I seriously question the authenticity of the portrayal of Ismay in the movie. Not to say that he was a great guy, but from what I've read, he was vilified greatly in the wake of Titanic's foundering and in contrast to what reliable eyewitness had said regarding his coduct.

He was accused of jumping into the lifeboat with women and children as he did in the movie, but reliable witnesses testified in the hearing that he had loaded lifeboats with the rest of the first class gentlemen and got in when told to.

He was also accused of forcing the good Captain Smith to sail recklessly into the ice field. This to seems to be an exaggeration. Captain Smith though supremely qualified, hadn't had the best run of luck with ships leading up to the Titanic's foundering. Some who had sailed with him called him a man with broken luck. Whatever Captain Smith's performance with the Titanic, it was doubtful (in my oppinion) that Ismay had anything to do with it one way or another.

Daniel