Composer John Williams’ eerie music made the movie a timeless classic.
But when Williams first played his score for Jaws to director Steven Spielberg, Spielberg couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “That’s funny, John, really; but what did you really have in mind for the theme of Jaws?”
Spielberg was rooting for the shark
Jaws was actually based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, but what’s even more surprising is how the film rights were snagged before the book was even published.
Producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown discovered the novel thanks to a tip-off in Cosmopolitan magazine. Brown, whose wife Helen Gurley Brown was the editor, found a small card with a plot summary that ended with “might make a good movie.”
After reading it overnight, the two were hooked, calling it ”the most exciting thing they’d ever read.” They bought the film rights in 1973 for $175,000 (about $1.2 million today) and brought Jaws to life.
Interestingly, Spielberg admitted that when he first read the book, he was actually rooting for the shark — because the human characters were so unlikeable!
Stiff drinks and shark drama
Here’s a fun fact: the very first screening of Jaws happened in Dallas. Producer David Brown and Richard Zanuck were initially nervous, fearing audiences might laugh at the mechanical shark.
“We went and had a very stiff drink,” Brown recalled in the 25th-anniversary DVD exploring the making of Jaws.
But as the lights dimmed, their fears quickly vanished. “We went into the theater, and the screams started, and they never stopped. And we were pinching each other. It was incredible.”
Robert Shaw robbed of an Oscar?
Many believe Robert Shaw was robbed of an Oscar for his unforgettable performance in Jaws. From start to finish, every moment he’s on screen, he absolutely owns it. His intensity is almost unbelievable, yet he also brings a surprising depth of emotion when talking about his harrowing experience aboard the USS Indianapolis
The ”USS Indianapolis” speech, where Shaw’s character Quint recounts the traumatic events of the sinking, is one of the most chilling and powerful moments in film history.
Who wrote the USS Indianapolis speech in Jaws?
The debate over who wrote the iconic “USS Indianapolis” speech in Jaws remains unresolved.
While playwright Howard Sackler initially conceived the speech, screenwriter John Milius was asked to expand it, resulting in a 10-page monologue. Director Steven Spielberg credits Milius for the words, but Robert Shaw’s editing made the speech what it is in the film. However, co-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb argues that it was Robert Shaw himself who wrote the final version.
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