Foreground My Ass! Steven Spielberg Cameos
It isn't uncommon for film directors to make blink and you miss them appearances in their own films, or indeed other people's.
Hitchcock was famed for cameos in his films, but perhaps one person less famed for his cameo appearances is Steven Spielberg himself. Sometimes it's his voice, an appendage or the whole damn Spielberg.
The Daily Jaws reaches for the pause button and investigates.
Jaws (1975)
You won't find a physical Steven in the original summer blockbuster, but you will hear his voice when Quint answers the radio on board the Orca to the request that Ellen wants to speak to Chief Brody.
Although that's not to say you won't find a Spielberg in the film, you will. Elmer Spielberg plays the Brody's dog.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Perhaps the most famous of Spielberg's cameos occurs in this John Landis musical comedy about Jake and Ellwood Blues, played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Spielberg plays an admin clerk towards the end of the film who???
The year before both Belushi and Aykroyd starred in Steven Spielberg's 1941, which was also something of a Jaws reunion as it featured Susan Backlinie, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton.
John Landis, the director of The Blues Brothers, who would go onto make An American Werewolf in London, Trading Places and Coming To America, even helped Spielberg on the set of Jaws, hoping with the construction of the breakaway pier scene.
Steven Spielberg popping up in The Blues Brothers (1980)
Poltergeist (1982)
Essentially Poltergeist is the anti E. T., both based on original ideas by Spielberg and both released in the same year. Rumours may persist about whether it was producer Spielberg who called the shots or director Tobe Hooper, or whether the movie was cursed. One thing not in doubt though was that it was Spielberg's arms and hands in the scene where the paranormal investigator claws his own face off in the bathroom mirror. Sick vandalism!
Poltergeist sees Spielberg at his handsome best.
Gremlins (1984)
Director Joe Dante had already proved he could weave horror and comedy with Piranha, Spielberg certainly thought so as he called it "the best of the Jaws rip-offs" and even convinced Universal Studios to desist from taking an injunction out on it. They'd just released Jaws 2. When it came to Gremlins, Dante was in the directors chair and Spielberg was Executive Producer.
Randall Peltzer, Billy's dad, is at an inventors convention and is phoning home. In the foreground Spielberg trundles by on a contraption, before Robby the Robot enters the scene. You may also spot the original prop from George Paul's The Time Machine in the background, next time we return to that scene it has vanished!
Spielberg acting shady in Gremlins (1984)
Casper (1995)
Based on the antics of a friendly-ghost, this is another film that Spielberg Executive Produced, there is a scene later on in this spook-tacular film that sees Bill Pullman see several famous figures in a mirror looking back at him, these being cameos by Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood and Rodney Dangerfield.
In that mirror scene, Dr. James Harvey ( Pullman) was going to transform into Steven Spielberg. Although his scene was cut, which he was apparently quite relieved about.
First time director, Brad Silberling, who was picked by Spielberg to helm the project, had to inform his boss he was being left on the cutting-room floor. Brad recalled: "Our montage of cameos was getting long. I had to tell Steven, ‘You’re not the strongest of the group.”’
And we are very pleased to say that Brad is a The Daily Jaws follower on Twitter.
Men In Black (1997)
Steven Spielberg is an alien, according to MIB. Now Close Encounters and E. T. - the extra terrestrial make perfect sense!
Spielberg was again Executive Producing and can be glimpsed when Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is showing J (Will Smith) all of the Earth’s “known aliens” on a view screen. As well as Spielberg, other famous folk confirmed as aliens include Star Wars creator George Lucas, Danny DeVito, Dionne Warwick, Sylvester Stallone, and the movie’s director, Barry Sonnenfeld.
Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997)
Spielberg also directed this follow up to his hugely successful Jurassic Park. There is a scene late on in the film where a huge cargo ship is about to dock and it is being televised. In the reflection of the TV screen is Jeff Goldblum's character, Ian Malcolm. Next to him is Steven Spielberg munching popcorn, but it's hard to see.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
There's an opening sequence for a Powers movie - called Austinpussy - that featured Tom Cruise as famous Austin, Kevin Spacey as Dr Evil, Danny DeVito and Gywneth Paltrow. All exciting stuff, but 'Directing' the action is none other than Steven Spielberg!
The main film features Michael Caine as Austin's dad and he of course featured in Jaws the Revenge. Austin has to travel back in time to thwart Goldmember, heading back to 1975.
Which is precisely where we started.
8 ESSENTIAL BOOKS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG
Steven Spielberg may just be the greatest film maker of all time. With the monster success of Jaws coming when Spielberg was still in his 20’s, the pressure was on to show the ‘fish film’ was no fluke. He did. Jaws was the launch pad that allowed the maestro to explore space, the future, the past and the darkest chapters of human history. There is so much to learn form this remarkable story teller and below is our list of essential reading to help truly understand the man and the mind that changed cinema forever.
