Unseen behind-the-scenes photos show Steven Spielberg’s 25ft mechanical shark during filming of Jaws
You’re NOT gonna need a bigger boat! Unseen behind-the-scenes photos from filming of Jaws reveal how Steven Spielberg used a 25ft wooden mechanical shark to make his 1975 classic movie
- The colour photographs were taken by script supervisor Charlsie Bryant on the set of the 1975 film
- They show the inner workings of the shark nicknamed Bruce as well as Steven Spielberg, cast and crew
- The snaps are being sold by Bryant’s family and are expected to sell for as much as £3,700 at auction
Rare behind-the-scenes photographs taken on the set of Jaws have surfaced 45 years after the classic film was released.
The previously unseen colour snaps were taken by Charlsie Bryant, the script supervisor for the 1975 film, and they have been in her family ever since.
Many of her photos show the huge rubber shark out of the water between shots as the crew maneuvered the 25ft mechanical model.
Rare behind-the-scenes photographs taken on the set of Jaws have surfaced 45 years after the classic film was released, including the hydraulic rig carrying the great white shark
The colour snaps were taken by Charlsie Bryant, the script supervisor for the 1975 film, and they have been in her family ever since. They show the crew struggling to manage the hefty hydraulic model at sea
Many of her photos show the huge rubber shark out of the water between shots as they made the classic horror film
Director Steven Spielberg watches over his film crew as a man bravely stands on the terrifying great white shark in the background
Spielberg stares at the camera on the set of the film in the pictures which have been consigned to sale with auctioneers Bonhams who are expecting offers of up to £3,700
Roy Scheider as Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper and Robert Shaw as Quint, can all be seen on the fly deck of The Orca during filming
The model, which the cast and crew affectionately named Bruce, is seen with all of his mechanical parts on show.
Other shots feature director Steven Spielberg and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw.
The pictures come in a brown faux leather photo album and were taken off the island of Martha’s Vineyard, in Massachusetts, US.
They have been consigned to sale with auctioneers Bonhams who are expecting offers of up to £3,700.
A candid shot shows the set for one of the last scenes of the film when the great white shark eats Quint, the local professional shark hunter
One of the three hydraulic sharks used in the filming is seen in the water near a boat during production of the iconic film
A photo shows the view of Martha’s Vineyard which was the set for the fictional Amity Island where the shark was attacking locals
The pictures include candid shots of Spielberg standing on a boat with no shirt on while a crew member can be seen in the background wrestling with the rubber shark in the water to move it into position.
Another shows him directing a scene from the water the while a camera man balances on the end of a wooden plank to film the thrilling final scenes of the movie.
Bruce, the mechanical shark named after Spielberg’s lawyer, features prominently both in and out of the water.
In one snap he is seen being carried out a wooden pallet with his mechanics exposed.
The studio’s power lines dangled dangerously above the water as they filmed at sea for the 1975 blockbuster
The pictures come in a brown faux leather photo album and were taken off the island of Martha’s Vineyard, in Massachusetts, US
He is also seen mounted on top of a metal arm which allowed the shark to move menacingly and realistically.
Spielberg initially wanted to film with a real great white shark but they quickly realised this was not possible.
It was the first major film shot on the ocean and went massively over budget, costing $9million with an original budget of $4million.
The film was a troubled shoot, with sinking boats, wet cameras and an inexperienced director at the helm.
The actors were even seasick much of the time and screenwriter Carl Gottlieb was nearly decapitated by a propeller.
Principal photography was meant to take 55 days but took 159, and the crew nicknamed the film Flaws.
All the photos measure 3.5ins by 4.5ins and remain in fantastic original condition.
They are being sold by by Mrs Bryant’s family.
Caren Roberts, from Bonhams, said: ‘These Jaws behind-the-scenes photos are fantastic.
‘They come from the script supervisor of the film, Charlsie Bryant. Her family consigned the photo album to us.
‘The photos have never been seen or published before.
‘I think they would appeal to a whole range of buyers from Jaws fans to film history fans, science fiction fans and Spielberg fans.
‘There is also a market among museums or collectors who are interested in one-of-a-kind memorabilia.
Charlsie Bryant worked with Spielberg again on the 1977 hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind after they collaborated on Jaws.
He described her as his favourite script supervisor and wanted to have her work on the comedy blockbuster 1941 which came out in 1979.
However, she passed away unexpectedly shortly before production got underway and the final movie was dedicated to her memory.
Her 30-year-career also saw her working with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Ray.
The sale of her photographs takes place on December 11.
All the photos measure 3.5ins by 4.5ins and remain in fantastic original condition despite being taken 45 years ago
Charlsie Bryant worked with Spielberg again on the 1977 hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind after they collaborated on Jaws
Spielberg described Bryant his favourite script supervisor and wanted to have her work on the comedy blockbuster 1941 which came out in 1979
Bryant passed away unexpectedly shortly before production got underway on 1941 and the final movie was dedicated to her memory
The team is seen preparing for a shot in the 1975 classic horror film in Martha’s Vineyard
The sale of her photographs takes place on December 11 and they are expected to sell for as much as £3,700
In the film, police chief Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider, wants to close the beach but is overruled by Mayor Larry Vaughn, played by Murray Hamilton
Spielberg first noticed the book written by Peter Benchley on top of a large stack of papers in his producer’s office and believed it was about a dentist
