Questions
Why does the shark barely appear in Jaws?
The mechanical shark constantly malfunctioned in the salt water, so Spielberg was forced to suggest it with music and camera angles instead of showing it. The restraint is widely credited with making the film scarier.
What was the shark named?
Bruce, after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer. The crew nicknamed all three pneumatic prop sharks after him.
How old was Spielberg when he directed it?
Just 26, on only his second theatrical feature after The Sugarland Express.
Is Jaws based on a book?
Yes. It is based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, and Benchley wrote the first three screenplay drafts himself.
Where was Jaws filmed?
On Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, from May to October 1974, chosen for its ordinary vacation-town look.
How far over budget and schedule did it go?
Way over. The budget ballooned from about 3.5 million dollars to 9 million, and a 55-day shoot ran roughly 159 days, about 104 days long.
Did Spielberg even want to make Jaws?
Not entirely. He feared being typecast as the truck and shark director and wanted out, but Universal would not let him leave the project.
Did anything dangerous happen on set?
Yes. Richard Dreyfuss was nearly trapped inside the steel shark cage during one sequence, a genuinely dangerous moment.
How did real shark footage change the ending?
Ron and Valerie Taylor’s footage of a real great white attacking a cage off South Australia was so striking that the writers changed the story to let Hooper survive instead of dying in the cage.
Who came up with Quint’s USS Indianapolis speech?
Playwright Howard Sackler invented Quint’s backstory as a survivor of the USS Indianapolis sinking.
Why was the ’you’re gonna need a bigger boat’ scene reshot?
The line was nearly drowned out by audience screams in test screenings, so the moment was reshot with the volume raised.
Who starred in Jaws?
Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw in the lead roles.
What record did Jaws set?
It opened to a record 7 million dollar weekend and became the highest-grossing film of all time until Star Wars in 1977, earning around 495 million dollars across its releases. It is considered the first true summer blockbuster.
