endanger over 2,000 lives. In the event of tragedy, there isn't nearly enough room in the lifeboats for even a small portion of the passengers.

Sir Bruce Ismay: [Clearly getting impatient with the First Officer] Enough of your pessimism.

1st Officer Petersen: It's not pessimism. It's our duty to consider every possibility.

Sir Bruce Ismay: That's *intentional* pessimism!

1st Officer Petersen: What do you mean by that?

Captain Edward J. Smith: Please, Herr Peterson...

Sir Bruce Ismay: What I mean is that, as the only German officer on board, you have no interest in the 'Titanic' winning the Blue Ribbon.

1st Officer Petersen: You will account for that remark at the appropriate time.

1st Officer Petersen: [Turning to Capt. Smith] Captain, we await your orders on the bridge.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Captain, you know what the White Star Line expects of you.

Captain Edward J. Smith: I know very well, Mr. President.

1st Officer Petersen: Who runs this ship? President Ismay or the captain?

Aktionär Fränklin: I bid you $150.000,- for a place in a boat.

1st Officer Petersen: Not a chance, gentlemen. Women and children first.

Aktionär Fränklin: Why women and children? Don't be stupid, man. We can pay. I bid you a half million.

1st Officer Petersen: Here's some advice, take your life-jacket and go aboard.

1st Officer Murdoch: What wheater! It it stays calm, we'll be in New York at least a day ahead of schedule.

1st Officer Petersen: Meanwhile the engines are ruined.

1st Officer Murdoch: President Ismay surely knows what he's doing, ordering this speed.

[to the side]

1st Officer Murdoch: Sailor.

1st Officer Petersen: Who's running this ship? Ismay or the captain?

1st Officer Murdoch: The Captian naturally does what the president of the line requests.

1st Officer Petersen: And why does he request such rubbish?

1st Officer Petersen: [enters a room]

Gloria: [behind a curtain] Is anybody there?

1st Officer Petersen: Yes, Petersen. Please put on your life jackets and go on deck immediately.

Gloria: Oh deck? Why?

1st Officer Petersen: I'm not authorized to give passangers audditional information.

Sir Bruce Ismay: [comes behind the curtain] One moment. But you will give ME information.

1st Officer Petersen: To you, as the president responsible for this, I WILL give information: The Titanic is sinking.

Gloria: The Titanic is sinking?

Sir Bruce Ismay: What are you saying?

1st Officer Petersen: The Titanic is sinking.

Sir Bruce Ismay: [laughs]

1st Officer Petersen: We collidition with an iceberg. The Titanic is ripped open from the bow till under the bridge.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Don't tell nonsense.

1st Officer Petersen: You'll soon see, thatever it's nonsense. In jsut a few hours it's all over and a few thousand will be on the bottom because of you

Gloria: But we have lifeboats.

1st Officer Petersen: The lifeboats will hold almost a third of the passengers.

Sir Bruce Ismay: I order you to secure a lifeboat for me immediately.

1st Officer Petersen: First: You can't give me orders, Second: according to the law: women and children go first and third I'll give you the advice to go in you cabin and get your life jacket

[about to leave the room]

1st Officer Petersen: .

Sir Bruce Ismay: Stay here!

1st Officer Petersen: What else do you want?

Sir Bruce Ismay: Please lets talk as man to man. Forget about the earlier momant this evening. I was nervous it was a momental excitement. I beg you: get me a lifeboat.

1st Officer Petersen: YOU should have been got the lifeboats.

Sir Bruce Ismay: No. Be reasonable. I'll give you five - I'll give you $10 000,-. Save me a place.

1st Officer Petersen: [pushs Ismay away and leaves]

Sir Bruce Ismay: We'll see if I'll come along.

Sir Bruce Ismay: The White Star Line has no need of officiers who sow only unrest among the passangers.

1st Officer Petersen: And I have no need to serve on a ship that run not by sailors but by stock speculators.

Sir Bruce Ismay: I forbit you to use that tone. Go in your stateroom. I'm relieving you of your duty.

1st Officer Petersen: On board this ship you can neither relieve me of duty nor give me orders. To me you are nothing more than a passanger.

[leaves]

1st Officer Petersen: [Approaches Sigrid who's waiting by one of the final lifeboats] Sigrid!

Sigrid Olinsky: Yes?

1st Officer Petersen: You're an amazing woman, my darling.

Sigrid Olinsky: I'd only done it for you.

1st Officer Petersen: Sigrid, you must get into this lifeboat and leave the ship.

Sigrid Olinsky: No. I'll go when you go.

1st Officer Petersen: As an officer, I must stay to the end. And it is in my capacity as an officer that I order you to get in the lifeboat. Those people need you to give them hope until rescue comes. I beg you... Go!

Sigrid Olinsky: [pause] So you're ordering me?

1st Officer Petersen: Yes. And it is the most difficult order I ever had to give.

Sigrid Olinsky: All right, then. I'll go.

[She reluctantly boards the lifeboat]

1st Officer Petersen: Lower away!

Aktionär Fränklin: I'll give you $150.000,- for a place in a lifeboat.

1st Officer Petersen: It's useless. Women and children will be saved first.

Aktionär Fränklin: Don't be stupid, man. We can pay. I'll give you half a million.

1st Officer Petersen: Here's some advice: Get a life-jacket and go on deck.

Sigrid Olinsky: [Sigrid Olinsky and Petersen are in the billiard room, where Astor and Ismay are playing] Sir Bruce? I have a big favor to ask of you, one which you cannot refuse.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Then of course I won't.

Sigrid Olinsky: I'd like to see the engine room.

Sir Bruce Ismay: That's a wonderful idea, we will all come along!

[to Astor]

Sir Bruce Ismay: Would you be interested?

John Jacob Astor: Of course, I'll just let my wife know.

[leaves]

Sigrid Olinsky: But we'll need an expert guide. Can't Offier Petersen come along? He's not on duty at the moment.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Of course he can.

[to Petersen]

Sir Bruce Ismay: Would you please show us the engine room?

1st Officer Petersen: Mr. President, I'm not authorized to do this.

Sir Bruce Ismay: Then I give you full authorization.

1st Officer Petersen: Mr. President, I am the First Officer, you cannot give me any authorization.

Sir Bruce Ismay: I see.

[to Steward Braun]

Sir Bruce Ismay: Mr. Brown? Please call the captain for me.

Sigrid Olinsky: You take me for a spoiled, superficial woman who indulges her every whim, don't you?

1st Officer Petersen: Now, it would seem discourteous if I didn't insist on the contrary.

Sigrid Olinsky: Then I wouldn't want to disappoint you again, so you must be right. And my whim is to prove to you that I will do anything I want.

1st Officer Petersen: That won't be difficult since, as the First Officer, it is my duty to fulfill the wishes of the passengers as much as possible.

Sigrid Olinsky: But there must be things you're expressly forbidden to do.

1st Officer Petersen: Of course. For example, I'm forbidden to visit passengers in their staterooms or take them to the engine room-...

Sigrid Olinsky: That's perfect! I would like to see the engine room.