The original Bruce from Jaws has been found!

[MIB41]

Yep. I saw them interviewing you while you were sitting down. Looked like you were surrounded by a bunch of Jaws merchandise. I remember when this was discussed last year. Oh how I have waited to see this film! I think when I last asked, you said it was touring somewhere overseas? This has got to be an incredible film. I hope it makes it to DVD. I saw some of that raw footage of Jaws coming down on the Kitner boy. THAT would have been TOO traumatic for 70's audiences. I was traumatized as it was! It's still hard to believe after ALL of those horror stories from Spielberg and company about the mechanical shark, that no one thought to save it after the film broke out into a massive hit. It almost seems more logical to think about that before thinking about a sequel. Can you imagine the money they could have made by keeping it in a body of water and asking the public to pay to see it swimming about like it was alive? Oh my God! They would have made a fortune!

Now the pic of you with Bruce IV... is it your opinion that it is a dead replica of the original Bruce? I ask because in the pic, it looks pretty close, but in Jaws IV that shark, in my opinion, doesn't look ANYTHING like the original. It has those chessy upper gums coming down and, well, it just looks silly. If that is the same shark your posing with, then the producers, really went out of their way to screw it up. It looks better in that shot, then it did the whole movie!

[LOU]

YEs TSISW is now touring the U.S., in fact it's going to be playing on Martha's Vineyard this summer. Check the site for details.

Now, as far as BRUCE IV, that is the nickname of the shark in Jaws The Revenge, the same toothless shark I am standing with. He looks nothing like Bruce from Jaws because he was made by a completely different crew. No one involved with Jaws The Revenge was involved with 1 and 2 save for Lorraine Gary obviously, Lee Fierro (Alex's mom in JAWS), and Mrs Taft from Jaws and Jaws 2....well, and Martha's Vineyard was used again as Amity for the opening segments of JTR. Genius Bob Mattey created the first Bruce. A guy named Henry Millar created the fourth. Brucette, the shark in Jaws 2 was made from the Bruce mold (Bruce was already starting to rot by 1977) again by Mattey and Roy Arbogast.

Bruce IV didn't actually look too bad, but the way Jospeh Sargent shot it Jaws The Revenge was totally and pathetically ineffective. They just didn't shoot the shark right so it looked lots worse than it needed to...
it looks pretty good here in this rare behind-the-scenes shot from my pal's Jaws The Revenge site...


Jaws The Revenge is an awful, awful movie though, so I don't think they cared enough to shoot it right...so all it's flaws were on display instead. FLAWS THE REVENGE! LOL!

[LOU]

Oh and if you like that footage of the raft attack in TSISW trailer...check this pic out!

[MIB41]

WOW! What a great shot! Your so right Lou. Bruce IV looks very good in that pic, but nothing worth mentioning in the movie itself. That is sad. I look forward to the day when TSISW hits either a local theater here in Louisville or on the shelves in DVD form. Probably one of the biggest features I have looked forward to seeing in many years. If I wasn't cramped for time this summer I would be up there to experience the Fest, but my son, who is a Marine, is coming home from Afghanistan for his first leave before he goes back one last time. Hopefully there will be another one next year because I WILL make that one. I so look forward to it Lou. You just have no idea. Oh I have shot of THAT pic (probably from your site). I love it!!

[LOU]

I was surrounded by some of this stuff in that trailer Tom!
LOL! You have me going through all my Jaws pics now. This one is from my dear friend's site...he is, hands-down, the biggest JAWS collector in the world.

JAWScollector.com

He's also our Island Tour Guide in our second and third films...this was taken for his site...

[LOU]

MIB, JAWSFEST'10 has been posponed until next Summer because Universal wants to now throw the bash themselves. Initially they just gave their blessing to a private promoter to go ahead with a smaller JawsFest, which was to be this Summer...right around now in fact LOL! I'm here typing to you, not on Martha's Vineyard, so you dodged a bullet buddy! It's better this way because not having a smaller JAWSFEST this year means a GIANT one again next year...just like in 2005!

[MIB41]

AMAZING NEWS! Well Lou, I WILL be there next summer. COUNT ON meeting me and having long chats. It will be a blast!!! This is the same pic I have in my collection (from Jaws movies archives). BTW, your collection is OUTSTANDING! The best item I have in my paltry offering is the movie maniacs Orca and Jaws which you have in your shot above. When that came out, I just fell in LOVE with that piece. It's a center attraction in my collector room. I also love the Mego customs you have (like in your avatar). Those are amazing!

[LOU]

LOL! Sounds good MIB! Thanks, glad you like the collection. Mine pales in comparison to most peoples' though...you be amazed! In fact, that website where you got that pic is my good friend's site and one of the guys with a MASSIVE Jaws collection! Yana and I look forward to meeting you next Summer!
By the way, the McFarlane Jaws set is quite a collectible...it's goes for some SERIOUS $$$ now! I'd hardly call it "paltry" buddy!