WHY JAWS WAS THE ORIGINAL DISASTER MOVIE

RAZOR-SHARP teeth knifing through the ocean beneath an unsuspecting swimmer. A blood-curdling scream, frantic splashing, and then silence. Can one even think of the movie Jaws without hearing its ominous Oscar-winning notes: Duh-dum... Dah-dum...?

- By Peter Sheridan

RAZOR-SHARP teeth knifing through the ocean beneath an unsuspecting swimmer. A blood-curdling scream, frantic splashing, and then silence. Can one even think of the movie Jaws without hearing its ominous Oscar-winning notes: Duh-dum… Dah-dum…?

Last weekend marked 50 years since Jaws plunged into cinemas, becoming one of Hollywood’s greatest hits. A seminal movie, its cultural impact was far-reaching. Jaws ruined a million beach holidays, as legions of nervous tourists shunned the sea. And the film declared open season on sharks, driving down their populations worldwide as hunters sought them as trophies.

Jaws was also the first summer blockbuster, blazing the trail for decades of megabudget hits. And it was the first commercial success for a little-known director by the name of Steven Spielberg, who went on to helm modern classics including E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List. Yet despite its global box office success and rave reviews, Jaws was a trouble-plagued disaster while filming.

Scheduled for 55 days of shooting, Jaws took 159 days to film. Its budget doubled and crew members jokingly dubbed it “Flaws”. Novelist Robert Benchley, whose 1974 bestseller inspired the film, wanted an A-List cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Steve McQueen.

Yet Richard Dreyfuss was cast as marine biologist Dr Matt Hooper, only after the role was turned down by Jeff Bridges, Jon Voight and Timothy Bottoms. Speaking at a 50th anniversary event over the weekend, he admitted: “The word that’s most associated with that film in my mind is waiting! We waited – all day and all night.”