Shark Attack (How "Jaws" changed Hollywood)

The Weekly Standard ^ | 06/21/2010 | John Podhoretz

[RayChuang88]

While we can disagree with a LOT of Steven Spielberg's politics, nobody could disagree that the enormous success of Jaws completely redefined how studios released new movies. Before Jaws, movie studios dumped most of their "lighter" fare to show during the summer months, while leaving the more spectacular, "serious" movies to the October-December time period, mostly for Oscar consideration. Remember, US$100 million in box office receipts in 1975 equals US$405 million today--I don't know any movie outside The Dark Knight that made that much money during the summer (in inflation adjusted dollars).

But Jaws changed everything almost overnight--the movie studios realized it could make a LOT of money during the summer months with the right movie, and the success of Jaws paved the way for Star Wars's gigantic success during the summer of 1977.

[Sherman Logan]

To put it in perspective, adjusting for inflation, GWTW is still the number one movie of all time.

You are quite correct. In fact, of the top 20 inflation-adjust box office movies, 10 were made before Jaws.

That's especially interesting because it means those dollars were marketed to a much smaller population and one with a lot less disposable income.

GWTW also had relatively little international appeal. Being eaten by a shark is something anyone around the world can identify with. The American Civil war isn't likely to be nearly as interesting to someone in Thailand or Brazil.

Also, the author exaggerates the impact on the industry of the dollars brought in by Jaws. The Sting and The Exorcist, both in 73, each brought in almost as much money.

[Lawgvr1955]

Not sure how it changed Hollywood, but Jaws was the first movie I ever went to with my dad, so it will always have meaning to me.

Jaws was the last movie I saw with my late dad. So it has a similar meaning to me too.

[jocon307]

“There was no such thing as a “Summer Blockbuster” before the movie Jaws.”

Yes, that’s true. And they just stumbled into it! You would think they might have thought of it before, esp. back in those days we went to the movies A LOT in the summer, for the air conditioning!

It’s a good lesson in the market’s “invisible hand”.