Island gears up for ‘Jaws’ 50th 

Fifty-two-year-old Andrew McCann, decked out in a “Jaws” poster–inspired T shirt and matching baseball hat, has had a lifelong passion for the classic blockbuster ever since he was 8 years old, when he begged his mother to let him see the film at a dingy cinema. “I just came out absolutely mesmerized,” he told The Times of the experience.

McCann’s love for the film inspired him to travel from his home in Yorkshire, England, to the Vineyard this week to take in the festivities surrounding the movie’s 50th anniversary.

On Tuesday afternoon, he was getting his first look at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s “Jaws”-themed top floor as part of the “‘Jaws’ at 50: A Deeper Dive” summer exhibit.

“I don’t think anybody is, probably, as big a fan as I am,” McCann said while around the corner from a life-size replica of the shark.

McCann is just one of the throng of visitors and “Jaws” enthusiasts — some coming from as far as Germany and the Netherlands — to take in the golden anniversary of the classic that put Martha’s Vineyard on the map as Amity Island.

For this weekend in June, the tail end of what some might consider a “shoulder weekend,” the Island has been bustling with the energy of superfans.

“The majority of our hotels — if not all of them — are completely filled up this weekend,” said Erica Ashton, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, who coordinated “Jaws” activities surrounding the 50th. “People are really in the ‘Jaws’ spirit and are excited.”

Ashton said that they’ve been swirling with activity leading up to the weekend, landing interviews with national and global news outlets like “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” the Washington Post, and a slew of other publications.

“It’s been busy,” the Chamber director said from her Vineyard Haven office, where visitors have regularly popped in to get ideas on what “Jaws”-themed events they should see.

The “‘Jaws’ 50th Anniversary,” as it has officially been labeled, kicks off this weekend and is chock-full of events. There are guided and self-guided tours, behind-the-scenes looks at the film with Islanders who appeared as extras, and a scientific talk about the impact the film had on sharks and what we now know about the Atlantic white shark. National Geographic will host its premier of a new documentary called “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” Edgartown Books is hosting a series of author talks including with legendary production designer Joe Alves, and a replica of Quint’s boat, used to hunt down the shark, will be docked in Oak Bluffs Harbor.

Also expected are celebrities including Richard Dreyfuss, who played marine biologist Matt Hooper in the film. Rumor is that Steven Spielberg, director of “Jaws,” will not be on the Island. No one has heard from John Williams. There will also be faces, replicas, and props that many will likely recognize, such as a replica of Chief Brody’s wagon, a 1975 Chevy Blazer, which is expected to make the rounds on-Island.

Likely the main event is a screening of “Jaws” at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown with a live, 59-member Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra. The Saturday event has sold nearly 1,000 tickets as of Tuesday. It will show on a 25-foot screen with South Beach looming in the background, the same beach where the film’s opening scene takes place and the unfortunate Chrissie Watkins is the shark’s first victim. Special for the occasion, the orchestra will be bringing four double basses from the mainland to capture the thrilling “dun-dun” of John Williams’ famous main theme. Also, the orchestra will use a 40-inch gong to get a resonant ocean tone, according to Pat Gallagher with the symphony.

Staff at the Winnetu are gearing up for the event, with a production team coming Thursday to begin preparations.

“We are in uncharted waters,” said Winnetu general manager Matt Moore, noting that the resort and Island in general may have never seen something to this scale. “This is a big production, and there are a lot of moving pieces, but it’s all going to be worth it. It’s gearing up to be a spectacular event.”

For Ashton, the “Jaws” 50th feels like a full-circle moment. The classic film put the Vineyard on the map globally, and with fans coming from around the world for the big events, it’s bringing the attention back.

Check out our calendar section in today’s paper for a list of events to take in, and check the Chamber of Commerce’s website.

Daniel Greenman and Sara Creato contributed to this report.