From the creators of Inside Psycho and Inside the Exorcist comes a new story about a classic movie and its inspirations. A tale of a modest thriller that became an ordeal and then a disaster and then a phenomenon and then a classic. A story of one man, a fresh-faced, inexperienced director who nearly wrecked his promising career and became the most important filmmaker of our era. This is Inside JAWS.
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In 1916 a killer shark terrorized the New Jersey shore in one of the inspirations for the movie JAWS. Cut to: Phoenix, AZ in the 1960’s, where a young Steven Spielberg is an outsider struggling to fit in.He’s ashamed of his heritage, bad at school, bad at sports, bad at everything. And then he discovers the magic of moving images on an oversized screen. It turns out he’s good at something after all. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1916: Another vicious shark attack at the Jersey Shore. Cut to: Hollywood, 1965: Steven Spielberg hides out at Universal Studios in a toilet stall. He watches his idol, Alfred Hitchcock, at work. He fast-talks the guard at the studio gate day after day. He has an unpleasant encounter with a naked Marlon Brando – and all this while he’s still in high school. He lays it all on the line and heads west to Cal State Long Beach, where he makes a dirt-cheap, but impressive student film called Amblin that leads to a studio deal and an encounter with Joan Crawford. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1916: Matawan Creek, New Jersey. This time, the shark’s victim is a child and the entire town is up in arms. Cut to: 1963: The Kennedy Assassination precipitates a frightening encounter on a dusty California mountain road – an encounter that leads to the thrilling Man vs. Big Rig fable Duel. This is Spielberg’s ticket to fame and fortune. Even if the truck doesn’t explode into a network-satisfying fireball, and even if Universal plucks choice scenes for an episode of The Incredible Hulk. The stage is set for Spielberg’s next project, based on a book by Peter Benchley and called JAWS. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1916: A bounty is offered to whoever can kill the “Man-eater of Matawan.” Cut to: 1973. Peter Benchley sells the rights to JAWS to a pair of legendary Hollywood producers, Richard Zanuck and David Brown. Sensing a winner, Spielberg steals the galleys off Zanuck’s desk before insisting that this be his next project. Meanwhile, Zanuck and Brown toss away a would-be director who can’t distinguish between a whale and a shark, legendary director Henry Hathaway offers Spielberg some advice, and casting begins. Two very important executives want their wives to play the Chief’s wife. In Spielberg’s words, “Oy vey.” Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1968: A retired Navy Captain commits suicide. Many years earlier, his vessel suffered the worst naval disaster at sea in U.S. History. It was the U.S.S. Indianapolis, and hundreds of its crew were eaten by sharks. Cut to: 1974. Spielberg enlists writer Carl Gottlieb to “eviscerate” the script for JAWS. Spielberg’s friend George Lucas visits the mechanical shark in a workroom and gets his head stuck in it. Second unit footage is shot using real sharks and real shark cages, but the stuntman barely survives and locks himself in the toilet. Every day, more stress, more delays, more production troubles, more nightmares and – perpetually – the shark is not working. Will this nightmare ever end? Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1945: The saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis – no ships, no planes, no rescue. Just…sharks. Cut to: The emotional center of JAWS: Sometimes drunk, sometimes sober - Robert Shaw’s indelible tale of the Indianapolis receives an ovation from cast and crew. The ORCA starts to sink – with all hands still on deck. The journey of a rotting shark carcass from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard. The on-set rivalry between Richard Dreyfus and Robert Shaw. A post-production panic attack for Steven Spielberg. And an unsolved murder nearby the JAWS shoot – more than 40 years later, was the mystery solved by writer Joe Hill? Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1916: The vicious “Man-eater of Matawan” meets his end. Cut to: The premiere and record-breaking success of JAWS. The awards Steven Spielberg expected – but never came. Even the world’s most commercial filmmaker wasn’t good enough to earn the respect of his peers. The death of Robert Shaw and the impact of his legacy on one-time rival Richard Dreyfus. Spielberg passes the torch to J.J. Abrams as the ORCA at Universal Studios crumbles to dust. Steven Spielberg experiences a remembrance of a heritage that once embarrassed him, but now makes him proud. A premiere for Ready Player One at SXSW, and the contents of a mysterious note revealed. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Carl Gottlieb is the co-screenwriter of JAWS, a featured player in this podcast, and the author of The Jaws Log, about the making of the classic film. With Inside JAWS creator Mark Ramsey, Carl discusses his background in Improv, how he met Steven Spielberg, how JAWS came to be a classic, and what lessons the movie has for filmmakers and audiences alike. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
From the shenanigans on the set of Caddyshack to how Michael Keaton almost “ruined” Batman. From the dangers of messing with Carrie Fisher to the origin of TV’s The Simpsons. Hollywood is full of crazy, memorable, sad, and shocking moments. Twice a week, every week - 3 minutes to revel in the famous lives you either wish you had or are glad you don’t. From the creators of INSIDE PSYCHO, INSIDE JAWS, and INSIDE THE EXORCIST, It’s YOU TALKING TO ME?! Bite-size Hollywood History - with plenty of bite. Listen here for an exclusive SNEAK PEEK. And follow YOU TALKING TO ME?! wherever you listen to podcasts. Want more early access and free bonuses? Join the A-LIST. Just go to YOUTALKING.ME or text ALIST to 66866. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.