Spielberg and Dreyfuss: The cinematic shark tale beyond JAWS
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Frank Capra had Jimmy Stewart. Martin Scorsese had Robert De Niro (and now, Leonardo DiCaprio). They were two of the best director/actor tandems in Hollywood history. In the mid 1970s, another director banked on the talents of one actor. The director was Steven Spielberg, whose back to back films with Richard Dreyfuss are still regarded as classics nearly five decades later.
When Steven Spielberg began casting for the role of Matt Hooper in JAWS, he was given a list of some of the popular young talented actors currently working at the time. Actors like Jeff Bridges, Jon Voight and Timothy Bottoms were considered. Spielberg wanted Richard Dreyfuss, who the year before had become one of the breakout stars of his friend George Lucas’ film American Graffiti. Dreyfuss said “no.” Twice. In his mind the shoot on the water would be hell. Shortly before the cast was set, Dreyfuss attended an advance screening of a film he was starring in, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. So horrified was Dreyfuss at his performance that he called Spielberg the next morning and accepted the part. Smart decision.
Spielberg had been slated to direct The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, a period piece about a black baseball team, as his project after JAWS. However, the critical and, more importantly, box-office , success of JAWS gave him the opportunity to pick his next project. He decided on a film he had been writing for several years titled Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Dreyfuss loved the script and would reach out to Spielberg often, lobbying for the role of Roy Neary. Yet for reason only the director knows, he didn’t think Dreyfuss was right for the part. According to Dreyfuss, every time he heard about another actor being looked at for the role he would call Spielberg and make up negative things about the actor. Finally, Dreyfuss sat down with Spielberg and told him that what he needed for the role was a “child.” Not someone young, but someone with a child’s heart and sense of wonder. Spielberg agreed and soon the two were off to Mobile, Alabama to create yet another masterpiece of filmmaking.
In 1989, Dreyfuss and Spielberg teamed up again for a small role in Always.
It was the last time they two worked together but they built a strong friendship over the years. Sadly, that friendship has suffered since “The Shark is Broken” premiered on stage in London. The show, written by Ian Shaw, Robert’s son, and Joseph Nelson, does not always show Dreyfuss in the best light.
In comments he made after seeing the show, he expressed disappointment over his portrayal, lamenting that the authors could have spoken with him about the events featured in the show to get his perspective on them. At a recent appearance at Scarefest 15 in Lexington, Kentucky, a few days after the seeing the show, Dreyfuss expressed disappointment in both Spielberg and JAWS co-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, for his character’s issues.
Words by Michael A Smith. Michael is co-author of Jaws 2: The Making Of The Hollywood Sequel. You can order the book by contacting Michael at OsFanMike@aol.com.
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