AS SEEN ON TV: JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV

JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV

AS SEEN IN:
"S.O.S. Titanic"

AS PLAYED BY:
David Janssen

JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV

AS SEEN IN:
"Titanic"

AS PLAYED BY:
Scott Hylands

March 29th marked the 163rd anniversary of the death of fur magnate John Jacob Astor I, who was the richest man in the country at the time of his passing. Seeing that mentioned in that day's list of notable births and deaths put me in mind of Astor's great-grandson, John Jacob IV, who perished on board the Titanic 99 years ago this coming Friday.

Astor was played on TV twice, but it's Hylands' portrayal which comes closest to the way the real John Jacob Astor IV looked.

I haven't yet made up my mind if either of these TV productions should be considered the official portrayal of the sinking of the Titanic in the main Toobworld. There's yet to be a TV mini-series about the subject written by 'Downton Abbey' creator Sir Julian Fellowes and timed for next year's centennial observance - that may sway my vote. Plus there are all those portrayals in other TV show, mostly the time travel related ones, which should get precedence.

So both of these portrayals may be relegated to alternate TV dimensions.

BCnU!