Listen to Jaws Island, a podcast from WBUR, to explore why, after five decades, “Jaws” continues to sink its teeth into audiences and refuses to let go.
"Jaws" is full of notable, quotable characters. From the grizzled shark hunter Quint to the beleaguered police chief, Martin Brody, or even the boy on the yellow raft who meets an untimely fate, the movie's figures stick with you.
But one key character was present in every scene: the island itself.
Martha's Vineyard played host to the cast and crew of "Jaws" in 1974, providing the idyllic setting of the film's Amity Island.
The movie's production designer, Joe Alves, said the island ticked many of the boxes he needed for production: small tide, a bay with a low depth. But it was the look of the towns that put it on the top of his list.
