He cut it. “Shows too much.”
Real reason: mechanical shark “Bruce” kept breaking. Sank three times. Cost $3 million. Worked four days. Crew called it “the great white turd.”
Spielberg panicked. He was 25. First big film. Failing.
Then composer John Williams played two notes. “Dun-dun.” Spielberg realized: don’t show the monster. Let music be the monster.
The malfunction that nearly killed Jaws created the most iconic thriller ever.
Bruce sits in a museum now. Still broken.
Sometimes failure teaches best.
Steven Spielberg was 25. His first big film—Jaws—was sinking. Literally.
The mechanical shark, nicknamed “Bruce,” broke constantly. Sank three times. Cost $3 million. Worked for just four days.
The crew called it “the great white turd.”
Spielberg had filmed a dramatic shot—shark breaching behind swimmers. He cut it. “Shows too much,” he said.
But the truth? Bruce wasn’t working.
Then composer John Williams played two notes. “Dun-dun.”
Spielberg had a revelation: Don’t show the monster. Let the music be the monster.
That broken shark gave birth to one of the most iconic thrillers in history.
Bruce now sits in a museum. Still broken.
And Jaws still terrifies.
Because sometimes, the thing that fails… Is the thing that forces genius.
