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The massive, ravenous shark in "Jaws" began chomping its way across movie screens — and into pop culture history — 50 years ago on June 20. It became the first summer blockbuster in 1975 and made Martha’s Vineyard, where it was filmed, a “Jaws” tourism destination.
The movie’s production left indelible bite marks on historian, film writer and super fan Bow Van Riper. He was just a kid when Steven Spielberg’s crew brought movie-making magic and mayhem to the Vineyard in the summer of 1974. Van Riper was delighted to take a drive down memory lane for the big anniversary.
“Going on this tour is a chance to remember what it was like 50 years ago,” he said as he buckled in. “Hollywood came to town and turned the island up upside down for the better part of a summer. You couldn't turn around without running into a blocked off street, or semi trucks parked along the beach, or people building or unbuilding some set related to the movie."
