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| Photo by Merle Paul, Hunt's Theaters |
The second project completed by then-28-year-old director Steven Spielberg, it became the first movie to gross over $100 million at the box office. In fact, it accomplished that feat by the end of the Summer of 1975.
The tale of a killer shark terrorizing a small resort town sent moviegoers into a frenzy, nationwide. But in the beach towns of the Wildwoods along the southern New Jersey coast, the story resonated in a unique way.
It also helped create an unlikely local celebrity out of a 14-year-old kid from Yeadon, Pennsylvania named Vincent Sculli. It was at the old Blaker Theater (Atlantic & Cedar) that Sculli held court, often catching all three showings of the film on a particular day.
Sculli, who came to be known as "Joe Jaws," saw the film nearly 70 times before the summer was over. Now a sales manager in Bala Cynwood, PA, happily married with children, he reflects on that crazy summer, three and a half decades ago...
Al Alven: First off, Vince, thanks for taking the time out to talk about your experience with Jaws and the Summer of 1975. I've been looking forward to this.
Vincent Sculli: It's my pleasure. It was a special time, one filled with so many memories. It was another era and things were a little different then. I was a 14-year-old kid who became a local celebrity. It's hard to believe that it all happened 35 years ago. Makes me feel old!
AA: Lets go back to the very beginning. Tell me about the origin of Joe Jaws and how it all came about.
VS: It's funny, because I wasn't overly excited about Jaws prior to seeing it. I was a big fan of disaster movies like the Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno, which was a huge hit the year before Jaws came out. I was enamored with Towering Inferno, which had Steve McQueen, Paul Newman... just a great cast. I saw it every opportunity I got. One memory is seeing it at the Shore Twin in Wildwood during a weekend trip in February of 1975. It was a packed house.
AA: Wow, in February?
VS: Yeah, that's how things were in those days. Even during the winter, Hunt's Theaters did great business, and the Shore and Casino were open year round. Because Towering Inferno was so popular and I was so into it, I had counted upon that carrying over into the the summer that year. But, that didn't happen. I was really disappointed that it wasn't playing at the Blaker Theater, when I got down to Wildwood for the summer. So, this movie called Jaws is the new premier attraction. It comes in with incredible hype, but my attitude at first is, well, it isn't Towering Inferno.
AA: How quickly did your attitude toward Jaws change?
VS: Oh, it took no time at all (laughs). First time I saw it. You know the scene where Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) is investigating Ben Gardner's boat and the head pops out? The whole theater screamed and I was practically climbing under my seat. From that point, I was completely hooked. I became obsessed with Jaws and forgot all about Towering Inferno. There were usually, I think, three showings daily at the Blaker - one in the afternoon and two in the evening (1:30, 7:00, and 10:00 p.m.). I was there for every one, first in line, front row on the end of the aisle. I memorized the whole thing, every line; could recite the movie frontwards and backwards.
AA: What was it about Jaws that enthralled you, specifically?
VS: I don't think I can say that it was any one thing, but I guess it was the whole experience. I loved the movie, first and foremost. And I was definitely not alone in that. Being in Wildwood, with the setting of the beach and the ocean right there, it gave the story an added dimension. That famous John Williams score, I think everyone in Wildwood was humming it all summer long.
AA: It wouldn't have been the same without the music.
VS: Definitely not. It added the tension, that sense that you didn't know what was around the corner. It built the anticipation perfectly. I still get chills down my spine when I hear it. But, getting back to your question, I think what fascinated me most about Jaws, the reason I was so into it, was a combination of everything about the movie and all of the excitement around it. Everyone just went crazy over it and it was a really fun time. Being a part of that scene was amazing.
AA: And you became a huge part of that scene at the Blaker. Part of the attraction, actually...
VS: Yeah, before long the ushers began to see me as a regular, being there for every show. I got to know all of the theater employees very well and they treated me like family. One day, one of the ushers called me "Joe," and soon they all began referring to me as "Joe Jaws." I was tall for my age, and wore a bright orange shirt with the Jaws logo on the front, and a bucket hat. So, I had a pretty distinctive look. People began to recognize me. And things really took off after I was featured in the Wildwood Leader.
AA: How were you approached for the article?
VS: Actually, Merle Paul, the general manager of Hunt's Theatres and the Hunts' publicist, got in touch with the Leader and suggested they send someone over to interview me. I was fine with it, so long as it didn't interfere or disrupt my routine. So, the reporter (Gary Cummings) had to interview me while I sat in my front row seat, as the movie played. He asked me questions and I'd answer, but I never took my eyes off the screen. I wasn't going to miss a second of it.
AA: According to the Leader story, you had seen Jaws almost 30 times to that point.
VS: Right. And I had the ticket stubs from every showing. I was really dedicated to it.
AA: Is it safe to say that if the reporter had asked to do the interview in the lobby, while the movie was being played, all bets would have been off?
VS: Absolutely. I would have refused to do it. Before or after the movie, fine. But nothing was going to keep me from my usual seat while it was being played. No way.
AA: How did you perceive the situation at the time? Here you are at 14, having the time of your life, and the local newspaper sends someone out to talk to you, essentially on your own terms. You must have felt like a pretty big deal.
VS: In some ways, sure. But, really, I didn't think all that much about it. I had become such a Jaws fanatic, and for me, it was all about the movie. I loved being Joe Jaws, I really liked the recognition. But, again, the best thing was just being a part of it all. When I think about it, my primary concern in life then was making sure I got out to see every showing of Jaws. I didn't have bills to worry about, or any of that stuff. I was just having so much fun, being at the Blaker every day that summer.
To be continued...
Coming up in Part 2: Sculli discusses how things changed for him after the Leader story was published, whether or not there were any negatives to being Joe Jaws, going on to work for the Hunts, and more.
(Skip ahead to Part 2 & Part 3)
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