‘Jaws’ Turns 50: 15 Rare Behind-the-Scenes Photos You’ve Never Seen Before
These photos reveal the challenges, fun and chaos of making this Steven Spielberg blockbuster
Some amazing horror/thriller films have been made over the decades, but few can match the pure power of Jaws. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the 1975 Steven Spielberg-directed film is a masterclass in suspense. Focused on a great white shark that terrorizes a beach community, and saddled with a robot shark that failed to function properly most of the time, Spielberg had no choice but to imply the predator more than overtly show it, and it paid off in that Jaws is recognized as Hollywood’s first true blockbuster.
The other power of the film is the fact that as much as it’s about a great white shark, it’s equally driven by the characters played by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. Because we believe in them, we have no choice but to identify with what they’re going through, the shark threatening us as much as them. Added into the mix is John Williams’ iconic title theme, which is as unrelenting and fear-inspiring as the film’s fintastic antagonist (you can see that in the video below in which Williams conducts it with the Boston Pops).
Woman’s World celebrate all things Jaws by taking this unique behind-the-scenes look through 15 images that convey so much in terms of what the cast and crew went through in bringing the film to life 50 years ago.
1. All things ‘Jaws’ began with writer Peter Benchley
Author Peter Benchley (center), who penned the original novel Jaws, got everything rolling. Here he’s seen with actor Roy Scheider (Police Chief Martin Brody) and screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, all three on location in Martha’s Vineyard in 1975.
2. Enter producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown
The first to recognize the potential for Jaws as a film were producers Richard D. Zanuck (left) and David Brown, seen here in 1975.
3. The choice of Steven Spielberg as director
It was remarkable that producers Zanuck and Brown chose Steven Spielberg to direct Jaws, given that his previous credits included the TV movie Duel and the Goldie Hawn feature The Sugarland Express. But they appreciated how he envisioned the film, brought him aboard and stuck with him even after the budget began to climb and filming fell behind schedule.
4. Roy Scheider
While Jaws may have been a movie about a rogue great white shark, at the core of it was the connection between the film’s three leading men, beginning with Roy Scheider, whose prior credits include Klute (1971), The French Connection (1971) and The Seven-Ups (1973). In Jaws he plays Amity Island police chief Martin Brody.
5. Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss, seen here with an oxygen tank that plays a part in the explosive finale of Jaws, signed on to play oceanologist Matt Hooper. His most recent credits before taking a dip into shark territory include American Graffiti (1973) and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974).
6. Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw, who portrays fisherman/shark hunter Quint, seen with Steven Spielberg and Roy Scheider. He had practice hunting prey prior to Jaws, having done his best to kill James Bond in 1963’s From Russia with Love. Additionally, he’d costarred with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting (1972).
7. Don’t let these smiles fool you
Although everybody’s all smiles here, there was genuine tension between Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, stemming from the former’s issues with drinking and the latter’s lack of experience in terms of big-budget moviemaking. The result is that Shaw busted his chops incessantly, which inadvertently helped their on-screen relationship.
8. ‘And that’s the way it is’
Visiting Steven Spielberg on the Jaws set was veteran newsman Walter Cronkite, then the host of the CBS Evening News, whose famous sign-off each night was, “And that’s the way it is.”
9. Chill time for Quint
Robert Shaw takes a few minutes to relax on the set of Jaws, notably in a place on the Orca, boat that was actually out on the ocean for filming.
10. They definitely need a bigger boat!
Upon seeing the shark for the first time, Chief Brody proclaims, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Based on this photo, he wasn’t kidding.
11. Welcome to Amity
Steven Spielberg, Richard D. Zanuck and Roy Scheider on the streets of Amity Island (actually Martha’s Vineyard).
12. ‘That’s a big mouth!’
This tiger shark is ready for his close-up, and Steven Spielberg is about to take it.
13. ‘Jaws’ between camera set-ups
A moment to relax on the Jaws set—for the record, there weren’t too many of those. L-R are Roy Scheider, Richard D. Zanuck and Steven Spielberg.
14. ‘Jaws’ the revenge!
Cue the John Williams theme; here comes the shark!
15. Get out of the water, Steven!
Sure the shark was a robot, but given the material he was dealing with, it’s amazing that Steven Spielberg would get into the water this way.
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