From the Summer of 1975, a line of
Moviegoers wait to see “Jaws”
By Michael Lyons
At one time, movies were scarier than real life. This may be difficult to believe today, as a glance lately at the news or perusing social media is enough to make anyone jump and cover their eyes.
However, forty-five years ago this Summer, audiences sought out a good scare at their neighborhood theater, when “Jaws” debuted on June 20, 1975.
The massive success of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece about a great white shark that terrorizes Amity Island, caused a shift in the movie industry and in our collective pop culture.
Hollywood woke up to the fact that audiences would actually want to go to the movies during the hottest months of the year and the Summer Movie Season was born. The popularity of “Jaws” also changed what movie studios viewed as a successful film. It was no longer good enough to “do well” at the box-office, or be “a hit.” Now, every studio wanted a...blockbuster.
Adapted from Peter Benchley’s best selling novel, “Jaws” also changed HOW audiences go to the movies. One couldn’t just walk up to the box-office and purchase a ticket, now you had to wait in line and possibly one that stretched around the block.
Once in the theater, “Jaws” became less about watching a movie and more about experiencing a movie. Shocked screams from the audience became the equivalent of being on an amusement park ride along with every one else in the theater.
A newspaper ad from the Summer of
1975, featuring critical praise for “Jaws.”
Beyond the movie theater, local beaches suffered lower attendance during the summer of ‘75, as the shark-attack scenes in “Jaws” remained seared in everyone’s mind and most opted for a day at the pool.
John Williams’ “dah-dum” theme became one of the maestro’s most iconic pieces of music that has been used, re-used and parodied so many times that to this day, the score has become synonymous with something evil on its way.
Simple lines of dialogue (“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”) are instantly recognizable; Martha’s Vineyard (the filming location for the movie) has become a Mecca for fans; tales of the immense troubles during the making of the film has become the stuff of Hollywood legend and even just the mention of the title “Jaws” conjures up all a movie lover needs for satisfaction.
Over four decades later, “Jaws” endures because of what a truly masterful piece of cinema it is. The movie is just so...so...”Spielberg.” From its opening nighttime swim with young Chrissy to the attack on Alex Kitner and his raft, this was movie terror filtered through the most creative and original perspective since Alfred Hitchcock.
From left to right: Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider,
Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss on the set of “Jaws.”
Spielberg (who was only 27-! When he made “Jaws”) also showed innate skills for quieter, character moments that would prove to only deepen the film. The tender moment at the dinner table between Chief Brody and his son provides an unexpected emotion and sympathy for the character. And, Quint’s monologue detailing the horrors of the USS Indianapolis is scarier than many of the shark attack scenes.
And the acting delivered by Robert Shaw as Quint in that scene is just one of the many amazing performances in “Jaws.” Quint feels real, he’s the salty curmudgeon, who has seen so much and is known to all in the town. Shaw took what could’ve been a stereotypical performance and made it so much more.
Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper, is the opposite: part of a different, younger generation, education and financial strata, who is full of manic emotion and also provides an off-center humor to the film.
As Chief Brody, Roy Scheider is the absolute perfect Everyman, as well as the audiences’ window into this terrifying world of sharks.
From left to right: Murray Hamilton, Richard Dreyfuss
And Roy Scheider in “Jaws.”
All of these elements came together perfectly for “Jaws,” one of the greatest movie experiences ever and that rare film that is even more exhilarating each time you see it.
Forty-five years later, “Jaws” is also a nice reminder of what now seems like an innocent time, when scares in a movie theater was where audiences sought escape.
Whether in the water or on the beach, continue to stay safe everyone.
From left to right: Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and
Richard Dreyfuss in “Jaws.”
Sources: Wikipedia
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