Universal Studios Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood Part 2 of 3 (1989)
112Studio Tour highlights (part 2 of 3) from Universal Studios Tour VHS - The Holiday Video Library - American Adventure Series (1989).
Part 1 - https://youtu.be/pElmp8CiCM8
Part 3 - https://youtu.be/ZmjkOovHTdM
Jaws first opened on April 10, 1976 on the banks of the former Singapore Lake, following the release of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 smash-hit film, Jaws is still the signature attraction of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood.
It’s a Disneyland-inspired animatronic attraction that originally featured very little of the shark (like in the movie) and a lot of the sets including the actual ORCA. Later visitors would be dropped off at the Visitor Entertainment Center where they could take a picture with an exact replica of Bruce the shark.
The attraction has evolved over the years, with the most noticeable differences being the design of the shark, and George the fisherman becoming George the diver.
In mid-2010, the hydraulic mechanism that tilts the tram towards the water (when the dock is ‘dragged’ by the shark) has finally been put out of service. The tram now stays rigidly upright and the entrance and exit to the tilting dock have now been sealed in concrete, so it’s unlikely the tilting dock will return any time soon.
Jaws Shark Mark I (1976 – 1978) is remembered as ‘Carrot Tooth’. According to Jaws Production Designer Joe Alves ‘Carrot Tooth’ came out of a meeting in which the studio execs wanted a shark with long teeth ‘like the poster’. It was more goofy than scary. Its giant teeth resembled icicles from the doomed avalanche attraction more than killer shark teeth.
The body of the attraction shark is actually struck from the Bruce sea-sled mold used in the movie. Look closely and you will see that the bottom is missing. This same body is still in use today. The head is a caricatured resculpt of Bruce with less pronounced jowls. Bob Mattey was embarrassed by the jowls of the movie shark so these were toned down while an improved mouth was created which allowed for greater water scooping. This cartoon head would only exist on the Mark I fish.
There were two color schemes for this fish. The first version was green with a pale blue belly. The second was bluer on top with an off-white belly. The shark also leaped out of the water at a higher angle than subsequent sharks.
George the Fisherman (1976 – 2000) [voiced by former Universal Studios Hollywood Technical and Design Services (Sound & Video) employee, Guy Martin]
Before the police boat & diver who falls victim to Jaws’ first attack, the victim was a very different visitor to Amity.
Jaws Shark Mark II (1978 – 1980) with the release of ‘JAWS 2’ in 1978, the attraction shark was changed to look like the new movie shark. This second shark lost it’s carrot-like teeth and gained even more fake-looking teeth. The head was widened and his eyes were made completely black. Since 1980 there have been numerous repaints and various dentures put in to replace the silly version that first appeared.
The Orca (1976 – 1996) after the film wrapped, the studio sold off nearly everything from the film, as they had no faith it would turn a profit. The boat was purchased by a special-effects technician. After the film was released and became a huge box-office success, the studio approached the former tech and purchased the boat back from him for use at Universal Studios Hollywood. This is the original Orca, the boat used during all the major scenes requiring a moving, floating boat. The Orca was on display in the Amity lagoon for all to watch and admire as the tram pulled away from the JAWS attack. Over time, the boat was neglected and forgotten. The pond wasn’t that deep and when the wood rotted the boat sank in the shallow water, which flooded the lower cabin where the bunks/head was and the engine room. In 1996 Universal apparently tried lifting the Orca out with a harness and the hull was so rotted that the boat simply broke in half. There’s a story that a certain Steven Spielberg used to sneak into the park when he was working on the lot, and have his lunch sitting in the hull of the Orca, I guess as a way of keeping in contact with a physical relic of the movie that made his name in Hollywood. (Here it is - https://youtu.be/adHq0plTjd0?t=209)
Ben Gardner’s Boat (1976 – 2005) featured in the scene in which Richard Dreyfuss went underwater to look for the missing fisherman when suddenly Ben’s head appears! Ben Gardner’s Boat was one of the first things you saw on your right as you entered Amity Island. In 1981 the boat was re-painted white and so lost its original blue color as seen in the film.
© 1989 Finley Holiday Films
Posted for entertainment and educational purposes only.
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