Spicer Lovejoy

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Spicer Lovejoy (1850 — 15 April 1912) was a fictional character in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster Titanic. He was played by British actor David Warner. Lovejoy, a former Pinkerton's detective, was the valet and bodyguard of Caledon Hockley (played by Billy Zane) and accompanied him on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.

[edit] Overview

Spicer Lovejoy, sixty-two years old at the time, is first seen while he, Caledon Hockley, Rose DeWitt Bukater and her mother Ruth DeWitt Bukater are boarding the Titanic, where he tells the porters where to put their luggage (Ironically, in the Parlour Suite, Rooms B52, 54 and 56; this is where J. Bruce Ismay actually stayed). Lovejoy most likley would have stayed in a different section of the ship with all the other passangers servents, but he was never seen in his cabin in the movie.

Later on, after Rose attempts to committ suicide and is saved by a friendly Third-Class boy named Jack Dawson, Lovejoy is seen tending to Rose along with Archibald Gracie. Once everyone starts to leave Jack whistles at Lovejoy and asked him for a cigarette. After Jack takes two Lovejoy looks down at Jack's shoes and tells him "You might want to tie those". Despite seeing that he does not tell anybody, that probably kept Jack from getting arrested.

Lovejoy is also ordered by Hockley to stalk Rose wherever she goes, and he stumbles into the Third-Class party, where he sees Rose dancing with Jack. Off-screen, Lovejoy informs Hockley of this, leading Hockley to warn Rose fiercely to behave properly with him (she referred to Lovejoy as "That Undertaker of a Manservant").

Once again, Hockley orders Lovejoy to follow Rose, and once again does he catch her with Jack. Having no sense of humor at all, Lovejoy angrily chases the laughing lovers all over the ship until finally losing them into the boiler rooms. Lovejoy then reports back to Hockley, who finds the sketch of the nude Rose and a taunting note written by Rose. Enraged, Hockley makes a plan with Lovejoy to get back at Jack and Rose.

After the ship hits an iceberg and starts to sink, Hockley orders Lovejoy to plant his "Le Coeur de la Mer" diamond in Jack's pocket to frame him for theft. Even worse, Lovejoy discovers that the coat isn't even Jack's, and that it belongs to real-life passenger Arthur Ryerson, who reported his coat stolen earlier that day.

Hockley even orders Lovejoy to escort the Master-At-Arms to handcuff Jack in the office, and to kill him when the time is right. Although Lovejoy is eventually left alone with Jack (the foolish Master-At-Arms didn't question Lovejoy's gun possession and even left the handcuff key in Lovejoy's hands), he merely sits down and plays with a bullet until realizing that the ship is sinking. Unable to find it in his heart to shoot Jack dead, Lovejoy merely punches Jack in the groin and leaves him to drown ("Compliments of Mr. Caledon Hockley."). A mistake that would come back to haunt Lovejoy.

Later on, after Rose defies Hockley to rescue Jack, Hockley and Lovejoy conduct a desparate search for Rose, during which Hockley bribes First Officer William Murdoch to reserve a place for himself and Lovejoy on a lifeboat. Hockley and Lovejoy then go to get their diamond and some money for insurance, but just before they can get onto the lifeboat, Lovejoy claims to have found Rose on the other side of the ship with Jack. Instead of saving himself and Lovejoy, Hockley instead goes to get Rose, much to Lovejoy's dismay (he mutters the word "Shit!").

Ultimately, Hockley and Lovejoy find themselves forced to team up with Jack to convince Rose to get onto a lifeboat, but she jumps back onto the ship, unable to separate herself from Jack. Hockley watches them hugging in the lounge, and Lovejoy tries to persuade him to just come and leave the ship before it's too late. But as they go, Hockley snatches Lovejoy's gun from him and starts to chase Jack and Rose down the ship, shooting at them. Lovejoy gives chase to try and stop Hockley, but reaches him too late.

Even worse, Hockley realizes that when he put his overcoat on Rose to keep her warm, he accidentally gave her the diamond and the money, leaving him with nothing at all.

An hour later, Lovejoy is seen for the last time sporting a head injury and holding onto the sinking ship for dear life, long after the last lifeboat has gone, taking Hockley with it. Suddenly, the ship starts to split right where Lovejoy is. Although Lovejoy manages to move backwards and avoid falling between the two parts, he ultimately meets his end when the Titanic completely sinks and he finds himself in the freezing ocean, where he dies of hypothermia.

Lovejoy's background and death are explained fully in the 2005 Uncut Edition of the movie. A brief bit of dialogue during the chase into the cargo room explains that Lovejoy is actually a former Pinkerton's Detective hired by Nathan Hockley to protect and work for Caledon. The cause of Lovejoy not joining Hockley on the final lifeboat is also revealed: just after Hockley realizes that he accidentally gave the diamond and money to Rose, Lovejoy is ordered to kill the two lovers "in return for the diamond". Lovejoy calls Hockley a bastard behind his back and reluctantly goes along with it, eventually catching up with Jack and Rose in the flooding dining room and engaging Jack in combat, in which Jack just manages to catch the stronger Lovejoy off guard and punch him in the groin ("Compliments of the Chippewa Falls Dawsons!"). Lovejoy then loses track of Jack and Rose by turning a wrong direction.

In the film, Lovejoy carries a customized Colt 1911 .45. It is one of the first editions and has elaborate engravings on the slide and frame, it also has pearlized grips. You can tell it's an early edition by the trigger; it had a trigger more like a revolver, instead of the solid trigger later models sported. It's implied that Lovejoy carries the pistol throughout the film; it is accurate that he could have this gun. It was first introduced in 1911, one year before the Titanic sank. It is possible that Caledon's father, Nathan Hockley, gave it to Lovejoy to either entice him to take the job, or as appreciation for his protecting his son.