If you forgot what terror was like...

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Chief Martin Brody

Jaws

Release Date: June 20, 1975

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack from a great white shark, Martin Brody, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider); Matt Hooper, a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss); and Quint, a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it kills again. Featuring an unforgettable Oscar-winning score by John Williams that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.

Joining the triumvirate are Lorraine Gary as Ellen Hooper, Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn, and actor/co-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb as Amity newspaperman Meadows—plus inspired casting of Martha’s Vineyard locals where the production filmed, all adding to a sense of real and relatable characters inhabiting the little island village under threat from the shark.

Jaws shot on the Vineyard and at sea, with principal photography commencing on May 2, 1974 and, due to issues both technical and weather-related, didn’t wrap until 159 days later. Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges, the 27-year-old director, Steven Spielberg, remained steadfast and inventive, and his cast and crew toughed it out to create what is now considered a cinematic classic.

From the day it was released—opening to exceptional reviews—it was a box-office blockbuster, shooting to the top of the list of highest grossing films of all time. Jaws was the movie everybody talked about—and everybody wanted to experience for themselves in the summer of 1975.

About the Film

About the Film

CAST
  • ROY SCHEIDER,
  • ROBERT SHAW,
  • RICHARD DREYFUSS,
  • LORRAINE GARY,
  • MURRAY HAMILTON,
  • CARL GOTTLIEB,
  • JEFFREY KRAMER
DIRECTOR
  • STEVEN SPIELBERG
SCREENWRITERS
  • PETER BENCHLEY AND CARL GOTTLIEB
PRODUCERS
  • RICHARD D. ZANUCK,
  • DAVID BROWN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
  • BILL BUTLER
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
  • JOE ALVES
EDITOR
  • VERNA FIELDS
COMPOSER
  • JOHN WILLIAMS
AWARDS
  • ACADEMY AWARDS: BEST SOUND, BEST FILM EDITING, BEST MUSIC

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