JAWS Acord-ing to Cal, the man who helped operate Bruce the shark
Five decades after filming, the man who crawled out of the mouth of the shark from JAWS is spilling the beans on making the shark classic.
As part of JAWS’ 50th anniversary celebrations, the world’s number one JAWS fan site, The Daily Jaws, is running a landmark series of interviews with famous fans and people who worked on Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 horror thriller.
Among the most fascinating voices is Cal Acord — the man who operated 'Bruce', the mechanical shark that terrified audiences around the globe.
You might not know the name, but you'll certainly recognise his face as being the guy who seemingly crawls out of the mouth of the fake great white shark between shots whilst it is resting on board the Orca.
In the exclusive video and podcast , Acord takes JAWS fans behind the scenes of one of cinema’s most enduring legends.
Ross Williams, creator of The Daily Jaws, explained that featuring Accord’s story is a highlight of the anniversary series. He said: “Fans know Bruce as a cultural icon, but few have heard from the people who literally brought him to life. Cal’s memories give us an intimate, human perspective on a legendary piece of filmmaking and a host of stories JAWS fans won't have heard before."
Discover how Acord was in the water during the filming of the iconic opening scene of Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backline) and how he calls BS on the rumour about her breaking a rib or even complaining about being hurt.
He was also there for the filming of the Hooper and the shark cage scene in the MGM tank and tells how he pulled a Hoagie years before Michael Caine and helped 'fly' Lorraine Gary to the JAWS set.
Watch the full interview and explore the series below
Watch / listen to full JAWS 50th anniversary interview series
Words by Dean Newman
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