The most famous fictional shark in the world is celebrating it's 50th birthday this year!
Originally published in 1954 by Peter Benchley, Jaws is the gripping tale about a small town's struggle with a ravenous Great White shark that has decided to make its feeding ground off the coast. Police Chief Brody (Roy Schneider) teams up with marine biologist Hooper and professional fisherman Quint to put an end to the shark, which has killed several people by the film's climax.
The book was popular enough, but the film adaptation by Steven Spielburg became legendary. Jaws was the first summer blockbuster, bringing in packed movie theaters and a stunning gross in excess of $450 million, an unheard of sum. The film held the record until the release of Star Wars a few years later, but Jaws did something few films have over the years - it effected our collective psyche and seriously crippled tourism. Prior to 1974, sharks were simply overlarge mysterious fish that made ocean swimmers and fishermen nervous. The release of the film made a veritable monster out of the large predator, making entire generations of people nervous about spending too much time in the surf.
"Don't Go Into the Water!"
Jaws also proved devastating to ecosystems. Coastal communities across the United States panicked at the thought of 'killer sharks' off the coast. Hunting sharks became popular. Thousands of the predators, of varying species, were indiscriminately killed, in the name of protecting beach-goers. The culling had a dramatic effect on marine ecology, nearly wiping out several shark populations, and leading to stark fluctuations in the local food chain. Suddenly, for very many people, sharks became a very real fear.
The truth, of course, is far from fiction. Sharks, by nature, tend to be fairly skittish around humans. We are not their food, and sharks (along with virtually all species of fish, whales, and other aquatic animals) do not predate on humans. When people are attacked, it is usually an accident, the shark mistaking humans for their natural prey (seals, turtles, etc. ). That hasn't stopped sharks from becoming feared, or the subjects of many more films over the years. Mr. Benchley would later regret writing his book, and the harm it has brought to sharks the world over. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
"We're going to need a bigger boat."
The success of the first film was so colossal, Universal Studios felt obliged to make a sequel. The film crew returned to Martha's Vineyard to film Jaws 2, entirely out of the profits made by the first film. Roy Schneider returned to kill another shark threatening his family. The actor was not too happy about it, only staying on due to contractual obligations with the studio.
The studio still rode a high tide following the second film, in spite of a much lower audience and profit. The franchise wasn't drowning just yet, but in the meantime, Universal hoped to immortalize their new franchise, and what better way than a ride at Universal Studios?
Not content at just scaring movie goers away from the beaches, the studio also wanted to frighten the visitors of its own theme park! Jaws the Ride has its own storied history, at three separate theme parks. At Universal Studios Hollywood, Jaws became a feature of the Studio Backlot Tour, where guests got to experience scenes from various movies, Jaws among them. At Universal Studios Orlando and Tokyo, more elaborate rides were planned, featuring a tour boat, several animatronic sharks, and pyrotechnics. The ride was a hit with visitors, when it worked, and over the years from 1990 to its eventual closing in 2012, the the ride was closed numerous times due to technical mishaps, weather, and concerns about petroleum costs. In the end, the Orlando version shut down to make way for modernity as the studio prepared to renovate for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The location in Japan remains open.
Universal Studios demanded another film, and why not? What could go wrong? Well, none of the actors wanted to return for Jaws 3-D, so the studio got a whole new cast. They also changed the location to SeaWorld theme park. No, not just a coincidentally named attraction, but the actual, real-life SeaWorld. Queue fun horror film where sharks eat a bunch more people before being taken out by a young Dennis Quaid. Famously, the film featured 3D effects via sunglasses, which did not translate at all for home television screens.
Reviewers hated it, but studio execs and the box office gave it enough support to get another sequel out the door.
Lorraine Gary, who played the wife of Chief Brody, returns in the film, wrestling with the death of her husband to a heart attack. One of her sons invites her to spend time with him and his family in the Caribbean, only for the family to be hunted down by another killer shark, this time out for revenge! Do sharks understand revenge? Who knows, but this one was relentless in trying to get rid of two characters the first Jaws never even met. The film was not well-received, and not even the inclusion of Michael Caine in the cast helped.
Oh, and before we forget, there's one more film...
While he never directed another Jaws film, Steven Spielburg did revisit the franchise one last time, in humorous fashion. In Back to the Future Part 2, the director included an easter egg! Lead character Marty McFly runs into a movie theater in the far-flung future of 2015, where he sees a promotion for Jaws 19, a film directed by Max Spielburg. The easter egg within the easter egg is that Spielburg has an actual son named Max! And he's actually a director! Great Scott! Fingers crossed he eventually makes the film!
That wraps up our retrospective on the Jaws franchise.
Looking for something else? As always, the St. Tammany Parish Library is happy to offer free use of our online catalog, opens a new window for more information on this and other topics.
Happy swimming!
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