Jaws is a masterpiece by Steven Spielberg. Released in the summer of 1975, the film went on to become one of the most legendary thrillers of all time. From a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, the story focuses on a small town in New England and the big toothy man-eater of a great white shark that is on the prowl in their waters. A trio of unlikely men – a police chief, a marine biologist, and an old shark hunter – team up to stop the monster in its tracks. Instantly loved by critics and audiences, Jaws became a benchmark for the thriller film and many of its most famous aspects: its memorable two-note score, its building suspense, and its teeth-grittingly scary “man vs. nature” story were not only cinematic history, but a big-budget masterpiece produced from a filmmaking horror story. Most of the problems on-set could have ended Spielberg’s career before it had even started, but the final result was sheer brilliance. Most outdoor cinemas and special screenings across the world are still presenting this epic thriller, inviting new generations to experience it.
Here are 10 fun facts about Jaws that are perfect for pre-show trivia:
- The Shark Had a Name: The famously unreliable mechanical shark, which was prone to malfunctioning and sinking, was affectionately nicknamed “Bruce.” The name was a tribute to Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer. Its constant breakdowns turned out to be a “godsend,” as it forced Spielberg to be more creative and rely on suspense rather than showing the shark, a decision that proved to be a stroke of cinematic genius.
- The “Bigger Boat” Line Was an Ad-Lib: One of the most famous movie quotes of all time, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” was not in the script. Actor Roy Scheider improvised the line on the spot. It was a running joke on set that the support boats were too small, and Scheider’s spontaneous delivery perfectly captured the gravity of the moment.
- The Score Was Almost a Joke: When composer John Williams first played his simple, two-note theme for Spielberg, the director laughed, thinking it was a prank. Spielberg didn’t initially understand the power of the menacing, minimalist melody, but it would go on to win an Academy Award and become one of the most recognisable film scores in history.
- The Final Scene Was Improvised: Robert Shaw’s chilling USS Indianapolis monologue, a pivotal scene in which Quint recounts his horrific experience surviving a shark attack, was almost entirely written by the actor himself, with help from Richard Dreyfuss and screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Shaw was so dedicated to the scene that he insisted on filming it after having a drink, only to sober up and shoot it again perfectly the next day.
- The Stunt Woman Didn’t Know When to React: For the terrifying opening sequence, actress Susan Backlinie was attached to a harness and pulled by two men on opposite sides of the shore. She was never told exactly when they would pull, so her reactions of being thrashed around by the unseen shark were genuine.
- The Head in the Boat Was a Real Prop: The terrifying scene where Hooper finds the severed head of a dead fisherman was a late addition to the movie. Spielberg shot the scene in his editor’s swimming pool using a real prop head and adding milk to the water to make it look murky. He paid for the shoot himself because the studio had already refused to allocate any more money.
- The “Dolly Zoom” Shot Was Borrowed: The famous shot of Chief Brody reacting to the shark attack on the beach, where the background appears to expand while Brody stays in the same place, is known as a “dolly zoom” or “Vertigo effect.” Spielberg borrowed the technique from director Alfred Hitchcock, who used it in his 1958 film Vertigo.
- The Orca Sank for Real: While filming the climatic chase scene, Quint’s boat, the Orca, accidentally sank with the cast and crew on board. No one was hurt, but it caused a significant delay and further added to the budget overruns that plagued the production.
- The Author Had a Cameo: Peter Benchley, the author of the Jaws novel, makes a cameo appearance in the film as a news reporter on the beach. He was reportedly unhappy with the film’s happy ending and the change to Hooper’s fate.
- It Created the Summer Blockbuster: Jaws was originally scheduled for a Christmas 1974 release, but production delays pushed it back to the summer of 1975. The studio decided to market it heavily with a national TV ad campaign and a wide theatrical release, a strategy that was unheard of at the time. The film’s immense success changed the industry forever, creating the modern summer blockbuster as we know it today.
