Robert Shaw tried to start on-set JAWS fight after losing at ping-pong

The lore surrounding the creation of Jaws is as legendary as the film itself. In a new book titled "Steven Spielberg: The First Ten Years," Spielberg delves into the intricacies of making Jaws, a process plagued by the notorious malfunctioning mechanical shark named Bruce.

Among the challenges faced, Spielberg recounts the colorful behavior of both cast and crew. Robert Shaw, who portrayed Quint, stands out as a particularly memorable character. Spielberg recalls Shaw's declaration upon meeting him, "I haven’t had a drink in two months!" Meanwhile, producer Dick Zanuck remained vigilant, fearing Shaw's occasional indulgences would disrupt filming—though, given the shark's persistent malfunctioning, such concerns seemed inconsequential.

Amidst the chaos, amusing anecdotes abound. Zanuck and Shaw engaged in spirited ping-pong matches during breaks, culminating once in a near-fisticuffs challenge swiftly quashed by onlookers. Reflecting on the incident, Spielberg muses, "If Shaw had ended up with a black eye, we'd have been in even deeper trouble."

Shaw's irreverent humor often punctuated the set, as evidenced by his impromptu recitation of a ribald poem while filming a scene. "This is the story of Mary McGee," Shaw began, regaling his fellow actors with a lighthearted verse that added levity to the tense production environment.

"I told him, 'We need to clear this. If it's from a song, we can't use it without paying for the rights.' He replied, 'Don't worry, we won't get sued. I heard it from a tombstone in Ireland!'"

Words by Ross Williams

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