Remembering Mrs Taft: The JAWS hotel owner with bite
If the shark in Jaws had the biggest mouth in the water, then it was surely Mrs Taft who had the biggest mouth on dry land.
Fritizi Jane Courtney was the actress who played the formidable hotel owner on Amity Island and ruled the roost, think of her as a female Mayor Vaughn. Of sorts.
Like many of the islanders, she doesn't get much screen time, but each appearance, each glance, each word uttered, counts. Big time.
Fritizi Jane Courtney appeared as Mrs Taft in Jaws, Jaws 2 and Jaws The Revenge.
She's long been a firm favourite of fans of the film, even if they never always knew her name.
She proved to be a popular choice for the Jaws WeMake, with several people sending in clips of her wonderfully delivered lines.
One of those was Mark O'Connell, author of Watching Skies, a sumptuous exploration of growing up in a world of Star Wars, Close Encounters, Superman, and of course, Jaws.
He said: "An early perfect instance of Spielberg's great skill of dressing a scene and film with chatter and side character glories, Mrs.Taft is a glorious Amity local who lends gossipy gravitas to more than one Jaws film.
"Initially an almost Carol Burnett figure of 1970s comedy, Mrs. Taft quietly grows into a vital Amity face which is no more apparent than in Jaws the Revenge when she quietly consoles the mourning Ellen Brody alongside Mrs. Kintner. Those recurring side characters in cinema are almost a lost art now."
Meanwhile, on his website, CrispinHaskins.com, crime author Crispin Haskins, devotes a lot of time to Jaws and Martha's Vineyard, after all that is where his murder mysteries are set. It's also his most favourite place in the whole world.
He writes: "My all-time favourite Jaws character is Mrs Taft played to perfection by Fritzi Jane Courtney. I love her seventies look, I love her attitude, and I love her voice. Ever since I was very young, I have loved her delivery of that iconic line, “Are you going to close the beaches?” in the town hall."
Mrs Taft continued to appear in the Jaws series, sitting on the town council in Jaws 2 and comforting Ellen Brody - along with Mrs Kintner - at the start of Jaws the Revenge, following the loss of her son, Sean. Whatever you think about the third Jaws sequel, this is a wonderful understated moment and is a wonderful call back to the original.
As well as the Jaws series, Courtney also appeared in the Roman Polanski horror classic Rosemary's Baby (1968) and the musical Annie (1982).
Fritzi Courtney passed away on August 7, 2012, at the age of 89 in Portland.
According to her obituary in The Portland Press Herald, Fritzi met the love of her life, Robert 'Bob' Cohen at the USO in New York during World War II. They married and then moved to Maine in 1946. Fritzi immediately became involved in local theatrical organizations Portland Players and the Jewish Community Center.
Mrs Taft at the Brody house on Amity Island in Jaws The Revenge
She formerly worked for Channel 6 (NBC Affiliate) where she wrote copy, and while there she became the first in New England on air drama critic. She reviewed local and professional theatrical productions.
She performed for several seasons at the Kennebunkport Play House. Fritzi was most noted for her role in the movie 'JAWS' and also did an episode of 'Route 66,' as well as other movies and commercials. She also had a leading role in the Boston production of 'Lenny.'
She was known for her honesty, integrity and professionalism. She enjoyed bowling, volunteering at the Portland Museum of Art, was an accomplished gardener, and a creative painter of pet portraits.
We may never have got to meet Fritzi, but she lives through her glorious portrayal as Mrs Taft each and every time we watch Jaws. Hopefully, she'd find that funny, find that funny after all.
Words by Dean Newman
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