By: Scoop Stanton
On June 20th, 1975, Universal Pictures released a motion picture that changed movie history: Jaws. Jaws was the first summer blockbuster. Universal figured the kids are out of school, so they have the time and daddy’s money to go to the theater.
Jaws was based on the book written by Peter Benchley. Benchley not only wrote the book but he also co-wrote the screenplay and appeared in the movie. The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg, and in my opinion his best movie. Jaws was an action movie, horror movie and drama movie all rolled into one. Three men attempt to kill a shark. A shark is attacking people. And a town figures out how to keep the town afloat with a dangerous shark attacking tourists. Casting the movie was perfect. Roy Scheider as Chief Brody. Scheider made a name in The French Connection and The Seven Ups. Robert Shaw was one of the biggest names in Hollywood at the time with From Russia with Love, Battle of the Bulge and The Taking of Pelham 123. Richard Dreyfuss made a name for himself in American Graffiti. The supporting cast was also amazing including Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn who had some of the best lines in the movie! Then John Williams put the icing on the cake with the scariest music in movie history.
Jaws is now my favorite movie because of one man: Anthony Cumia. As a diehard Cumia fan he would talk Jaws nonstop! I already saw the movie a number of times and now I had to watch it again, paying close attention and wow!
Cumia is such a fan of Jaws that he had a suit made to look like the one Hamilton wore in the movie and his eyeglasses have the frames Scheider wore in the movie!
As for me, I went to Universal Studios in Orlando last year and I was bummed out to find out that the Jaws ride was replaced with a Harry Potter ride. Here’s the kicker. Jaws is a Universal Picture. Harry Potter is a Warner Brothers property!
SEVEN FIVE RADIO 