The Shark Attacks That Inspired ‘Jaws’ Were More Terrifying Than the Movie

“Jaws” is one of the most well-known cult classic creature features ever created. A young Steven Spielberg struck gold in the form of a movie that played on natural fears. Many people suffer from galeophobia, a fear of sharks, and many more fall victim after watching this Hollywood blockbuster. At the time of its release on June 20th, 1975, its cinematography was considered groundbreaking. As the film celebrates its 50th anniversary, the fear of monsters in the deep remains a key element, making this a top horror movie. Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the film, including its terrifying inspiration.

The “Jaws” True Story Is Scarier Than the Film

The true story of “Jaws” began 59 years before the film hit movie theaters. The film was inspired by the 1916 shark attacks, which claimed the lives of four people and injured a fifth in New Jersey. The attacks were seemingly unprovoked, and experts still can’t explain why they happened. The first attack occurred in Beach Haven when a 25-year-old was fatally bitten while swimming. Only five days later, a 27-year-old was bitten by a shark that severed his legs in Spring Lake.

These two tragedies were followed by the most unexpected and unnerving shark attacks in history. In the film, locals make the mistake of assuming a nearby bay is protected from sharks. In real life, locals near Matawan Creek thought the same. The creek was 30 miles inland from the ocean, and there’s still no logical explanation for how the shark got there. An 11-year-old was bitten while playing in the water, and a nearby good Samaritan rushed to help. Tragically, he was also bitten and succumbed to his injuries. This was not the last of the Matawan Creek shark’s reign of terror; it bit a third victim, who was injured but thankfully survived the ordeal.

Jaws Isn’t Seen Until The End of the Movie

More specifically, the actual shark in the film isn’t seen until an hour and 21 minutes into the movie. This decision was made partly for strategic reasons and partly out of necessity.. The massive animatronics that were used to portray the shark, affectionately named “Bruce,” were untested before filming. This caused numerous problems whenever the shark appeared on camera. As a result, Spielberg channeled his inner Hitchcock, using anticipation and subtle allusions to create fear.

While dorsal fins, waves in the water, and prey are seen being ripped off-screen, none of these show the shark. The first appearance of Jaws happens when Chief Brody is chumming the water. The shark rises to the side of the boat, a shot that shocked and terrified those in the audience.

This Scene Was Filmed in a Swimming Pool Full of Milk

“Jaws” was already at the limits of its budget when Spielberg decided a new aspect of terror was needed. The scene where Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is scuba diving at night to a sunken boat was improvised. The scene cost Spielberg $3,000 of his own money to film. It was shot in the backyard pool of editor Verna Fields, and milk was added to the water to create a murky effect.

This scene doesn’t show the shark but alludes to its tremendous size. Hooper also discovers the dead body of the boat’s owner, Ben Gardiner, resulting in the film’s first jump scare. In his haste to make it back to the surface, he drops a shark tooth he found, losing the only evidence to support the theory of a monster shark. This scene is a testament to the crew’s determination and Spielberg’s creative innovation.

The Film’s Most Famous Line Was Improvised

That’s right–the film’s most famously quoted line wasn’t originally part of the script. Shortly after Quint’s boat, the Orca, anchors for the day, Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) is seen chumming the waters. Their efforts to attract the shark are successful, and Brody comes face-to-face with the film’s monster. His reaction is obvious shock, as he slowly backs into Quint’s office.

As he stares out at the open water, he says, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” This line single-handedly sold the scene, as well as Brody’s convincing act. It has become an iconic part of “Jaws” culture and is undoubtedly the film’s most memorable line. Scheider became well-known for the line, with writer Carl Gottlieb crediting his ad-libbing skills.

“Jaws” Caused Hysteria In and Out of the Water

It’s not unusual for a movie to make people think twice. One example is the traffic jam scene from “Final Destination 2,” which caused an entire generation to fear logging trucks. “Jaws” had a similar effect on viewers. After the movie premiered in 1975, the fear of sharks and water in general was intensified. That summer, the world saw how one movie could change an entire population’s perception of summer.

Beaches that were typically overrun with locals and tourists saw a decline in popularity. This was largely due to the film’s power to make people reconsider swimming in open water. Additionally, there was a stigma surrounding sharks. This caused people to have negative beliefs about the species, convinced they were human-eating monsters. As a result, sport fishing increased as fishermen began targeting unsuspecting sharks. All of this contributed to the coining of the term “cinematic neurosis.”

The Real Quint Made a Cameo in the Movie

Just as many other details in the movie, the character of Quint was based on two real-life individuals. Robert Shaw portrayed Quint in the film, who Frank Mundus, a seasoned shark fisherman, partially inspired. Mundus, born in Long Branch, New Jersey, was known for his impressive daily shark catches. Quint’s famous line, “You all know me. You all know what I do,” was inspired by Mundus.

Craig Kingsbury of South Orange, New Jersey, was the other real-life inspiration for Quint. He’s credited for another famous Quint line, “It ain’t like goin’ down to the pond an’ chasin’ bluegills and tommycods.” Kingsbury used this line in real life, which is how it made its way into the film. Kingsbury also made a cameo, playing Ben Gardiner in the movie.

The Body Found on the Beach Was Real

After the shark’s first victim, Chief Brody and his deputy stumble upon her body on the beach. In this scene, only an arm is visible above the sand. The rest of the body, which is assumed to be torn apart, is covered by sand and seaweed. Spielberg decided the fake arm looked too phony for the shot and proposed a more realistic alternative.

Rather than using a prop, one of the crew agreed to get buried in the sand to emulate Chrissie’s body. She was buried entirely, with only her hand sticking out of the sand. This added an unparalleled level of realism to the scene. It also required one crew member to be extremely brave—and left her very sandy.

Quint’s Indianapolis Anniversary Aligns With the Hunt

There’s a wealth of trivia related to Quint’s character and lore. For example, his name is derived from “quinto” in Spanish, meaning “fifth.” In the movie, Quint ended up being the fifth victim of the shark in Jaws. However, it’s his personal history that’s one of the most missed details about his purpose in the film.

During the scene where Quint, Hooper, and Brody are drinking around the table, they swap war stories. Quint speaks of his horrific survival after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, citing the date of June 29th, 1945. After the shark kills Alex Kintner, his memorial poster is also dated June 29th, 1945. This parallel is symbolic of the beginning of two tragic shark journeys for Quint. The real USS Indianapolis sank on July 30th, 1945, a historic detail that was altered for the film.

The Movie’s Ending Is Foreshadowed Several Times

Those who have seen the movie more than once have likely picked up on its foreshadowing—most of this surrounds Quint, the movie’s final victim. The first instance of foreshadowing happens when Brody is flipping through a book about sharks. One photo shows a shark chewing on an oxygen tank, which is how the shark is ultimately killed. The second instance of foreshadowing happens at the town meeting. One of Quint’s well-known lines goes, “This shark, swallow you whole. Shaking, tenderizing, down you go.” Without realizing it, he’s describing his own demise.

The third moment of foreshadowing happens on the Orca. During a conversation with Quint and Hooper, Quint comments on the shark eating the oxygen tank. The exact line goes, “I don’t know what that b*stard shark is gonna do with it…might eat it, I suppose.” This parallels Hooper’s warning not long after about being cautious when handling the tanks, as they can “blow up.” The final bit of foreshadowing is for those who have read Moby-Dick. Just before the shark swallows Quint, he gets tangled in fishing rope. This is also how Captain Ahab was dragged to the depths by the same whale he’d been hunting.

Real Shark Footage Heightened Audience Fears

The scene that generated the most suspense was Hooper’s scuba diving sequence.. After being left with no other alternative, Hooper decides to try to inject the shark with a tranquilizer. This is not as easy as it looks and requires him to get up close and personal. This entire scene helped viewers understand the title of the movie, as the shark’s jaws are prominently featured.

To achieve such a realistic shot, Spielberg opted to use actual footage. Valerie Taylor and her husband, Ron, two documentarians and divers, were responsible for this scene. They shot the film in South Australia, home to some of the largest great white sharks in the world. A smaller boat and cage were built to make the sharks appear bigger, and a shorter actor than Dreyfuss was hired as a stunt double. However, the scene went wrong when a 16-foot great white swam up to them and got caught between the boat and the cage. Ron happened to be in the water and saw the incident on camera. Thankfully, no one had been in the cage at the time since the stunt double had been reluctant. The cage was subsequently destroyed, no one was injured, and Spielberg rewrote the script to include this as part of the scene. According to Valerie Taylor, an interview with Inside Hook, anyone inside the cage would have died. “We were fortunate that he was so reluctant,” she says, while noting that it’s some of the most “incredible shark footage the world had ever seen.”