Jaws 2 (1978)

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Peter Benchley (characters)
Carl Gottlieb (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

Plot:

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

Plot Keywords:

Shark | Island | Police Chief | Beach | Mayor

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Police Chief Martin Brody
Lorraine Gary	...	Ellen Brody
Murray Hamilton	...	Mayor Larry Vaughn
Joseph Mascolo	...	Len Peterson
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Deputy Jeff Hendricks
Collin Wilcox Paxton	...	Dr. Lureen Elkins (as Collin Wilcox)
Ann Dusenberry	...	Tina Wilcox
Mark Gruner	...	Michael 'Mike' Brody
Barry Coe	...	Tom Andrews
Susan French	...	Grace Witherspoon - Old Lady
Gary Springer	...	Andy Nicholas
Donna Wilkes	...	Jackie Peters
Gary Dubin	...	Eddie Marchand
John Dukakis	...	Paul 'Polo' Loman
G. Thomas Dunlop	...	Timmy Weldon
David Elliott	...	Larry Vaughn Jr.
Marc Gilpin	...	Sean Brody
Keith Gordon	...	Doug Fetterman
Cindy Grover	...	Lucy (as Cynthia Grover)
Ben Marley	...	Patrick
Martha Swatek	...	Marge
Billy Van Zandt	...	Bob
Gigi Vorgan	...	Brooke Peters
Jerry M. Baxter	...	Helicopter Pilot
Jean Coulter	...	Diane - Ski Boat Driver
Daphne Dibble	...	Swimmer #1
Christine Freeman	...	Terri - Water Skier
April Gilpin	...	Renee
William Griffith	...	Lifeguard
Gregory Harris	...	Diver #2 (as Greg Harris)
Coll Red McLean	...	Red - 'Old Man of the Sea'
Susan O. McMillan	...	Girl Sailor
David Owsley	...	Boy Sailor
Allan L. Paddack	...	Crosby
Oneida Rollins	...	Ambulance Driver
Frank James Sparks	...	Diver #1 (as Frank Sparks)
Thomas A. Stewart	...	Sparky - Assistant Dive Master
David Tintle	...	Swimmer #2
Jim Wilson	...	Swimmer with Child
Kathy Wilson	...	Mrs. Bryant
Herb Muller	...	Phil Fogarty
Fritzi Jane Courtney	...	Mrs. Taft - Select Woman (as Jane Courtney)
Alfred Wilde	...	Harry Wiseman - Select Man #1 (as Al Wilde)
Cyprian R. Dube	...	Mr. Posner - Select Man #2 (as Cyprien 'Phil' Dube)
Mary A. Gaffney	...	Mrs. Silvera
Bill Green	...	Irate 'Dancing' Man (as William 'Bill' Green)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Buck	...	Irate 'Letterbox' Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeannot Szwarc

Writing credits
Peter Benchley		(characters)
Carl Gottlieb		(written by) and
Howard Sackler		(written by)

Produced by
Joe Alves	....	associate producer
David Brown	....	producer
Richard D. Zanuck	....	producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Michael C. Butler		(director of photography) (as Michael Butler)

Film Editing by
Steve Potter
Arthur Schmidt
Neil Travis

Production Design by
Joe Alves

Art Direction by
W. Stewart Campbell
Gene Johnson

Set Decoration by
Phil Abramson		(as Philip Abramson)

Costume Design by
Bill Jobe

Makeup Department
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist (as Bob Jiras)
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phil Leto)
Rick Sharp	....	makeup artist
Ron Snyder	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bill Badalato	....	unit production manager
Tom Joyner	....	production manager
Tony LaMarca	....	unit production manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Alves	....	second unit director
Katy Emde	....	second assistant director (as Kathy Marie Emde)
Scott Maitland	....	first assistant director
Beau Marks	....	second assistant director
Wilbur Mosier	....	assistant director: second unit
Don Zepfel	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gary Seybert	....	property master

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as Jim Alexander)
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound recordist
James Troutman	....	sound effects editor (as Jim Troutman)
George E. Marshall Jr.	....	sound utility (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Arbogast	....	special mechanical effects
Robert A. Mattey	....	special mechanical effects
Kevin Pike	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Eddie Surkin	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Stunts
Ted Grossman	....	stunt coordinator
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jean Coulter	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Knowles	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Greg Le Duc	....	water stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John L. Black	....	key grip (as John Black)
David L. Butler	....	camera operator: second unit (as David Butler)
Michael Dugan	....	underwater camera operator
John Fleckenstein	....	camera operator
Michael McGowan	....	camera operator: second unit
Ron Taylor	....	live shark photography
Valerie Taylor	....	live shark photography
Donald M. Wolak	....	gaffer (as Don Wolak)
Pat Campea Jr.	....	second key grip (uncredited)
Joe Kelly	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Sol Negrin	....	cinematographer: re-shoots (uncredited)

Casting Department
Liz Keigley	....	location casting
Shari Rhodes	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurann Cordero	....	wardrobe: women
Gilbert Loe	....	wardrobe: men (as Gil Loe)

Editorial Department
Freeman A. Davies	....	assistant film editor (as Freeman Davies Jr.)
Michael T. Elias	....	assistant film editor
Robert Hernandez	....	assistant film editor
Sherrie Sanet Jacobson	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Stephen A. Hope	....	music editor
John Neal	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Phillip Martin	....	boat driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Al Ebner	....	unit publicist
Bob Forrest	....	script supervisor
Philip Kingry	....	marine coordinator
Donald MacDonald	....	production assistant
Esther Vivante	....	script supervisor: second unit
Fred Zendar	....	technical advisor (as Manfred Zendar)
Raechel Donahue	....	voice talent (uncredited)
Gene Starzenski	....	set paramedic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MCA Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• AXN (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2001) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Norway:15 (DVD) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | USA:PG (certificate #25237) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Chappaquiddick Island, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The camera operator used a cowboy saddle to be on top of the shark in a few scenes.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the lighthouse sequence, underwater shots of the attacking great white shark are actually stock footage of a black tip shark. This is obvious, as you could imagine, from the black tip markings on the visible dorsal and pectoral fins. It is a smaller and less aggressive shark than the great white.

Quotes:

Martin Brody: I think we've got another shark problem.
Mayor Larry Vaughn: Are you serious?
Martin Brody: You bet I'm serious.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Los bingueros (1979)

Slow To Get Started, But Then Has Some Bite

No, this wasn't as good as the original, but it wasn't bad, either. In fairness, the audiences knew what to expect in this one and had already been shocked by the killer Great White Shark. Thus, it was no way audiences were going to react to the sequel as they did the first Jaws movie.

It didn't have Steven Spielberg directing, but it did have the same locale with same principal characters on "Amity:" mainly Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), his wife Ellen (Lorraine Gary) and Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) so one didn't feel as if this was a completely new film. There was continuity to it, and we have the same problem (a big shark eating people). The main difference is that it is just a few years after the first horrifying incidents.

This story mainly involves Chief Brody's teenage kids and their friends. Overall, the film moves a little slowly the first hour, but picks up dramatically in the second half. In fact, it turns out quite intense, just like the first film. The main mistake the filmmakers made - which they wouldn't do today, was that it was too slow for too long. That, and the fact that the area residents apparently had a short memory; unrealistically short.

Anyway, the shark looks more realistic.....and if you can hang in there, you'll be rewarded with some good escapist entertainment in the second hour.