This weekend is the unofficial start of summer. Hello, sun, shorts, ice cream, and swimming!
In the summer of 1975, I was 7 years old, and everyone I knew was afraid to go near any body of water. Do I have to remind you why? The film Jaws debuted. Happy 50th Birthday!
Director Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster hit movie lands at #4 in The Top Ten Greatest Films of All Time. Between its marketing strategy, the power of fear, and John Williams’ famous score, no wonder it still resonates with movie fans. Including me. After all these years, it still scares the daylights out of me..lol I have a couple of scenes that get to me every time I watch it.
The first scene out of the gate terrifies me because of the element of the unknown. The sky is dark. The ocean water is murky. And how about those infamous notes made by the tuba? Chrissy is taken under by the shark that nobody sees.
I learned how Spielberg filmed that scene. They strapped her into a harness with cables from the water to the beach. The actress, Susan Backlinie, didn’t know which way they would pull those cables, causing her screams to be authentic. It works. This opening sets the stage for the whole movie franchise.
My youngest always laughs at me about the other scene in the movie that freaks me out. Every.Single.Time. It’s when Ben Gardner’s blue, waterlogged, one-eyed face popped out of his shark-eaten boat. Yikes! As a kid, I had nightmares..lol.
I remember the Jaws craze when the movie debuted. I’m sure this summer, with the 50th anniversary, will bring back those memories. Everyone was talking about it. I’ll never forget playing the Jaws game with my friends, and the infamous picture of the woman swimming above the menacing shark with those straggly teeth.
However, I do have a confession. I never read Peter Benchley’s book. I bought a copy last summer but have yet to dive in. No pun intended.
Perhaps the 50th anniversary celebration will motivate me to do so. I will pull my legs up tight when reading it. Why? Because nobody’s safe in the water this summer. Or reading the book in a chair…
Writer McWriterson
You’re only two years older than me, so this totally brings back memories. I think my mom and dad went to see Jaws in theaters with another couple.
But what I really remember is when it came on HBO. Back then, HBO felt kind of edgy, and all the neighborhood kids would talk about the stuff you could see on there—mainly, naked bodies. We’d try to sneak out of our rooms to watch the movies our parents didn’t allow. When Jaws was on, I was definitely traumatized by the blood and gore. But honestly, I love that movie now. The boat scene?? So good. (Not for the guy) And it was made in 1975! Steven Spielberg was way ahead of his time.
And yes, I totally remember that Jaws game! Such good times.