Robert Shaw's terrifying screams replaced John Williams proposed score for Quint's death in Jaws

John Williams’ music for the film Jaws is arguably the most recognisable original motion picture score of all time. Not only did Williams’ genius give us the now unmistakable shark theme, (“dun-dun… dun-dun”), but when Bruce the animatronic shark built for the movie didn’t perform as expected (the ocean’s salt water played havoc with the electronics), he gave director Steven Spielberg the shark he didn’t have.

There is much more to the Jaws score than the signature shark motif. There’s the thrilling ‘One Barrel Chase’ and the haunting ‘Father Snd Son’. However, there is one moment in Jaws that deliberately did NOT to use the intended music as the actor’s performance was too terrifying. .

The Jaws soundtrack CD (5th anniversary collector’s edition pictured below) features ‘Shark Attack’ (track 5). Anyone who knows Jaws well will realise that this music does not feature in the finished film. You may be surprised to learn that ‘Shark Attack’ was intended for Quint’s spectacular death scene.

However, Quint’s death scene has no music. Director Steven Spielberg opted not to use the track, instead allowing this moment in the film to rely on perfect sound engineering and the terrifying screams of actor Robert Shaw.

Below is Quint’s death with ‘Shark Attack’, John Williams’ intended score added back in.

Here is Quint’s death scene, as it appears in the finished movie, minus John Williams’s score..

This isn’t the first time a classic Robert Shaw movie death scene has been unscored. As Red Grant in James Bond adventure ‘From Russia With Love’ (1963), Shaw battles Sean Connery’s 007 to the death in a close quarters fight in a train carriage. This scene is another perfect example of sound design rather than music being used to show the struggle of the two men.

We know which we prefer but what about you? Do you think Quint’s death works better with or without John Williams’ composition ‘Shark Attack’?

Jaws actor Robert Shaw with cast mare Bruce the shark on the set of Jaws.

Words by Ross Williams

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