When a Favorite Turns Up ….. You Just Gotta Go
In my corner of the world it isn’t every day that I can stroll down to a local theater and see a classic from the past. I fondly recall looking at the monthly schedule for the Egyptian theater this past April at the TCM Festival in Hollywood and having my jaw hit the concrete when I had a look at what was playing in the month ahead. Titles like The Dirty Dozen and The Wild Bunch jumped off the page.
Sadly that just doesn’t happen in my area.
Which brings us to a rare opportunity. More often than I can recall, people ask me what is my favorite all time flick. I could easily name a dozen or so titles including a title with that word “dozen” in it. When pushed to really narrow the field it’s The Dirty Dozen and the title below that come to the forefront for yours truly.
Perhaps the local Apollo Cinema would like to borrow my original 1975 rerelease one sheet for this momentous occasion. Just in case anyone has forgot what terror was like……
More to follow on revisiting this “must be seen on the big screen” classic.
Care to pipe in on a favorite scene or memory of this Spielberg thriller that changed the course of film history and how they are marketed?
Time to cue the iconic musical theme from composer John Williams.
“Y’all know me. Know how I earn a livin’. I’ll catch this bird for you, but it ain’t gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down the pond chasin’ bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow you whole. Little shakin’, little tenderizin’, an’ down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that’ll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin’ basis. But it’s not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I’ll find him for three, but I’ll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you’ve gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don’t want no volunteers, I don’t want no mates, there’s just too many captains on this island. $10,000 for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.”
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Excellent movie, but what is burned into my brain is the soundtrack, and not just the ominous cellos that play the signature tones when the shark is about to attack. One summer, while a college kid on break, I worked at Cedar Point Amusement Park, off the coast of Lake Erie, as an usherette at the Dolphin Show, and one week a month we usherettes had to work a stint in the adjoining aquarium, where the Jaws soundtrack played all day, 9 am to 11 pm, 7 days a week. Got to know it very well!!!
A job like that can burn the lyric into your brain! It’s also a very rousing and adventurous score when the trio head out to sea.
I think the dialogue that gets me everytime is Quint’s account of the Indianapolis during WWII, and of course, Brody’s comment that they’re gonna need a bigger boat.
The story of the Indianapolis is the high point of the film and Shaw nails it. His finest moment on screen in an all too short career.
Third best exchange in the film:
Quint: [seeing Hooper’s equipment] What are you? Some kind of half-assed astronaut?
[examines the shark cage]
Quint: Jesus H. Christ, when I was a boy, every little squirt wanted to be a harpooner or a sword fisherman. What d’ya have there – a portable shower or a monkey cage?
Hooper: Anti-Shark cage.
Quint: Anti-shark cage. You go inside the cage?
[Hooper nods]
Quint: Cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark’s in the water. Our shark.
Quint [sings]: Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we’ve received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.
Practically anything uttered by Shaw is noteworthy and repeatable. Anytime you read Shaw’s lines you can’t help but conjure up that crusty delivery short tempered delivery of his. As much as I like Sterling Hayden, it’s a good thing he turned the role down.
Heading to the Egyptian Theater on Friday night to see this film. As you can see by my avatar, this movie means a lot at our house.
Just like my post! Must be nice to go over there and heck out the monthly sched. Have fun. I will.