MovieChat Forums > Jaws (1975) Discussion > Robert Shaw.

Robert Shaw.

posted 7 years ago by highpriestess32
18 replies | jump to latest

Hey, Islanders!

My beloved showed me a Jaws outtake VT a few days ago on YouTube. It was interesting to observe that Robert Shaw was a big drinker and was drunk during several edited & clipped scenes during the Orca "below decks" part of the movie when all three characters were imbibing and swapping their wound stories. So next time we all view it, we are advised to watch for the tell-tale signs - evident when his eyes are bloodshot and glazed then not so much so from other angles.

I'll have to search again for the clip as I think it was on his iPad so won't come up on my PC as watched (I expect there are a ton of links for outtakes).

I was also surprised to see that Shaw was a British actor and died in the Rebublic of Ireland but then I haven't really seen him in much else (not that I am aware of anywoot). He was allegedly often cast as a villain. Any other snippets to share, Islanders? Hope this isn't already well known info. I just found it interesting (I'm clearly not obsessed enough LOL)!

Cheers! 

"These days you have to boil someone before you can sleep with them"

[–] doug65oh 7 years ago

The thing you saw might have been this here, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pVjWQXd4ys

(It’s one of the more famous of the “Making Of…” documentaries where Jaws is concerned.)

It’s been a while since I’ve watched it but I do recall some discussion of the “Indianapolis” scene and the circumstances. The first take Shaw didn’t care for, asked permission to try it a wee bit worse for drink as they say. So they did and (according to either Dreyfuss or Spielberg, I don’t recall which) the result was horrible to say the least. Does the footage exist? Probably. Was it used in the film? I don’t know, but I sincerely doubt it.

Ha! I found it! On the video, seek to just about 1 hour and 5 minutes into the show and let it play through for 6 minutes. That’s where the “meat” of the thing is - discussion of how that scene was developed and constructed, etc.

[–] highpriestess32 7 years ago

Neat and thanks Dough!

Not watched this yet although I do have one doco on my collectors edition DVD. The one my partner showed me was a top ten compilation of Jaws factoids if I recall correctly. However I am always very happy to watch anything related to Jaws. I am going (for now), to forward to that section you mention just to see if I can spot any discrepancies!

"These days you have to boil someone before you can sleep with them"

[–] Sonatine97 7 years ago

I am always of mixed minds when it comes to outtakes and/or "behind the scenes" docs.

Sometimes they can be quite amusing/fascinating to watch, especially the "making of...."; but by the same token it takes some of the specialness away from the film itself.

For example, the story about Shaw being drunk during the Indie scene - it kind of tarnishes his overall performance to now know that he was worse-for-wear during some scenes where I always thought he sparkled.

“When is old news gonna be old news?”
― Arnold Vinick (The West Wing)

[–] Phydeaux50 7 years ago

I heard (or read) that Shaw was drunk for the first take (too drunk- he was drinking most of the time) and it sucked the big one. So he asked to re-shoot while soberer. It may be my imagination, but there is one cut just after the cut to Brody in the middle of the scene (somewhere around 'They didn't even list us overdue for a week', maybe that line) where he is bleary-eyed. I take that as a cut from the original take, due to his demeanour and the unique camera angle compared to the rest of the cut.

Did you know that during the 'game fish' scene, he turns and yells at Hooper and is visibly sick in just that cut, not from alcohol but illness?

🇦🇺 All the little devils are proud of Hell.

[–] redmond-creative 7 years ago

Legend has it that Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss came to genuinely dislike each other during the shoot, much of it having to do with Shaw's drunkenness and Dreyfuss's disdain for that, while Shaw resented Dreyfuss's stage-inspired acting and youth. So in a way, the on-screen conflict between the two of them was borne of off-screen tension.

If you like Shaw and are interested in other films he starred in, check out:

The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 (1974)
The Sting (1973)
A Man for All Seasons (1966)

[–] highpriestess32 7 years ago

Cool, thanks for the info.

"These days you have to boil someone before you can sleep with them"

[–] APDallas 7 years ago

Shaw created tension with Dreyfuss so it would translate to the film. They weren't at odds all the time. On youtube there's a nice clip of Dreyfuss tearing up when he's talking about Shaw.

[–] redmond-creative 7 years ago

Thanks. I checked it out - very cool.

[–] benGsboat 7 years ago

"You have no idea how grand...and large...he was." That gets me every time, especially when it cuts to Shaw's granddaughter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKX0n99hX5U

[–] ncdwbmk6 (77) 3 years ago

He also played a bad guy in From Russia with Love (1963).
He was a good guy in Black Sunday (1977).

[–] PaladinNJ (20308) 3 years ago

Black Sunday

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Say what you will about Shaw being drunk on set. It matters not to me. As far as I am concerned, Robert Shaw delivered what I consider to be the single greatest film monologue in history. To THIS day, I still get goosebumps when Quint tells the Indianapolis story.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20408) 3 years ago

Exactly!!! If someone can name a better one please do. I’d love to see it.

[–] RichardBlaine (303) 3 years ago

Yep, I'm racking my brains and I can't come up with a better monologue.

[–] yatzo376 (7440) 3 years ago

Word!

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

He was great

[–] ProFromDover (272) 2 years ago

Singing "Spanish ladies" was his second time in "Jaws." The first:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NzCkr54LAA

[–] mikethemartian (6055) 2 years ago

One of my earliest movie theater memories is From Russia With Love when his character fights Bond on a train.