1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and welcome to This 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a podcast that brings you a 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 1: tidbit of history every day. Today is June. The day 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: was June n the thriller film Jaws was released, directed 6 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,599 Speaker 1: by Steven Spielberg and based on the nineteen seventy four 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: novel by Peter Benchley. The movie was at one point 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: the highest grossing film. It didn't hold that title for long, 9 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: but it remains a pivotal blockbuster in Hollywood history. The 10 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 1: novel Jaws is about a great white shark that attacks 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: people in a resort town and the subsequent effort to 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: kill the shark. The author of the book, Peter Benchley, 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: had been interested in sharks for a while and was 14 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: considering writing a story that had to do with a shark. 15 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: He read an article about a great white shark that 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: fisherman Frank Monday Scott in nineteen sixty four and found 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: more inspiration to write Jaws. Benchley was also inspired by 18 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: events like the Jersey Shore shark attacks of nineteen sixteen. 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: After the book was published in nineteen seventy four, it 20 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: was picked up by book sales clubs and gained a 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: lot of traction. Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown, producers 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: at Universal Pictures, read the book and purchased the film rights. 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 1: Steven Spielberg, who had just directed his first theatrical feature, 24 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: The sugar Land Express, was chosen to direct Jaws. Filming 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: began in May of nineteen seventy four and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: Mechanical sharks were made for production, and they shot the 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: movie in the ocean. Technological issues and delays put production 28 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: over budget, but the malfunctions and delays are said to 29 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: have helped the movie since they required Spielberg to shoot 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: many scenes where the shark was not visible and its 31 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: presence was only hinted at. Barrels were used to represent 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: the shark's location, and many of the shots were just 33 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: of the shark's dorsal fin. The suspense built from not 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: seeing the shark has become one of the film's most 35 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: defining and memorable features. John Williams composed the score for 36 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: the movie, which is known for its ominous shark theme. 37 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: Principal photography went more than one hundred days over schedule. 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: Spielberg commented that he thought his career was over because 39 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: the film was so delayed, but Universal spent a lot 40 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: of money on marketing the film. Spielberg, e, Benchley, zand 41 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: and Brown toward cities promoting the book and movies. Universal 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: spent seven hundred thousand dollars on a TV ad campaign. 43 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: On June, Jaws was released in around four hundred and 44 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: sixty movie theaters in the US and Canada. As the 45 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: novel garnered more attention, the film gained more steam at 46 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: the box office. On June, Jaws landed on the cover 47 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: of Time magazine. The film was successful, so a bunch 48 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: of merchandise was created to promote its release. It was 49 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: expanded to hundreds more theaters, and by early nineteen six 50 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: it had become the highest grossing film in the world. 51 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: The film and its score won several awards. Film historians 52 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: credit Jaws with paving the way for later summer Hollywood 53 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: blockbusters like Star Wars. It influenced the popularity of the 54 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: summer movie season, but it also influenced a lot of 55 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: films revolving around large predatory animals and left a huge 56 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: mark on pop culture. I'm Eves, Jeff Coote and hopefully 57 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: you know a little more about history today than you 58 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: did yesterday. And if you have any commerce art suggestions, 59 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: you can send them to us at this day at 60 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: i heart media dot com. You can also follow us 61 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: on social media where at T D I HC podcast. 62 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening to the show and we'll 63 00:03:52,600 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 64 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 65 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: favorite shows.