JAWS closed by order of Universal Studios Hollywood

Are you going to close the JAWS section of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood? Yes, yes we are.

Only 24 hours. Well, not quite, as it is planned for the great white shark attraction - which has been a part of the famous Studio Tour since April 10, 1976 -  to undergo maintenance until October 11.

That's right, it's JAWS the refurbishment! Bruce is having a bit of a spruce up, which is only fitting on the run...er swim up to the 50th anniversary of the release of the 1975 Steven Spielberg film.

Although that toothsome grin has famously changed somewhat over the years, with some incarnations on the Studio Tour being more successful than others. Yes, Carrot Tooth, we mean you.

But, if the shark didn't always look like its big screen counterpart, you could originally see the screen used Orca and Ben Gardner's boat. Sadly, Orca was left to rot from the inside and perished in 1996. To quote Quint, incredible. It's something that Steven Spielberg wasn't best pleased about either!

Ben Gardner's boat limped on until 2005, when it too suffered the same fate. During a refurbishment, it was apparently unceremoniously dumped in a skip. A sad end to the last screen used artefact that was a part of the JAWS attraction.

And although the Orca and Ben Gardner's boat may sadly be no more, the shark still inhabits what has become fondly known as Jaws Lake, but prior to him being a big fish in a small pond (minus Michael), that area of Universal was known as Singapore Lake.

JAWS will be back, after all, along with the likes of (the now gone) King Kong and the Psycho house, the shark at Universal Studios Hollywood has become a familiar and reassuring signature sight (and fright) on the backlot tour.

We'd love to hear your memories and see your photos from your experience of JAWS at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Words by Dean Newman

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