20 Facts You Might Not Know About Jaws
Maybe your like
NEWSLETTERS Emailed Daily. Always Free! - Home
- Quizzes
- My Quiz Activity
- Newsletters
- MY FAVORITES
- Add Sports/Teams
- SPORTS
- Sports Betting
- RESOURCES
- My Account
- YB on Facebook
- YB on Twitter
- YB on Flipboard
- Contact Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Quizzes
-
Follow Us
-
On Facebook -
On Flipboard -
On Twitter
-
Entertainment News
Home Movies TV Streaming Music Comic Books Quizzes Newsletter
Universal Studios 
20 facts you might not know about Jaws Updated July 09, 2024 | By Chris Morgan Why are people afraid of sharks? There are a few potential reasons, but “Jaws” is probably high on that list. Steven Spielberg’s breakout film found critical acclaim and also a ton of commercial success. If you have only seen “Jaws” once or dozens of times – or perhaps never seen it before but just know it from its reputation – here are 20 facts that might educate you on the shark that made you afraid to get in the water.
1 of 20“Jaws” was inspired by a best-selling book inspired by real events
Universal “Jaws” began life as a novel by the author Peter Benchley, one of the credited screenwriters on the movie as well. The book was inspired by a lifelong interest in sharks, especially a 1964 story about a fisherman named Frank Mundus who caught a two-ton great white shark off the shore of Montauk, New York. The book was on the bestseller list for 44 weeks, making it an obvious choice for a movie adaptation.
2 of 20One of the screenwriters had a history in sitcom writing (and acting)
Universal Benchley was joined by Carl Gottlieb to write the script. After winning an Emmy for his work on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” Gottlieb also wrote for “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Odd Couple.” As an actor, Gottlieb appeared in movies like “The Jerk” and “Clueless.” He’s also in “Jaws,” playing Harry Meadows.
3 of 20Steven Spielberg was not the first choice to direct
Universal Spielberg may be one of the biggest directors ever now, but back when the production for “Jaws” began he only had one feature to his name, “The Sugarland Express.” Producers initially wanted John Sturges, and Rick Richards was actually offered the job first. However, for some weird reason Richards kept calling the shark in the movie a “whale,” and producers dropped him and replaced him with Spielberg.
4 of 20Spielberg was only 26 when he began directing “Jaws”
Universal We mentioned that “Spielberg” had one feature to his name when he got the “Jaws” job. However, he had already worked in television, including directing 1971’s “Duel,” which got him a lot of attention and critical acclaim. Of course, he was already having an impressive career given his age. When Spielberg got the “Jaws” gig he was all of 26.
5 of 20Robert Shaw almost didn’t act in the movie because he didn’t like the book
Universal Can you imagine anybody but Shaw playing Quint? Well we almost had to do without him. When he was offered the role of the grizzled captain of the Orca, he didn’t really want the role. His problem? He thought Benchley’s novel wasn’t very good. However, his wife Midge Ure and his secretary suggested he take the role, and Shaw listened to them. The rest is film history.
6 of 20Hooper is quite different in the book (and also doesn’t survive)
Universal Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is a little annoying but mostly likeable. In the novel, though, he’s more odious. In particular, he has an affair with Chief Brody’s wife Ellen. Of course, in a way Hooper then gets his cosmic comeuppance. In the novel, when Hooper goes down in the shark cage he gets eaten. That was actually originally going to happen in the movie as well, but the storyline was altered during the filming.
7 of 20Richard Dreyfuss was suggested to Spielberg by George Lucas
Universal Spielberg and Lucas are good buddies and often helped each other out. When Spielberg was looking for an actor to play Hooper, Lucas recommended he go with Dreyfuss. The actor had been in Lucas’ breakout film “American Graffiti,” and obviously made a good impression on the talented director.
8 of 20We were supposed to see way more of the shark
Universal Multiple mechanical sharks were built for the making of the movie. However, they proved entirely unreliable. Spielberg had to maneuver around these problems and a lot of planned shots of the shark were instead filmed without the shark on screen. This actually proved to be quite suspenseful, and arguably made the movie even better.
9 of 20“Jaws” had a nickname during production
Universal The three full-sized mechanical sharks from the movie? The ones that didn’t work as expected? They were all given a nickname on set. The faux great whites were called Bruce in “honor” of Bruce Ramer, Spielberg’s lawyer.
10 of 20“Jaws” was actually shot on the ocean, a Hollywood first
Universal The movie is set on the fictional island of Amity, but was shot around Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Martha’s Vineyard sits adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, and Spielberg decided to shoot some of the film on location. “Jaws” was actually the first major movie to be filmed on the ocean, which certainly didn’t make production any easier.
11 of 20“Jaws” basically invented the summer blockbuster
Universal Back in the day, movies were often released in a slow rollout. Films basically went on a road trip, opening in different areas across the country, staying there for a few weeks, and then moving on. “Jaws,” meanwhile, was released in 464 screens on June 20, the beginning of summer and quickly expanded to 700 screens by the end of July based on audience buzz. The idea of studios releasing their big blockbusters in summer? That effectively began with “Jaws.”
12 of 20The film won three Oscars
Universal In addition to being a commercial smash, “Jaws” was nominated for several Academy Awards. While it didn’t win Best Picture, and Spielberg was annoyed he wasn’t even nominated for Best Director, it did win three Oscars including Best Film Editing, Best Original Sound, and Best Original Dramatic Score, which went to the legendary John Williams.
13 of 20“Jaws” spawned a ton of imitators
United Artists A hit like “Jaws” is bound to spawn imitators. Perhaps the most infamous of those was “Piranha.” However, there were many more, including “Orca,” “Barracuda,” and “Mako: The Jaws of Death.” In fact, even “Alien” was pitched as “Jaws in Space.” Sadly none of the knock-offs could match "Jaws" place in movie history.
14 of 20The actress who played Chrissie spoofed herself in another Spielberg movie
Universal Poor Chrissie didn’t stand a chance. All she wanted to do was get drunk and go skinny dipping, but instead ends up as the first victim in “Jaws,” an unsettling scene that sets the pace for the film. The actress, Susan Backline, would parody that opening in Spielberg’s “1941.” This time, instead of getting attacked by a shark, she ends up atop a submarine.
15 of 20“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” was an adlib
Universal You know Brody’s iconic line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat?” You likely do. After all, it finished 33th on AFI’s top 100 movie quotes list. Well it wasn’t in the script. Roy Scheider adlibbed the line, making film history in the process.
16 of 20The sharks were fake, but the slaps from Mrs. Kitner were real
Universal Poor Mrs. Kitner loses her son because the beaches are opened in spite of the fact a great white was known to be in the premises. She takes her grief out on Brody, slapping him in the face. Unfortunately for Scheider, actress Lee Fierro couldn’t really fake a slap, so she actually hit Scheider on every take. He said in an interview it took 17 takes, and Fierro admitted that she once slapped him so hard his glasses flew off.
17 of 20One line sparked the name of a production company
Universal Chief Brody tells an elderly smoker teasing him “That’s some bad hat, Harry.” This line inspired the name of Bad Hat Harry Productions, which produced “House” and most of the “X-Men” films to date.
18 of 20“Mythbusters” put “Jaws” to the test
Universal The beloved Discovery show “Mythbusters” tested many movie myths and spent a lot of time on “Jaws” due to Discovery's connection with “Shark Week”. Some of the myths tested include if an oxygen tank would explode if shot and if a great white could actually punch a hole in the side of a wooden boat.
19 of 20Shooting went a little longer than anticipated
Universal When Spielberg was given the go ahead to direct “Jaws,” he was allotted 55 days of shooting. In the end, it took Spielberg 159 days to wrap up production. In an interview with “The Roanoke Times” to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film, Spielberg said he thought his career would be over because of how long over schedule he went. Fortunately for everybody, that wasn’t the case.
20 of 20“Jaws” is an Oscar winner with a Razzie-winning sequel
Universal As we said, “Jaws” won three Oscars. It’s considered one of the best movies ever. "Jaws" related sequels -- not so much. The fourth film in the series, “Jaws: The Revenge” is considered one of the worst movies ever. It was nominated for seven Razzies, but luckily only won for Worst Visual Effects.
Chris Morgan Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.
More must-reads:
- 20 A-list actors who squandered their goodwill with poor project choices
- Winners and losers from Super Bowl LX commercials
- The 25 most unforgettable action hero names
Breaking News
Winners and losers from Super Bowl LX commercials Who is Ken Kern? 'The Lincoln Lawyer' tribute, explained 20 classic TV series that deserve a reboot Fans, celebrities pay tribute to late 'Varsity Blues' star James Van Der Beek 20 TV shows that went on way too long 20 episodes from popular TV series that everyone skips Legendary bands who’d break the internet with a comeback album 20 times artists challenged the music industryTrending in Entertainment
Ad nauseam: The 25 worst Super Bowl commercials
1 Celebrity The 25 biggest music moments from 2025 
2 TV 20 TV stars who quit, were killed off or fired from popular shows 
3 TV 20 iconic TV shows where the cast feuded with one another 
4 Movie News 20 actors who looked exactly like the real-life people they portrayed 
5 Celebrity 22 underrated lead singers who don't get enough respect 
6 Music 20 notable bands & artists that faded after starting strong 
7 Music 20 underrated 1970s bands that you should be listening to 
8 Customize Your Newsletter
+ 
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. MY ACCOUNT SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE JOBS FAQ PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY CONTACT US ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE FREE NEWSLETTERS Copyright 2026 YB Media, LLC. All rights reserved. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This site is for entertainment purposes only. There is no gambling offered on this site. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. 
Tag » Where Did They Film Jaws
-
Jaws Locations Then And Now | See Where Jaws Was Filmed - HGTV
-
Jaws | Film Locations
-
Jaws (film) - Wikipedia
-
Where Was 'Jaws' Filmed? - Decider
-
Where Was Jaws Actually Filmed? - Looper
-
'Jaws' Child Star Becomes Police Chief Where Blockbuster Was ...
-
Jaws Movie Locations
-
Where Was Jaws Filmed? - Top Movie Locations
-
Where Was Jaws Filmed? - Quora
-
Visit These 6 "Jaws" Filming Locations On Martha's Vineyard
-
'Jaws': Martha's Vineyard Residents Were Sick Of The Cast And Crew ...
-
Where Was “Jaws” Filmed? - Peerspace
-
Filming Locations Of Jaws: Martha's Vineyard Aka Amity Island
-
Amity Island: Where Was Jaws Filmed? Guide To All The Filming ...