Opening scene secrets

Jaws' opening scene – in which a woman is suddenly pulled beneath the waves by the terrifying shark – is one of the most famous sequences in Hollywood history, though the making of the scene wasn't particularly intricate.

Actress Susan Backlinie had cables attached to her legs, and the production team would aggressively yank her under the water to achieve the desired effect.

In an effort to ensure she looked suitably shocked, Steven Spielberg didn’t tell Backlinie when she was going to be pulled under the waves.

The sequence took three days to complete.