Jaws at 50: Celebrating Half a Century Since the First Ever ‘Summer Blockbuster’

This year, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, Jaws is celebrating its 50 year anniversary. Whether you’ve seen it or not, you’ve definitely heard of Jaws. You’ve probably heard the suspenseful notes of John Williams’ iconic theme, or maybe you’ve heard the famous line, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” Fans are in for a real treat as the movie returns to theaters on August 29 to honor the thrilling classic!

Jaws was the first ever “summer blockbuster.” Its massive success at the box office in June of 1975 led to the term that would later be used for films like Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean. A summer blockbuster is a big-budget film released during the summer season, from May to August.

Jaws was a huge success during its release, and its popularity still continues today. The thrilling and suspenseful ocean adventure has made an impact on films and pop culture for years now. It’s no wonder fans are excited to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Let’s dive in and take a look at what makes Jaws an iconic film.

Where it all began

Jaws began as a fictional thriller novel published by author Peter Benchley in 1974. It tells the story of a great white shark that attacks the people of a small town. The novel’s inspiration came from the shark fisherman, Frank Mundus, who captured a great white shark in the 1960s.

Watching Jaws and knowing of its success, you would’ve never imagined the movie’s production was so difficult. To begin with, the film’s budget was about $4 million but turned out costing $9 million, more than double the expected cost. Also, the film’s production was scheduled to be completed in 55 days, but actually took 159. Filming began on May of 1974 and wrapped up until October, meaning it took six months to complete.

One of the major issues during production was the film’s main attraction, the shark. Three mechanical sharks were built, but because filming took place in the ocean, there were many malfunctions. Though the sharks were supposedly non-absorbent, they still soaked up ocean water, causing them to inflate. Because of these difficulties with the sharks, the script was constantly being changed.

Although that may seem like a huge inconvenience, it actually led to the some of the film’s strengths, such as the suspense. Since the mechanical sharks were so problematic, the shark’s screen time in the movie was decreased. Instead, they used shots of only the fin or the ocean water, increasing the tension in the scenes. Even shark experts Ron and Valerie Taylor captured real shark footage for the film.

What’s the movie about?

Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw. This adventure thriller from 1975 takes place in a fictional town called Amity Island, popular with tourists during the summer. During a night swim in the ocean, an unknown attacker pulls a girl underwater and kills her. Her remains are found on the beach the following morning, and police chief Martin Brody decides that the beaches should be closed.

However, the mayor refuses to announce that a shark is in the ocean, afraid it will drop the amount of tourists. Instead, he declares that the girl’s death was caused by a boat accident. He also dismisses Brody’s desire to close the beaches. It isn’t until the 4th of July when the shark attacks again, that the mayor allows Brody to take action.

Brody hires the ill-tempered seaman Quint to hunt the shark. Quint guarantees he can catch the animal in exchange for a reward. He clashes with oceanographer Matt Hooper, who arrives at Amity Island to investigate the shark issue. All three men must learn to work together when they find themselves at sea in search of the threatening shark.

What I think

I love Steven Spielberg’s movies like Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds. So this summer, I decided to watch the film that skyrocketed his career. It was my first time watching Jaws, and even though I’ve always been somewhat familiar with the plot and characters, watching it in its entirety was really fun.

First of all, the soundtrack for this movie is amazing. John Williams’ score is a nice mix of delightful and terrifying songs, making for a fun experience when watching the movie or just listening to the soundtrack on its own. Seeing how the music adds tension to certain scenes is really fascinating, and I love how even when you can’t see the shark, you can feel its approach.

Also, because Jaws is directed by Steven Spielberg, it has the adventure and suspense that I love from his movies. Eerie moments like the beginning scene with Chrissie, where the setting is quiet and dark, are so scary and tense. And there are many scenes where tension slowly builds, which is something found in many of Spielberg’s films.

Reading about the film’s production is also very interesting, especially when it comes to the mechanical sharks. I love how their malfunctions turned out to be a good thing for the movie, leading to the creepy shots of the ocean. Even though Jaws revolves around a threatening shark, it only gets a few minutes of screen time and yet, it’s still a great and thrilling movie.

Final thoughts

After watching Jaws, I can really see why it’s stood the test of time. The storytelling, acting, and music keep you super immersed. And, its huge box office success in 1975 led to it becoming the first ever summer blockbuster. Today, it’s one of the most iconic Hollywood films and it’s easy to see its popularity everywhere.

The first attraction featured at the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour in 1976 was one of Jaws. This attraction continues to be one of the tour’s highlights. Visitors are taken to Amity Island where they confront a mechanical shark that swims in the water and jumps out at them.

For the film’s 50th anniversary, theaters will be screening the movie beginning August 29 through September 4. It will be available to watch on several formats like 3D and IMAX. Many theaters are even selling fun popcorn buckets, but they’ve been flying off the shelves. This will be a new and exciting way for fans to revisit this classic thriller. So if you’re a huge fan of Jaws or have never seen it, this is your chance to experience it like never before!