The new National Geographic documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story begins with a bit of a self-defeating joke. The director, Laurent Bouzereau, is heard asking Steven Spielberg if there’s anything he hasn’t yet said about making his enormously successful shark picture. He does not give a definitive “yes!”
Indeed, the Jaws production was already legendary as it was happening, what with going 100 days over schedule and ballooning its budget amid a tidal wave of technical difficulties. As such, there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes footage in the archive, which is helpful for a project like this. And there are stray remarks that will be of interest to cinephiles.
One such moment came when Spielberg visited Rolly Harper’s Motion Picture & Equipment Rental in Sun Valley, Calif., where production designer Joe Alves and his team were building the mechanical sharks that would be used in the movie. (They were collectively nicknamed Bruce, after Spielberg’s “shark-like” lawyer, Bruce Ramer.)
Courtesy Everett Collection
Bruce the Shark, the star of the motion picture ‘Jaws’
Spielberg’s chums George Lucas (with whom he’d later make Raiders of the Lost Ark) and John Milius (who aided on the Jaws screenplay) tagged along to see the artificial ichthyology, which led to some shenanigans like when Milius put his head in a shark’s mouth. But it was something the pre-Star Wars Lucas said that stuck out.
Gazing at the enormous fake sharks, Lucas told Spielberg that Jaws was going to be the most successful move ever made.
Spielberg kinda rolled his eyes and said, “From your lips…”
Valerie Macon/Getty
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg acting wacky in 2013
Then cut to some months later when Spielberg was bobbing around on boats in Martha’s Vineyard, churning through Universal’s money, receiving a talking-to from studio chief Sid Sheinberg, certain that he’d never work in Hollywood again.
But then cut again several months, when, in fact, Lucas’ premonition proved accurate, and Jaws essentially invented the modern summer blockbuster and became the biggest moneymaker ever.
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Jaws was (and is!) a phenomenon, and gave Spielberg the clout to pick his own projects and retain final cut. He’s continued on this path making box office hits (and critically acclaimed personal films) for 50 years.
But Spielberg never forgets his friends. A few years later, when Star Wars passed Jaws in the money-making department, he took out an adorable ad in Variety. It featured R2-D2 “fishing” and hooking Bruce the Shark next to a message to Lucas, congratulating “the Cantina crowd and all the forces of your imagination” from “your pal, Steven.”
Lucasfilm
C-3P0 and R2-D2, two pals from outer space
Then the story gets better.
Five or so years later, Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became the top grosser in history. Returning the favor, Lucas took out a reciprocal ad, this one with the gang from Star Wars lifting E.T. up on their shoulders. Lucas congratulated Spielberg and his “Extra-Terrestrial buddy” and also signed it “your pal.”
Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
E.T. is pointing toward his enormous bank statement
The back-and-forth continued into the late 1990s. When Lucas re-released Star Wars (at this point called Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) in theaters, it put that movie back on top. Spielberg took out another ad — an illustration of E.T. putting the crown back on R2-D2’s head.
(At this point, though, Spielberg could pay for these ads out of his profits from the Indiana Jones films that were made with Lucas.)
The following year, though, both directors would give up possession of the top spot. James Cameron (who appears in the new Jaws documentary) made Titanic, and Lucas was beat this time for good. Lucas’ congratulations ad to Cameron is perhaps the funniest of all, as it includes everyone from the Star Wars universe (including Jabba the Hutt holding a martini) on a sinking ship.
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story premieres July 10 at 9/8c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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