Jaws Debuts on June 20, 1975

The blockbuster film Jaws (1975) debuted 42 years ago today. It is one of my all-time favorite movies. To celebrate, here are some facts about the movie:

1. Based on the book by Peter Benchley, who appeared in the movie as the “Interviewer” on the beach. The book is very, very different from the movie.
2. This was Steven Spielberg’s first large-scale film. He was initially concerned about being typecast and complained: “Who wants to be known as a shark-and-truck director?”
3. The opening scene, “Chrissie’s Last Swim,” took three days to shoot. It is one of the best opening scenes according to WatchMojo.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74BE-_jsEmc).
4. Roy Scheider’s famous “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” line was adlibbed.
5. An alternate title was Stillness in the Water.
6. The estimated budget was $8,000,000 and grossed over $470,000,000 worldwide. It is the 7^th highest grossing ever film in the US.
7. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture, which it lost. It won for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.
8. Three mechanical sharks were built for production and nicknamed “Bruce,” for Spielberg’s lawyer Bruce Ramer. None of the sharks worked well; therefore, the movie doesn’t have many shots of them.
9. John William’s iconic theme music was dismissed as a joke by Spielberg.
10. Richard Dreyfuss’ character “Hooper” dies in the novel and original script.

The movie is a staple of streaming services; however, it is only for rent/purchase. It is summertime after all.