June 20 officially marks the 50th anniversary of the film "Jaws." The movie used to occupy a permanent place in my DVD player and is the only movie I can quote straight through, line for line. I was not allowed to see it when it was first released since my parents were concerned it might traumatize me. All of the other friends with "cool" parents got to go see it, and I had to wait for years in frustration until the re-release came out in theaters. Once I saw it, I was, if you will pardon the expression, hooked.

I'm also a fan of Peter Benchley's book, upon which the screenplay was based. Many people give it low marks, considering the lack of action compared to the movie, but Benchley's novel provides the reader with an in-depth look at the degree of misery the residents of Amity face due to the arrival of a rogue great white shark. 

The stories about the shark not working abound. In fact, there is no shortage of lore surrounding this film. Richard Dreyfuss tells the story of being on Martha's Vineyard during shooting and constantly hearing over the radio, "The shark is not working." Steven Spielberg had to find creative ways of indicating that the shark was present, without showing the malfunctioning monster. 

One of the ways he evoked tension was shooting many of the scenes eye-level with the water, which not only makes one think that the shark is lurking not just a few feet below the swimmers or boat but possibly below one's seat. One of the most effective scenes is the one in which two hapless islanders try to hook the shark with a roast.

To this day, even after watching the movie hundreds of times, I am still never sure if Charlie will make it back to the dock.

An unsung aspect of the film is the music. John Williams has always been a master at using music to evoke a mood. While we are familiar with the ominous, two-note melody indicating an impending shark attack, Spielberg once remarked that the scenes with Brody, Quint, and Hooper aboard the Orca were evocative of a pirate movie and high adventure, and William's work created that atmosphere. If you just close your eyes and listen to the chase scene when our heroes attempt to kill the shark, the soundtrack is nothing but swashbuckling.

One cannot mention "Jaws" without Quint's epic speech about the USS Indianapolis disaster.

Legend has it that Robert Shaw was unhappy with the original draft and rewrote it to create the immortal monologue we have today. But The Daily Jaws notes:

But who wrote it? Original author Peter Benchley had three passes at the script before it was tweaked by Spielberg and Producer, Zanuck, and Brown. Then, Howard Sackler was drafted in for a redraft, followed by John Milius for Quint's USS Indianapolis speech. And then Carl Gottlieb, well, that's according to Andrew Yule in his book about Spielberg, Father to the Man.

 If that wasn't complicated enough, the aforementioned don't seem to be able to agree quite how the speech came about as we see it in the film. Benchley recalls Shaw claimed he wrote it himself, but heard the Milius rumour.

 Producer Brown states whilst Milius added to it, it was written by Sackler but that Shaw added a great deal at the end.

 Gottlieb is adamant it very much belongs to Shaw who penned an extended version post- examining drafts by the other writers. As an award-winning playwright and gifted actor, it certainly rings true.

 Spielberg remembers Milius penning it in front of him with Shaw cutting it down, although Milius says he did it over the phone. It's more like The Usual Suspects of monologues.

 In the book, Nigel Andrew on Jaws, many of the same arguments are had; you certainly get the impression that Milius and Shaw are equally adept at spinning fisherman's yarns about how the ultimate fisherman's yarn came about.

 In that book, Spielberg remembers it as being Shaw acting out an eight-page Milius speech, which was itself based on a Sackler two-pager, with that eight-pager thinned out to five by Shaw.

Whatever. The truth is that my fraternity brothers and I used to watch this movie with copious amounts of beer and sing "Farewell and Adieu to You, Fair Spanish Ladies," and "Show Me the Way to Go Home," until we either passed out or threw up.

And then, of course, there is the dialogue. Everyone remembers "You're gonna need a bigger boat," but Shaw chews up every scene he is in, and his interactions with Hooper are priceless. Fans have taken the movie to heart. This is evident in the fact that for years, people would walk up to Lee Fierro, who played Alex Kintner's mother in the film, and ask her to slap them the way her character slapped Chief Brody. 

What is it about this movie? Yes, it is the acting, the action, the story, and the dialogue, and at the time, the special effects were impressive. These days, CGI and AI are light years ahead of Spielberg's mechanical shark, but that's not saying anything. 

The sea appeals to us in a unique way, and it is a major character in the film. We also sympathize with the characters and love the fear and suspense the movie creates. But beyond that, the movie is simply a hell of a lot of fun. It's an adventure, and ours is a world in which adventure is becoming increasingly prohibited. There is no message, no preaching, and no moralizing. 

You can watch "Jaws" and laugh and cringe from fear, but no matter the terror, watching the movie is always a good time. It was one of those rare moments when, despite setbacks, everything came together perfectly for a great dose of escapism. That is why we go to the movies and (exponentially awful sequels notwithstanding), there will never be a reboot that will come close to the original. 

So happy birthday, "Jaws." And yes, after 50 years, the shark is working.

I won't say, "don't go in the water." Go in the water if you want; you'll be fine. But just in case, before you aren't, make sure to become a PJ Media VIP member before you go for that swim. Click here and use promo code FIGHT for 60% off.