Here’s How ‘Jaws’ 50th Anniversary Is Being Celebrated at Original Filming Site
Jaws is about to turn 50 years old—and the community of Martha’s Vineyard is pulling out all the stops.
The iconic Steven Spielberg film was released by Universal Pictures on June 20, 1975, and starred Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Murray Hamilton, Lorraine Gray, and yes, that mechanical great white shark. The thriller film was set on Amity Island, which was really Martha’s Vineyard.
Fifty years later, businesses on the Massachusetts island where much of the action was filmed will host multiple events to commemorate the milestone.
According to the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, events will take place over the 50th anniversary weekend and all summer across Martha’s Vineyard.
On June 20, Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center will host a screening of Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story, followed by an after-party at the Harbor View Hotel. Spielberg and the cast and crew of Jaws lived at the Harbor View during filming for the movie in 1975, per the hotel’s website.
For the anniversary, The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow will present Jaws in Concert, a special screening of the film at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort featuring a performance of the movie’s iconic score by Cape Symphony.
And Martha’s Vineyard Museum will host an anniversary exhibition titled Jaws at 50: A Deeper Dive.
In addition, Amity Homecoming Weekend will be a five-day celebration (June 19-23) featuring live events with special guests and behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the iconic film.
Multiple island businesses will also celebrate Jaws. A post on the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce’s Instagram page teased special merch at CB Stark Jewelers, the shop where Jaws victim Chrissie’s (Susan Blackline) memorable silver rings were purchased, as well as Old Sculpin Gallery, “the art gallery that inspired” shark hunter Quint’s (Robert Shaw) legendary shack.
Other businesses tagged in the celebratory post include Murdick’s Fudge, The Lazy Frog, Mad Martha’s, Island Spirit Kayak, and Back Door Donuts, where a special shark-themed donut is being served.
Martha’s Vineyard's tourism skyrocketed after Jaws was released in 1975. Several spots, including the "Jaws Bridge" on Beach Road and Lucy Vincent Beach are still popular tourist pit stops and will likely get even more traction this summer.
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