Fifty years ago, the Vineyard, unknowingly to anyone at the time, became the stage of what would become the original summer blockbuster and the launch pad for the career of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. “Jaws” not only changed the film industry and Steven Spielberg’s career, it helped put the less than 100-square-mile spit of land off Massachusetts on the map.
And this past weekend, 50 years to the day that the production-challenged classic premiered, it was hard not to see some sort of “Jaws” paraphernalia, prop, or replica from the movie as the Island teemed with film fanatics and the shark-obsessed from across the country and world.
The Island, which looks relatively similar to when Spielberg first brought a crew from Hollywood to film, seemingly transformed back into a fictional island in New York known as Amity. Edgartown Books renamed themselves Amity Books, a replica of Chief Martin Brody’s 1975 convertible Chevy Blazer could be spotted at the Triangle, and docked in the Oak Bluffs Harbor was a reproduction of Quint’s Orca — the boat that the three main cast members used to hunt down the infamous shark that’s terrorized the nation for decades.
To locals, the summer of 1974 is the memory of a Hollywood production that lasted much longer than anyone anticipated, but as shown by a sell-out weekend for hotels and Island pride throughout all events, for everyone, “Jaws” remains just as relevant as it was 50 years ago.
And the Island was front and center for that relevance.
“Where else could we possibly premiere this film,” Spielberg said in an exclusive, recorded interview that ran as the opening remarks in a new National Geographic documentary that premiered on Friday at the Performing Arts Center. “‘Jaws’ is not a Hollywood movie, ‘Jaws’ is a Martha’s Vineyard movie because the Vineyard is where this all began in May 1974.”
“‘Jaws’ and the Vineyard are forever linked in the best possible way,” he said.
Plans for the 50th anniversary of the film began about a year ago when Chamber of Commerce executive director and deputy director Erica Ashton and Alessandra Hagerty led an all-Island effort between multiple Island agencies and entities to commemorate the movie.
“We’re very happy, and we’re glad the fans were able to enjoy the Island,” Hagerty said.
From the premiere of the new documentary to a “Jaws” screening with orchestra accompaniment, there were plenty of activities for the fanatics. And the weekend was also a celebration of Islanders who can brag that they were part of the classic film — including local celebrities Jeffrey Voorhees, Jeffrey Kramer, and Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan and his brother Stephen Searle, who all played roles in the film.
Jaws in Concert
Perhaps the main event for the weekend was an orchestra playing the live score to a screening of “Jaws.” The two notes that John Williams famously devised to instill fear of an underwater behemoth five decades ago cascaded through the Cape Cod Symphony orchestra’s instruments as the sun began to set on Saturday evening. Behind the ensemble, the opening scene of a young skinny dipper dragged and pulled underwater played out on a 25 foot LED screen (as long as “Bruce” — the mechanical shark’s nickname) and cheers from the audience of about 1,000 on the lawn of the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Katama ensued.
“This is I think the greatest outdoor adventure film ever made, and it may also be the greatest horror film ever made,” said Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies and master of ceremonies and emcee for the event, said to the crowd just before showtime.
Not that the fans in the audience — who paid between $175 and $500 to attend — didn’t already know that.
Jaws in Concert, co-produced by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Rolling Roadshow and the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, which had musical accompaniment by the Cape Symphony conducted by Thiago Tiberio, seemed the place to celebrate 50 years of the movie — the opening scene was shot just beyond the Winnetu on South Beach. And fortunately for the superfans, Richard Dreyfuss, known for his role as oceanographer Matt Hooper in the blockbuster, thought so too.
“I’m the only one still living,” said Dreyfuss to surprised roars of approval. “Everyone else is dead or irrelevant.”
The event started at 6 pm, and fans stormed in, grabbing food and drink and exchanging common monologues on their introduction to “Jaws.” They took pictures beside the recreated Amity Police Department cruiser, enlarged “Beach Closed” notices, and the famed “Amity Island Welcomes You” sign. Next to the stage, ticket-holders posed in front of and walked through the jaws of a monster inflatable shark.
Most viewers — a few Islanders, some who were in the movie, and a whole lot of “Jaws” fanatics — had seen the film more times than they can count, but for some, Saturday was their initiation into the classic’s expansive fandom.
Gabe DiSaverio, owner of the remake of Chief Brody’s tan police cruiser that many witnessed around the Island last weekend, brought both his vehicle and his 8-year-old daughter Joanna. Joanna had never seen the film.
“It means so much to me that her middle name is ‘Ellen’ after Ellen Brody, that I have a remodeled 1975 Chevy Blazer that I trailered down here for the 50th, and it’s part of this event,” DiSaverio said about the movie’s influence. “And that I have a hot sauce company named The Spicy Shark, and because I met Wendy Benchley at Jaws Fest on this Island in 2012, I became a scuba diver, dive with sharks, and give money back to shark conservation efforts through our company.”
Daylight began to wane around 8 pm and as VIP ticket buyers lounged in foldable chairs and couches, and general audience members sat on a hodgepodge collection of beach chairs or blankets, event organizers took to the stage.
“What I think is significant is that over these last 50 years, both ‘Jaws’ and Martha’s Vineyard are largely the same. You guys haven’t really changed,” said emcee Mankiewicz to the crowd. “The movie unbelievably, as thousands of movies have come and gone, hundreds of thousands, ‘Jaws’ hasn’t really changed. It continues to make the exact same impact that it did in the summer of 1975. And that makes it stand alone in the movie world.”
Though Dreyfuss’ appearance was a surprise, Jaws in Concert and other events took a year to plan, Ashton said. “If it wasn’t for all of the fans and Island locals, this wouldn’t happen.”
When Mankiewicz asked the crowd to give a show of hands if they knew an actor in the film, many arms shot up in a humble brag. “That does not happen at most screenings,” Mankiewicz said. “I do a lot of these, and that doesn’t happen.”
“Jaws” Meet-and-Greet at the Wharf Pub
The Wharf Pub held a meet-and-greet on Friday night, billed as one of the main 50th anniversary events that brought fans face-to-face with original cast members, crew, shark experts, and long-time devotees of the iconic film.
Guests moved from booth to booth during the sold-out event, meeting their “Jaws” idols and checking out movie posters, books, t-shirts and other memorabilia, as a DJ played in the background and special guests occasionally took to stage to share memories and give thanks to the teams that made the event possible.
Despite the fact that music played and drinks were available, most of those who bought a ticket to the event stood in line to meet icons from the movie, get signatures, and talk “Jaws” with local legends but especially Dreyfuss.
Among special guests was Jeffrey Voorhees, a long-time manager at the Wharf and known for his iconic role as Alex Kintner, the beloved young boy from Amity Island and the second “Jaws” victim.
“I still live here. I live where I died,” Voorhees told the Times with a grin. “I run my dog on the beach where I got eaten.”
Voorhees reflected on being a kid during the chaotic nature of the filming. He recalled the temperamental mechanical shark nicknamed “Bruce” and shared a new perspective on the sharks malfunctioning, which set filming back weeks.
“They stored it up at the Edgartown Yacht Club, the warehouse,” he said. “Back then, they didn’t have alarms or cameras, so we went over there, we found an open window, we used to climb all over the shark at nighttime. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work,” he laughed.
Also present was Jeffrey Kramer, more famously recognized as Deputy Hendricks, the right-hand man to Chief Brody who quickly became a fan favorite with his unique flair. “My favorite part of being in this movie: It took place on my beloved spit of land in the Atlantic,” said Kramer, who is from the Island but now lives in California.
Aside from actors, the legendary production designer Joe Alves, the man behind the mechanical shark and the unforgettable look of the film, was present.
“It was the simplicity of it, no CGI. It was three guys and a boat with nobody else in June, and one big shark,” said Alves, when asked why the film has stood the test of time.
Friday’s event was also teaming with superfans. Ronn Gann, who visited from New Hampshire, noted the importance of coming to this year’s event. “Survivors are few, so time is running out. That’s probably the biggest reason I decided to get off the pot and come out today,” he said. Gann is currently working on a novel, “Spielberg Talks Jaws,” which will include 50 years of memories in Spielberg’s own words as well as his thoughts on the movie from start to finish.
In a moment of levity for the celebration, Steve Birt, who visited from Toronto, took the stage and delivered his rendition of Quint’s chilling Indianapolis monologue, which details the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis in World War II and subsequent shark attacks that left many of his shipmates eaten. Staying true to the film, Birt’s monologue was followed by a performance of “Show me the way to go home,” a song by Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly. The crowd in the Wharf quickly joined Birt and soon the entire place was singing, “I’m tired and I want to go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago, and it went right to my head.”
Diane Newcomb, the general manager of the Wharf, was excited to see the crowd that showed up for the event. “It’s pretty awesome,” said Newcomb, whose favorite part of the film is when Kintner gets eaten.
Newcomb’s Mom, Patricia Condlin, at the Wharf on Friday, shared that the summer “Jaws” was filming on Island, she housed Michael Chapman, one of the cinematographers for the film.
“He loved it so much here, he ended up buying a house here,” said Condlin.
“Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story” World Premiere
On Friday, over 500 attendees, including fans, producers, scientists and Islanders who were part of the original “Jaws” cast and crew, filed into the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center for the sold-out screening of the world premiere of the National Geographic documentary “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story.”
The 90-minute film features exclusive interviews with Spielberg, and while there were many Hollywood celebrities featured — JJ Abrams, Emily Blunt, James Cameron, George Lucas, Jordan Peele — Islanders were front and center. Besides eight Hollywood actors, “Jaws” was cast entirely with locals.
“I was so lucky that so many of the parts, the roles, in the film were played by Islanders who gave ‘Jaws’ an authenticity that remains one of my favorite things about the entire film,” said Spielberg in his exclusive message recorded only for Friday’s premiere.
Laurent Bouzereau, the director and producer of the documentary, echoed Spielberg’s sentiment. “Martha’s Vineyard is the beating heart of the film,” said Bouzereau.
Bouzereau is a French-American documentary filmmaker and co-founder of production company Nedland and has worked with Spielberg for over 30 years. He credits him as inspiration for his success in documentary filmmaking.
“The Island and the Islanders have contributed to the timeless nature of this film,” Bouzereau told The Times. “That brings a flavor and authenticity to this movie that is unparalleled,” he added.
Bouzereau, who has a signed copy of “Jaws” hanging behind his office desk, commends the Island for keeping alive the memory of the original film. With his documentary, he aims not only to revisit the chaotic and often improvised shooting of “Jaws” but also explore the very human journey behind the camera. “I think young people need inspiration, they need to be reminded that failure or the fear of failure…are okay,” he said. “Having a vision, having a dream is okay…my documentary is about courage and persistence and really, adventure.”
Wendy Benchley, executive producer of the documentary, as well as ocean activist and wife of “Jaws” author Peter Benchley, addresses the novel’s unexpected but lasting impact on ocean conservation, specifically on shark populations. “The movie didn’t just change Hollywood, it really jumpstarted shark research and interest in sharks,” Benchley told the Times. While she acknowledged that it did scare people, she also pointed out that it created curiosity and fascination.
“Laurent wanted to do a film that not only showed the magic and the brilliance of the movie, but he also wanted to show the positive effect of ‘Jaws’ in jumpstarting shark research and an interest in the ocean and an interest in sharks,” said Benchley.
Like Spielberg and Bouzereau, Benchley credited the Island community for grounding the film in a sense of realism and heart. “The local people gave that movie great depth and sweetness in many ways, and humanity that gave it its longstaying power,” said Benchley.
The documentary will premiere online on July 10 on National Geographic and streams July 11 on Disney+ and Hulu as the crown jewel of Sharkfest.
Orca Replica
A striking replica of the “Jaws” boat, the Orca, returned to Martha’s Vineyard this week just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Built by marine carpenter and “Jaws” enthusiast Michael Sterling, with help from his 12-year-old son Jack, the replica made a dramatic entrance into Oak Bluffs Harbor, drawing crowds, cheers and photos last week.
I tell people in Maine that i put a 6 yard Cement mixer on the Jaws barge and they say no way
38,000 lbs max I went at 37,980 ! (3 1/2 yards ) now i here its less.
Please don’t wait another 50 years…I won’t be here…
Maybe every 5 ?
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