[Artemis Webb]

I remember reading that Robert Shaw was drunk (he often was) the night they were to shoot that scene. He couldn’t get it right so Spielberg gave up and they all went back to their hotels for the night. The next morning they sat down to shoot that scene again and Shaw nailed it in one take.

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According to this article the speech was a sort of collaboration between three writers, including Shaw. However it was done, it's my favorite part of the movie.

[Moonman62]

I remember reading that Robert Shaw was drunk (he often was) the night they were to shoot that scene. He couldn’t get it right so Spielberg gave up and they all went back to their hotels for the night. The next morning they sat down to shoot that scene again and Shaw nailed it in one take.

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He probably had more to drink. I also read he wrote that scene.