Jaws premiered 50 years ago, and in less than a week earned more than it cost to make. But it's a wonder it got made at all after multiple problems nearly sank the film.

Hollywood

Jaws, the iconic suspense film, premiered 50 years ago and rapidly recouped its production costs within its first week. Despite its success, the film's creation was fraught with difficulties, including the replacement of its original director, persistent technical failures with the robotic shark, and extended production times due to weather and on-set issues.

Director Steven Spielberg adapted to these challenges by minimizing the use of the malfunctioning shark, which ultimately contributed to the film's suspenseful atmosphere. Jaws has since earned nearly half a billion dollars, cementing its status as a major achievement in film history.

Jaws celebrates 50 years since premiere

Now, we take you back to June 20th, 1975. The Captain and Tennille had the top song on the radio, Captain Kangaroo was on the TV, and at the movies, America was about to meet Captain Quint. 1,100 men went in the war. 360 men come out, the sharks took the rest. Jaws premiered 50 years ago today, and in less than a week, earned more than it cost to make. But it's a wonder it got made at all. Steven Spielberg replaced the first director, fired for calling the shark a whale. The robotic shark rarely worked and repeatedly had to be fished out of the ocean. It was so unreliable, Spielberg didn't use it till 81 minutes into the film, making Jaws, he said, more like Hitchcock than Godzilla. You're gonna need a bigger boat. Boats sank, actors got seasick and fell in the water, stars drank and fought. There was bad weather, a perfect storm. Seven weeks of shooting turned into 23, the budget doubled. But in the end, the suspense movie was a success story. To date, Jaws has earned nearly half a billion dollars, and yes, they can afford that bigger boat. After I watched it, I didn't go in the bathtub for two months.

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