51 Reasons To Celebrate This “Jaws” Birthday!
51 years ago today, one of the greatest thrillers in cinema history premiered – and changed movies forever.
At that time, Hollywood routinely premiered a film in a dozen theaters across the entire country, slowly rolling the movie out to theaters over weeks and even months! That was the way the business worked at the time.
But “Jaws” changed everything.
On June 20, 1975, Universal sent this big fish out to ONE THOUSAND THEATERS on the same day! And the lines around the block proved that movie lovers would flock to theaters on day one – and the way films were released changed forever.
Remember the trailer – how could you not want to see this on day one?
As a young kid growing up in Seattle, I made scrapbooks of newspaper ads and Variety’s box office charts…take a look:
I also kept the first review I read in Variety magazine – here it is:
I loved “Jaws” then and still love it today! To celebrate, here are five great pieces of trivia about this iconic shark tale:
5 – A “Very Difficult” Bruce The Shark!
The stories are legendary that “Bruce” the mechanical shark was notoriously difficult to work with. Yes, he was named “Bruce” after Director Steven Spielberg’s lawyer. Three identical mechanical sharks were built to play the part of the great white: a “left” and “right” shark for side shots, and a full-sized one for the straight on shots.
However, since “Bruce” malfunctioned so often, Spielberg filmed most of the movie’s scenes without him. In fact, the first shark doesn’t appear in “Jaws” until more than an hour and twenty minutes have gone by.
Many Critics point out that the anticipation was one of the reasons the film worked so well!
These production delays caused the filming schedule to balloon. Although principal photography was scheduled to take 55 days, it took a total of 159 days!
Spielberg, reflecting on the protracted shoot, stated:
“I thought my career as a filmmaker was over. I heard rumors … that I would never work again because no one had ever taken a film 100 days over schedule.”
One other fact according to wikipedia:
“Spielberg himself was not present for the shooting of the final scene in which the shark explodes, as he believed that the crew were planning to throw him in the water when the scene was done, something that has since become a tradition for Spielberg to be absent when the final scene of one of his films is being shot.”
4 – One Of Cinema’s Most Iconic Phrases: The “Line”!
The acting in “Jaws” is stellar: Roy Scheider as the Sheriff trying to keep tourists safe; Richard Dreyfus as the shark expert who wants everyone to show more respect toward their prey; and of course Robert Shaw, as the crusty “shark killer” who one night tells the morbid story of his WW2 buddies being eaten by sharks after their ship was capsized during battle.
All three have their moments to shine in the movie, but one line in the film has become legend – and Scheider improvised it! As the trio are searching for Bruce in their fishing vessel, it’s the Sheriff who unexpectedly finds himself face-to-face with the great white.
After seeing “Bruce”, Scheider whips around to the others, who didn’t see it. Without missing a beat, he turns to the other two and utters the immortal line:
“We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
Sheider’s stunned look of fear tells you that this film is only going to get more terrifying, because “Bruce” has finally appeared…
3 – The Music!
One reason the film works without the audience actually seeing the shark is the music. The ominous, repetitive beat builds dread, suspense and fear – without the audience actually seeing anything at all.
Take a listen:
One of the greatest movie themes of all time!
However, apparently the first time Spielberg heard John William’s opening track, he thought it was TOO simplistic! Obviously, he changed his mind and it is now one of the most iconic scores in film history.
2 – The Poster!
This poster says it all. It is also one of the most iconic movie images of all time.
Artist Roger Kastel designed it, and according to a website filled with “Jaws” trivia, the swimmer in the poster was a model that Kastel had been sketching for another ad he was working on. The Artist asked her to pose on a stool like she was swimming, and that is the image he captured.
Now, fifty years later, here is the real reason that “Jaws” remains one of the greatest films of our generation:
1 – It’s A Pop Culture Phenomenon!
Everyone knows that “Jaws” is a classic suspense thriller – beautifully directed, a great script, and terrific performances – and you know that as soon as you see the trailer for the film – the ominous tone, and the pure terror in the eyes of beachgoers as Bruce begins his rampage…
“Jaws” ushered in a whole new era in blockbuster cinema – a film that was a larger-than-life film-going experience that needed to be seen with a large group – making it even more terrifying.
Even the people who acted in the film had it change their lives forever…look at this:
People have even shown the film with the audience in a lake, so you could watch it while in the water!
Bravo to 51 years of Bruce terrorizing audiences!
I you need to know more – and of course you do – Hulu has a documentary about the film airing now as well and here is the teaser:
I can’t wait to see this! Of course, I’ve had my own closeup run in with “Bruce”…here’s a look at my shocking encounter – keep an eye on the scuba diver at the beginning of the clip because he doesn’t last long!
HA!
We survived! The shark attack is part of Universal Studios’ backlot tour! And that’s not all: they reconstructed Spielberg’s plane crash set from “The War Of The Worlds” – a real jetliner! Check this out:
See more of our Universal Studio backlot tour here!
And since we are on “all things JAWS”, what about this for the baby who has everything?
A Jaws Bassinet!
Click here for a closeup look at the most terrifying baby bed of all time!
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Horror films, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, True Hollywood Mystery
johnrieber 
I may have already commented somewhere on WordPress that I really enjoyed the play last year ‘The Shark is Broken’. The one act play was set on the boat with the three actors on board, a drama in itself.
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