September Rewind: ”JAWS” Part 1 & 2

Special thanks to Ross, creator of The Daily Jaws, the world's largest online “Jaws” fan community, for providing the guest intro for this repeat episode. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and at TheDailyJaws.com. 

Episode Tie-In: “Jaws” was released on IMAX and in RealD 3D beginning September 2 in the US.

Jaws Part 1: “The Shark Isn’t Working!” 

Widely known today as the first summer blockbuster and the movie that sparked shark-phobia in the hearts of many, back in the summer of 1974, 26-year-old “Jaws” director Steven Spielberg lived in constant fear of being fired, his dreams for the film crushed. 

Part 1 of this two-part episode focuses on the filming and casting challenges behind the movie “Jaws.” From the 3 malfunctioning mechanical sharks –collectively called Bruce, after Spielberg’s lawyer– to the tensions between Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, to the sinking of the Orca boat, Candy and Ashley explore the challenges that caused a scheduled 55-day shoot to extend to 159 days and led some in the crew to start calling the production “Flaws.”

Jaws Part 2: Alcoholism, Script Rewrites, and the Lady in the Dunes

CW: Adult themes/descriptions of violence; listener discretion is advised.

Three weeks before the filming of “Jaws” was scheduled to start, Steven Spielberg still had no working script. Desperate, he asked his friend, writer Carl Gottlieb, to “eviscerate it.” And that’s exactly what Carl did, desperately writing most nights to stay ahead of the next day’s filming.  

This Part 2 episode delves into the many screen rewrites, character changes, and plot shifts that occurred throughout the filming of “Jaws.” 

From Quint’s USS Indianapolis monologue that had to be reshot due to Robert Shaw’s drunkenness, to the situation that saved a main character’s life, Candy and Ashley discuss these and many other behind-the-scenes stories. The two also touch on the famous “Lady in the Dunes” cold case speculated by Joe Hill– writer and son of Stephen King– to have a “Jaws” connection.