In 1974, a novel by the name of Jaws from Journalist Peter Benchley was published by Doubleday, which quickly found its way into the hands of American readers, as well as caught the attention of Producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown.
The two reportedly each read the book in the course of just one night, and it was unanimously decided that it would make a great, big screen film. Once soon-to-be legend Steven Spielberg was tapped to direct, the project had all the makings to become something truly unique.
Spielberg chose to hire actors without very much star power as not to take away from the “realness” of its blue collar setting. Roy Scheider, best known up to that point for his role in 1971’s The French Connection, was cast as the chief of police Martin Brody of the fictional Amity Island. Richard Dreyfuss, hot off the tails of 1973’s American Graffiti, was brought in to play marine biologist Hopper at the suggestion of George Lucas, while the role of rough-around-the-edges fisherman and WWII veteran Quint went to Robert Shaw, who seemed born to play the role.
Primarily filmed at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, the production was quickly nicknamed “Flaws” by crew members due to its painstaking shots on the water (it would be the first movie to ever fully utilize the actual open ocean in the way it ultimately did). Spielberg himself even stated if not for this, he might have even returned for a sequel.
Originally released on June 20, 1975 by Universal Pictures, the film took audiences by surprise right off the bat, and not only was an instant hit, it became a legitimate cultural phenomenon that would set the standard for the prototypical summer blockbuster from that point forward (it also briefly held the title for the highest-grossing film of all time until Star Wars surpassed it just two short years later in 1977).
Of course filmmakers knew the type of gold they had struck with it, and a sequel, simply titled Jaws 2, would soon follow in 1978 with the now-infamous tag line, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…” Spielberg had already expressed his disinterest in returning to direct (as previously mentioned), but Actor Roy Scheider was eventually coaxed into returning as Chief Brody after much hesitation (several other actors from the original, including Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton, also returned for the proceedings).
By the early 1980’s, 3-D had become all the rage, so it was only natural for Jaws 3 (originally released as “Jaws 3-D” in theaters) to be shot in this format in 1983. In this entry, the two Brody sons, now fully grown, are terrorized at a SeaWorld park that the eldest brother Michael (played by Dennis Quaid) works at. While far from the strongest of the bunch, the film still had some fun moments, and was filmed almost entirely at the Orlando, FL SeaWorld location.
The author (left) and son pictured at SeaWorld Orlando where much of 1983’s Jaws 3 was filmed on 1/1/12.
And then you have 1987’s preposterous Jaws: The Revenge, which found the shark actually following two of the Brody’s (Lorraine Gary returned one last time as Ellen, while Lance Guest takes on the role of Michael, completely ignoring the events of the third entry) from Amity to the Bahamas. It’s as far-fetched as it sounds, but good for a laugh every now and then (be sure to watch for the famous lion-roar scene at the end if you’ve never seen it), and if nothing else another memorable tag line in the form of “This time it’s personal” would also emerge thanks to this sequel.
But the legacy of that first, now fifty-year-old film is not likely to fade any time soon. From action figures (my autistic nephew Michael is an expert on these!), video games, attraction rides (such as the former popular one at Universal Studios), to even Jaws-themed wines (see photo below), there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the film.
On a personal level, I can recall watching the film as a child in my late Uncle Brian’s (R.I.P.) basement in the ’80s along with my siblings and cousins (if I remember correctly, it was a double feature that also included the original Ghostbusters), and it remains a bittersweet memory for me until this day. Jaws will no doubt continue to endure like this for generations to come.
Jaws wine display spotted at a World Market location in Sanford, FL on 6/17/25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).