Forgive me for the lame-ass pun title but I couldn't help it. Even you'd do it if you were in my position, wouldn't you? In any case, what the title says is true though. From when I first watched the film at its red carpet premiere to today, "Titanic" is still one of my favorite movies of all time!
Yeah! You read that right! Yours truly actually went to the premiere. It wasn't a big deal or anything but I still got to see the cast in person. And yes, that includes Leonardo DiCaprio—at his heyday, mind you!—Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, and more. I was there as an assistant to one of the organizers of the event so I had exclusive access to the cast and a front-row seat to the movie. I remember that it was the best assignment that I had from that job, and by the end of the night, I was balled up and in tears.
Oh, don't get me wrong! Though "Titanic" did make me cry, it wasn't because of the movie that I ended that night in tears. It was because I scored the cast's autographs. I got my hands on a few copies of the movie poster inside the offices of the theater. During a break right before the movie started, I asked the cast members who were present to sign my posters. Fortunately, they didn't find it annoying that I did that. In fact, they hated the photographers who were hounding them with their flashing cameras more than the people who asked for their autographs.
Of course, the person who stood out the most was DiCaprio. I remember seeing him in person and finally understanding why my niece, who was a mere 15-year-old at the time, was gaga over him. The guy's beautiful! Like if he wasn't as masculine as he was, he could've passed as a tomboyish girl. That's how much of a pretty boy little Leo was back then. Hard to believe that a couple of years later, he'd be dating supermodels left and right. But he's a nice guy though! He didn't have an inch of arrogance to him when I asked for his autograph. And I hear he's still like that to this day.
The rest of the cast who were there—Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Bill Paxton, and the great Gloria Stuart—were all sweethearts too. Some were nicer than others, not gonna lie, but all in all, for actors who starred in the movie of the century, none of them had an annoying attitude. Mind you, this was before "Titanic" became the cinematic titan it is now so perhaps the situation would've been different had I met them after that night? Possibly! In any case, they were nice enough to sign my posters so it was all good!
Oh, I gotta tell you about Celine Dion too! Now, this was a star that was already shining brightly by that time. Had I known that the movie will give birth to what became her most iconic song, I should've asked for her autograph more than I did. Contrary to what others may think of her, Dion was not a diva. At least, not a bitchy diva! Sure, she had an intimidating vibe about her, but for the most part, she was accommodating to a mere fan like me. She signed my posters without even an eyebrow raised. Such a sweet gal!
Now, you may have already noticed that there were two names I haven't mentioned yey and they're both pretty important. Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates. Unfortunately, even though one of them was the lead, they both didn't attend that premiere. I forgot what their reasons were but I did remember my boss feeling down about it. Nevertheless, I persisted and asked some of my Hollywood connections to get them to sign my posters. And do you know how long it took me? Five years later for Bates and a decade later for Winslet. Not that I am bitter or anything but come on, an autograph hound's patience isn't limitless, you know?
Anyway, I'm still grateful I "completed" the autographs on my "Titanic" posters. It's a labor of love for my passion. And yes, my heart still hasn't moved on from that night or from this movie. It probably never will!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
