Who directed Jaws and when was it released?
Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg and released on the 20th of June 1975. It was based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel and starred Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw.
Questions about Jaws (film)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How much did Jaws cost to make and how much did it earn?
Jaws had an initial estimated budget of $3.5 million but wound up costing $9 million due largely to mechanical shark problems, with effects costs alone reaching $3 million. It opened to a record $7 million weekend and grossed $21,116,354 in its first 10 days, eventually earning $270 million in worldwide rentals by the time of the third film in 1983.
Why did the mechanical shark in Jaws malfunction so often?
Three full-size pneumatically powered prop sharks were built for the film, nicknamed "Bruce" after Spielberg's lawyer Bruce Ramer. The neoprene foam skin soaked up water causing the sharks to balloon, pneumatic hoses took on salt water, frames fractured from water resistance, and skin corroded. These repeated failures ultimately forced Spielberg to suggest the shark's presence rather than show it, which most critics regard as central to the film's suspense.
Who wrote the music for Jaws and what awards did it win?
John Williams composed the Jaws score, including the two-note shark theme performed on tuba by Tommy Johnson. The score won Williams the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score, the Grammy Award, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and the Golden Globe Award. The American Film Institute later ranked it sixth on its list of the greatest film scores.
How did Jaws change the way Hollywood releases films?
Jaws pioneered the wide simultaneous national release backed by heavy television advertising. It opened on 464 screens across North America on the 20th of June 1975, paired with about two dozen 30-second prime-time television ads airing nightly. That release method became the template for the modern summer blockbuster and is now standard practice for major studio pictures.
What effect did Jaws have on public attitudes toward sharks?
The film is widely credited with producing the "Jaws effect", in which heightened fear of sharks allegedly inspired fishing tournaments that killed large numbers of the animals. Reduced beach attendance in 1975 was attributed to the film, and it is still seen as responsible for perpetuating negative stereotypes about shark behavior. Benchley later campaigned to stop shark depopulation, stating that "Jaws was entirely a fiction", and Spielberg said he regretted the decimation of shark populations that followed.