Still one of the highest-grossing films of all time, the 1975 epic Jaws helped define the term "summer blockbuster." The bloody story of a shark's assault on a beach community thrilled and frightened moviegoers, establishing the twenty-seven-year-old Steven Spielberg (1946–) as one of the most talented directors in Hollywood (see entry under 1930s—Film and Theater in volume 2).

Based on a 1974 novel by Peter Benchley (1940–), Jaws tells the story of a series of horrific shark attacks that wrack the placid summertime resort town of Amity. Director Spielberg intercut footage of real sharks with a full-sized mechanical shark (named Bruce) to create the movie's shocking visual effects. Composer John Williams (1932–) crafted the film's menacing score, for which he was awarded an Oscar. Jaws also benefited from a top-notch publicity campaign, including classic movie posters featuring the image of a razor-toothed shark about to attack an unsuspecting female swimmer.

Jaws might have...