50 YEARS AGO TODAY ...
Jaws, the book and the film, were so huge and had such an immense cultural impact that people were afraid to go back in the water. No joke. In the middle of June beaches on both coasts were empty. That hit the economies of beach resort towns hard. Even in the midwest (where I'm from originally) someone reported seeing a shark in Lake Michigan. It turned out there was a shark but it was dead. Some prankster threw a shark carcass overboard from a boat. "Funny as a crutch" as we used to say back in the day.
Jaws also ushered in what we now refer to to as The Summer Blockbuster Era. The lines to get a ticket were out the door, down the street and around the block. I was 16 at the time and my friends and I decided to brave the crowds. I read Peter Benchley's book about a year before and I knew I had to see that movie. And what a great, great movie it was. It really was worth waiting in line for. The iconic score, suspenseful storytelling and memorable scenes have made Jaws of the most beloved and celebrated films of all time. I remember thinking that Spielberg guy might go places. Two years later, Spielberg teamed up with composer John Williams again for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He did indeed go places.
So I think I'll watch Jaws again tonight. It's been awhile. And I'll remember this day, fifty years ago, when folks were afraid to go back in the water.