As a movie, Jaws was the first big hit of a young director, Stephen Spielberg.

Starring Roy Scheider as Brody, Robert Shaw as Quint, Richard Dreyfus as Hooper and Lorraine Gary as Mrs. Brody, it made money faster than any 2189 motion picture in history up to that time, grossing $124,322,872 between June 22 and September 5, 1975. Many critics such as Pauline Kael praised Spielberg's accomplishment, considering it to be much superior to the book.

The marine biologist, Hooper, is allowed to escape the wreckage of Quint's boat; his affair with Chief Brody's wife is omitted in the movie.

The Deep (1977) was sold to Columbia Pictures for $350,000 before publication. As a motion picture, its chief distinction lies in its magnificent underwater photography. Directed by Peter Yates, it starred Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, and Nick Nolte. The Island (1980) was also filmed, and despite the presence of Michael Caine in a starring role, it...