Six words that became 'greatest movie quote ever' was never part of script
As Jaws 50th anniversary approaches, we take a look at the making of Steven Spielberg;s blockbuster movie and the star Roy Schneider add libbed "the greatest in movie history."
The tale of a great white shark terrorising a small island community remains a cinema classic.
As Jaw approached its 50th anniversary on June 20, here are ten things you never knew about the film that has been ranked one of the greatest of all time...
Composer John Williams won an Oscar for the music and it was crowned film top sound in a poll of 2,000 people this month. But the first time director Steven Spielberg heard the famous 'dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun' he thought it was a joke. He said: 'It seemed too simple.'
Incredibly producers initially wanted to train a great white shark to play Jaws. Realising it was impossible they built three mechanical sharks instead.
In the scene where the remains of bather Chrissie Watkins were discovered, Spielberg thought the prop arm looked too fake, so instead a female crew member was buried in the sand with only her arm exposed.
The film was responsible for one of Hollywood's greatest feuds, between Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss said: 'In private, he was the kindest, gentlest, funniest guy. Then, on our way to the set, he was possessed by some evil troll, who would then make me his victim.'
Although the shark dominates Jaws it doesn't actually appear until 1 hour 21 minutes into the movie and only has four minutes of screen time. The mechanical sharks kept breaking down, so Spielberg decided that he would mostly suggest its presence by using ominous music.
Despite the horror and gore, Jaws was rated PG, meaning suitable for general viewing. The poster for the film still reads that it 'may be too intense for younger children.'
The famous line – 'you're gonna need a bigger boat' wasn't actually part of the script. Actor Roy Scheider ad-libbed it. Horror writer Stephen King called the line the greatest in movie history.
Initial filming was scheduled to take 55 days, but actually took 159. Spielberg said afterwards: 'I thought my career as a filmmaker was over.' Bad weather, boat breakdowns, feuds and seasickness were blamed. Disgruntled crew members nicknamed the film Flaws.
Jaws spawned three sequels which all sank without trace, although Jaws 2 was responsible for the iconic tagline 'Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.'
Spielberg later said that he regretted 'the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Jury deliberations to resume in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial
A Manhattan jury will resume deliberations Friday in Harvey Weinstein 's sex crimes retrial after ending its first day without reaching a verdict in a case that encapsulated the #MeToo movement. The panel, which was handed the case Thursday morning, has requested to hear a readback of some testimony from two of Weinstein's accusers, as well as to see medical records from one of those women. The jury of seven women and five men is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape against the 73-year-old Oscar-winning movie producer, with the criminal sex act charges the higher-degree felonies. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty. Sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein propelled the #MeToo movement in 2017. He was eventually convicted of sex crimes in New York and California, but the New York conviction was overturned last year, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy testimony from three accusers.
Glasgow Times
14 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial
The seven-woman, five-man jury is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape, each relating to a different accuser and a different date. In this case, the criminal sex act charge is the higher-degree felony. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty. Harvey Weinstein (Olga Fedorova/Pool Photo via AP) Nearly eight years ago, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning movie producer propelled the #MeToo movement. Some of those accusations later generated criminal charges and convictions in New York and California. The New York conviction from 2020 was subsequently overturned, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy and sometimes fiery questioning of Weinstein's three accusers in the case. Jessica Mann said he raped her in 2013, when she was trying to build an acting career. Miriam Haley accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on her in 2006, when she was looking for work in entertainment production. Kaja Sokola, who was not involved in Weinstein's first trial, told jurors that he forced oral sex on her, too, during 2006. At the time, she was a teenage fashion model trying to break into acting. 'They all had dreams of pursuing careers in the defendant's world, the entertainment industry,' prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors in her closing argument on Tuesday. She contended that Weinstein let the women think he was interested in their careers when what actually interested him were their bodies, and 'he was going to have their bodies and touch their bodies whether they wanted him to or not'. Weinstein chose not to testify. His defence called other witnesses, including some former friends of Ms Sokola's and Ms Mann's. Weinstein's attorneys argued that all three accusers consented to Weinstein's advances because they wanted help with their Hollywood aims. All three stayed on friendly terms with him afterwards, a point the defence emphasised. 'It's transactional, folks. Yes, he wants to fool around with them, and yes, they want something from him,' defence lawyer Arthur Aidala said in his summation on Tuesday.
South Wales Guardian
14 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial
The seven-woman, five-man jury is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape, each relating to a different accuser and a different date. In this case, the criminal sex act charge is the higher-degree felony. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty. Nearly eight years ago, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning movie producer propelled the #MeToo movement. Some of those accusations later generated criminal charges and convictions in New York and California. The New York conviction from 2020 was subsequently overturned, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy and sometimes fiery questioning of Weinstein's three accusers in the case. Jessica Mann said he raped her in 2013, when she was trying to build an acting career. Miriam Haley accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on her in 2006, when she was looking for work in entertainment production. Kaja Sokola, who was not involved in Weinstein's first trial, told jurors that he forced oral sex on her, too, during 2006. At the time, she was a teenage fashion model trying to break into acting. 'They all had dreams of pursuing careers in the defendant's world, the entertainment industry,' prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors in her closing argument on Tuesday. She contended that Weinstein let the women think he was interested in their careers when what actually interested him were their bodies, and 'he was going to have their bodies and touch their bodies whether they wanted him to or not'. Weinstein chose not to testify. His defence called other witnesses, including some former friends of Ms Sokola's and Ms Mann's. Weinstein's attorneys argued that all three accusers consented to Weinstein's advances because they wanted help with their Hollywood aims. All three stayed on friendly terms with him afterwards, a point the defence emphasised. 'It's transactional, folks. Yes, he wants to fool around with them, and yes, they want something from him,' defence lawyer Arthur Aidala said in his summation on Tuesday.
