Some locals said the apology and a 8,000 dollars contribution to a fund commemorating William Murdoch were not enough.

They want 20th Century Fox to amend the credits to reflect the truth when the video version of the Oscar-winning film is issued.

The movie shows Murdoch accepting bribes and killing two passengers who are fighting to get on to a lifeboat as the ship is sinking.

He then puts a gun in his mouth and takes his own life.

But official records show that Murdoch, the bridge officer when the iceberg struck, acted promptly to deal with the emergency and then acted selflessly to help passengers onto lifeboats. The 47-year-old first officer went down with the ship.

At a ceremony yesterday on the 86th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, Scott Neeson, executive vicepresident of 20th Century Fox, insisted ``the movie was never intended to portray him as a coward'' and said any implication otherwise was ``inadvertent.''

``I believe he was portrayed as a hero in the film,'' said the Scottish-born movie executive, who lives near Dalbeattie. ``In the film and in real life, he is saving an enormous number of lives. He was responsible for getting more people on lifeboats.''

Apologising for causing Dalbeattie and Murdoch's family ``so much distress,'' Neeson gave the school a cheque and an inscribed silver tray. However, he dashed hopes by saying it was neither feasible nor necessary to change the Titanic video. Linda Kirkwood, head of Dalbeattie High School, which has given an annual Murdoch Memorial prize since 1912, said the studio's donation to the prize fund was ``a nice thing to do.'' She added that it did not compensate for Murdoch's memory being ``besmirched.''