You're gonna need another boat: Matt Hooper's secret second vessel
When most people talk about oceanographer Matt Hooper’s boat, they usually remark at how large and looming it was, with its many spotlights and computer screens. And it was. Brody asks Hooper if he’s rich and Hooper replies, “yeah.” And he was. But did you know that Matt Hooper had TWO boats with him on the Island?
Her name is Fascinating Rhythm, and it’s seen briefly as Hooper arrives at the dock and is greeted by Ben Gardner. Not a big, fancy boat but a small, sensible boat. One, I’m guessing, that was tied TO the big fancy boat, which was left anchored somewhere else. The boat appears again later in the during the Fourth of July beach scene, as well as right before, and after, the Searle brothers show up with their cardboard fin.
As Brody strolls along the beach, walkie talkie in hand, he calls out to several boats – among them the Scup Bucket – to make sure all is well. He then calls out, “Brody to Daisy, do you read me? Fascinating Rhythm, do you read me?” Come in, Hooper, what do you see?”
From the boat deck Hooper replies that he see’s nothing, and that there is nothing on sonar. Later, when one of the shark spotters exclaims, “Jesus Christ, fin! Shark, 3-5-0,” you get a quick glimpse of Hooper in the boat behind the spotter boat, and then a shot of Hooper informing Brody to get the people out of the water. Finally, Hooper is seen on the boat informing Brody that the fin was a hoax.
Michael A Smith with Hooper’s boat ‘Fascinating Rhythm’
Though I have no idea what happened to Mr. Hooper’s fancy boat, I can tell you that Fascinating Rhythm currently rests among a collection of boats on Captain Lynn and Susan Murphy’s property on Martha’s Vineyard, where I had the amazing opportunity to visit her in 2006. A true piece of JAWShistory!
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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