JAWS Filming Locations | Then and Now | Interesting changes to the beaches.
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Published 2021-06-20
First off, I want to give a huge thank you to @movclips1828 for providing all the “then” movie footage for this video. A great channel that uploads scenes from a variety of classic movies.
Now, in this video you will see where the 1975 classic was made. My visit to the real life town of Amity was incredible, and this was my greatest movie location experience yet. Getting to walk through the real life places used for one of favorite movies was mind blowing. We stayed in Edgartown, a two minute walk to much of what made up “Friendship” Island. While most of what you see in town is amazingly still in tact and holding up well, the beaches are very different.
Appearing:
Opening Scene - South Beach, Edgartown, MA
Brody House - 265 East Chop Dr, Vineyard Haven, MA
Billboard - Aquinnah Circle, Aquinnah, MA
Police Station - Davis Lane & South Water St, Edgartown, MA
Medical Examiner’s Office - 24 South Water St, Edgartown, MA
Amity Gazette - Chappaquiddick House, Edgartown, MA
Bad Hat Harry’s Bike Rental - 3 South Water St, Edgartown, MA
Amity Hardware - The Port Hunter Restaurant, 55 Main St, Edgartown, MA
Amity Ferry - Chappy Ferry, Edgartown, MA
Attack Beach - Joseph Sylvia State Beach, Edgartown/Oak Bluffs, MA
Amity Town Hall - Edgartown Town Hall, MA
The Docks - Edgartown Harbor, MA
Quint’s Shop - 511/515 N Rd, Chilmark, MA
Masterful story telling, legendary performances, ingenious editing and arguably the most well known movie score ever made, are some of things that make this classic very special.
During production Spielberg was under so much pressure from studio people, producers, etc even months after filming ended he was waking up from nightmares thinking he was still on Martha’s Vineyard. He also has a natural fear of the ocean which didn’t help him but served the movie well. You see that play into Roy Scheider’s character, who’s performance as Chief Brody is one of my all-time favorites. So he opted out of any involvement w the sequels for more than a fear of being typecast. The process was pretty miserable for him, especially with the mechanical sharks constantly malfunctioning. The salt water being the culprit.
It’s true Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss didn’t always get along. There was a natural clash of personalities with the added dimension of old vs young. I think it became worse by the extended shooting schedule. The actors became very bored and cases of cabin fever were setting in... They often had to wait around for boats and people to clear from shots to go along w the shark issues. Shaw liked to drink and this became his cure for boredom. The feud between Shaw and Dreyfuss has definitely been exaggerated over the years but they did have issues at times. I imagine Shaw being a seasoned professional, realized pushing their differences behind the scenes would help increase the tension between their characters on screen. All adding to the young Spielberg’s already increasing pressures. They didn’t even have a script ready when they began filming LOL. Think about it, the book was only released in 74 and they began shooting in May of 74… Crazy… They say pressure creates diamonds and while JAWS isn’t flawless, it’s certainly brilliant in every way.
And then there was John Williams, can't say enough good things about this master of his craft. Basically, the all-in-one Beethoven, Mozart and Bach of our time. Just a special, special talent.
The original budget was for 3.5/4 million and it swelled to 9 million (roughly 45 million today which is low by the current blockbuster standard cost). It went on the make a record breaking $470,000,000 world wide. Which would be almost 2.4 billion today.
RIP
Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Murray Hamilton
All Comments (21)
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It was a special experience to visit the real life Amity Island, and I'm glad I was able to have this video ready for the anniversary day of this blockbusting, cultural event... Oh, and I know I misspelled Vineyard Haven lol... Enjoy!
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46 years has passed in the blink of an eye Jaws still has bite and Robert Shaw deserved an Oscar for his performance.
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The scene where Quint tells the story of the USS Indianapolis always gives me chills
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I've seen one or two other "visiting Jaws shooting locations" videos. But what you did here was very ambitious. You visited every location in the movie that was accessible to you and even tried to recreate the framing and camera pans wherever possible. I'm seriously impressed.
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It's just unbelievable how young Spielberg was when he made this. Today, 27 year-olds have barely started to shave, and he'd changed the world!
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I rarely review these "filming locations" videos, but this one is truly in an elite category. Absolutely awesome screen matching along with split screens makes this an extraordinary video. Additionally, the explanations regarding the variances in structures and landscapes, add another layer to the viewing experience. Nick, you have obviously put a lot of work into this video, and you should be commended for such a professional effort. By the way, I list Jaws in my top five films of all time, and I am an avid SCUBA diver.
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Good job! RIP Roy Scheider.
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I absolutely love this video! So well done. The film “Jaws”was a masterpiece. No CGI. Beautifully filmed. I live in Wales, U.K., and have never been to USA but after watching this video, i feel like I have just been on a guided tour to Martha’s Vineyard. And at an enjoyable, relaxed pace, taking everything in. Great shot matching. Well narrated. Great job! Many thanks!
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This was incredible. Took me right back to 1975. I was 10 when Jaws came out. This movie just never leaves you. I was born in Maine so the New England area and scenes like this always draws me in. I’m so glad I came across this video I loved it and could watched it scene by scene of the movie. Thank you X 100
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"Here's to swimmin' with bow legged women" Quint
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I tell you, this was something special for me. Jaws is one of my favorite movies of all time and I can watch it from beginning to end at any moment. Just seeing the exact areas where the film was shot some 47 years ago feels like stepping through a time machine. And seeing what has changed, and what has remained the same in so many years is just so breathe taking and riveting. Just like the movie itself, it touches on the humanity of those characters because the acting was done so well. You feel their life and humanity throughout the film, and seeing the exact areas where it was shot and what it is today brings the same message of life and humanity. Things change over time but some things remain the same forever.
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As everyone else says... You did an unbelievable job on this. Being a lifelong RI native I've been a huge fan of Jaws. Last August (2021) I was able to spend a day on the island by myself (my wife had no interest in doing a movie scavenger hunt) and did my best to find as many scene locations as I could so I feel like I was following both the movie's and your footsteps from just a few weeks earlier. I wish I would have seen this video before that day as you provided so much incredible information mapping the "then" to "now". For Jaws fanatics, I think this video will become part of this legendary movie. Thanks so much for the effort and sharing!
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I just vacationed in Vineyard Haven, what a lovely place. Felt extremely special in its own way.
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The effort and passion that went into this video is astounding. Props to you for finding the exact spots of shots from this film. Keep up the amazing work! This was a great watch.
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Really amazing how drastically places can change over time... I think the town hall should have reconstructed Quint's house to make it a museum in homage to the film. And that would have brought them some nostalgic tourists... Like you! Thank you so much for all this meticulous work to restore the wonderful memories of this legendary film that has become legendary! 🦈
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Your video editing is AWESOME! The back and forth between today and the movie, the seamless overlays, the description of what you are seeing and why you think it differs…all just truly informative, entertaining, thought-provoking and leaving you satisfied with the results. I’ve been on a few “I’m going to see the current locations in my favorite movie” trips for myself.. this was so well done, I’ll trust you to be there for me and really immerse me in the experience!
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My grandparents lived on the island for their entire life basically and they showed me all these spots that I still see every summer, such an iconic place
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Ahhh…the late great Murray Hamilton with a boffo performance as the Mayor!! Exceptionally stylish in his Anchors Sports Jacket! Gotta get me one of those!!
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I grew up in Springfield, MA but never made it to Martha’s Vineyard. At 53, this remains my all time favorite motion picture. Your splits, matching, pauses and narrative are all terrific! Question for you: What kind of camera did you use? Looks 4K and crisp. You have done a very special thing for us fans. Thank you 🙏!
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Nice to see the American flag waving proudly on so many houses.
