The Jaws Log: Third Edition

by Carl Gottlieb, Peter Benchley (Introduction)

Winner of three Oscars® and the highest grossing film of its time, Jaws was a phenomenon, and this is the only book on how 26-year-old Steven Spielberg transformed Peter Benchley's #1 best-selling novel into the classic film it became. Hired by Spielberg as a screenwriter to work with him on the set while the movie was being made, Carl Gottlieb, an actor and writer, was there throughout the production that starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. After filming was over, with Spielberg's cooperation, Gottlieb chronicled the extraordinary year-long adventure in The Jaws Log , which was first published in 1975, generating 17 printings and selling more than 2 million copies. This new edition includes a photo section, a new introduction by Benchley, and a lengthy afterword by Gottlieb that updates the people and events involved in the film, ultimately providing a singular portrait of a famous movie and inspired moviemaking in process.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, History, Memoir, Biography, Jaws

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best movies of all time. Finally have my hands on this. Been on the wishlist forever - but it's now available on Unlimited as well.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This updated version of the making of Speilberg's superb film Jaws is a great piece of nostalgia for me. I last read the original version when I was at school in the late 1970s, so understandably I remember very little of it except that it was a good read.
This was one of the first real "making of a movie" books, long before all those endless documentaries you find on blurays these days. The only other one I remember reading when I was still at school was Roger Moore's book on the making of Live & Let Die.
The Jaws Log is a great read & discusses how the film was made from every area possible. Like the film itself it really stands the test of time.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Coos Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que lo que más me interesa destacar de este libro es que es ideal para quienes hayan amado "Jaws" o "Tiburón" con su vida, como es mi caso. Extrañamente, mi amor por los tiburones nació a partir del día en el que vi la película. Años atrás, mi temor por estas criaturas era tan enorme como un Megalodón (ni siquiera era capaz de meterme a la pileta en la noche por temor a la indeseable visita de un escualo, se los juro), pero con el tiempo empecé a entender muchas cosas sobre estos hermosos animales, y "Jaws" terminó por darle broche de oro a la cuestión. Sé que sonará raro, pero es que la película me impactó tanto que nunca más volví a ver a los tiburones de la misma forma. Tanto vigor, tanta voracidad, tanta monstruosidad y persistencia en una sola criatura... Normalmente uno espera que luego de ver a un tiburón gigantesco que come a quien se atreva a entrar a su territorio, sea motivo de temor a dichos animales, o incluso a sumergirse al agua. A mí me pasó al revés.

Y naturalmente, mi interés por la película y por los tiburones en general fue creciendo cada día más, y cuando me encontré con este libro me prometí leerlo un verano, cerca del agua. Estas vacaciones me lo traje conmigo y amé la experiencia al 100%. Lo único que quizá deba advertir al respecto es que es un libro exclusivamente técnico de cine, una crónica sobre cómo se realizó la película, los elementos que se utilizaron, los desperfectos en el tiburón mecánico, entre otras curiosidades de esa índole. Quizá lo recomendaría más para amantes del cine o de Tiburón en específico.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a MUST read for any "Jaws" fan.
Full of many interesting facts,photo's and things that you would never have realised went on when filming this classic film.
Extremely well written and put together.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page from start to finish.
When you read about the 3 "Bruces"(you will have to read it to find out who Bruce is) you will be utterly amazed!!(Well I was!!)
I thought reading this might have spoilt my memories of this fantastic film that I first watched in 1975 when I was only 10 years old...But it didn't, it only added to them by far,making me realise just what lengths the people behind making this film went to to bring us "JAWS" one awesome movie,one of the best of all time.
10 out 10 from me!

[Jeff Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this kind of book, written from the viewpoint of someone who was actually there, and in this instance the actor and scriptwriter Carl Gottlieb. Like Bob Balaban's reflection on the making of Close Encounters, which I heartily recommend, this is a film that I really, deeply love. As I child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's of course I loved Star Wars and later Raiders, but it was these two films that had the larger, and more long term impact.

Back to the review. This is a really interesting book, as much for the insight into all the other details that are part of the making of a film. We may know the tales of drunken actors on set, or affairs between stars but this book really delves into the detail - the locals stealing the props and equipment overnight, the massive delays caused by sailing boats in the background of shots on the sea, the logistics of moving a 12ft Tiger Shark from Miami to Martha's Vineyard...

It also gives a good insight into those early moments of obtaining the rights to a, then, unpublished book, choosing a director and crew, working the script into something resembling a shooting script, getting the actors you want, and what to do when you can't (let alone the stars who wanted in - Charlton Heston as Brody anyone??). The detail is here, written from a direct source right up to the point when the film was handed over to the Studio as finished.

And this is where it gets really interesting because the book was written before the release and the subsequent notes written 25 years later, tell you, to some relevant degree, what happened next. They knew that the film was good, but had no idea as to what it would become. The best example I can offer on this is the USS Indianapolis speech - barely mentioned in the text, it has it's own section in the notes because they had no idea how iconic this speech would become. Also, I would say it wraps up any argument about who wrote it...

So overall I enjoyed this book, because I love the film. If you do too then you should read it. If you don't but have an interest in cinema then it's worth looking as an understanding of how films were made before our digital age.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, the title does not refer to a ginormous shark turd, although Steven Spielberg and his cohorts worried that their trouble-plagued production of Jaws was crap and might possibly lay a big shark turd at the box office. The results proved otherwise, and this book is one of the choicest examples of its type: a spirited behind-the-scenes "making-of" account about the vagaries of movie production. I remember quite well how much I enjoyed reading this more than 30 years ago, on the heels of seeing the movie--no mean feat in itself because it took a lot of pleading to get my parents to allow me to see it (I generally was not allowed at that tender age to see R-rated monster movies; "too scary; might give you nightmares," and such). So, of course, when we saw the movie, it was my dad--and not me--who nearly jumped to the ceiling when the corpse head popped out of the sunken boat.

[Justin Gerber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essential…if you haven’t read about and watched Jaws a lot for decades.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hablar de ‘El diario de Tiburón’, lo es de una detallada pero amena, sin pelos en la lengua a la par que diestra y sui gerenis narrativa acerca del pre, in y post confección del aclamado, genial y ya clásico film.

El autor de la obra y guionista reclamado por Spielberg para rescatar un primer guion algo fallido en visualización y puesta en imagen, Carl Gottlieb (actor y profuso escritor de shows de TV), describe con frescura, descaro y cierta socarronería, los devenires de lo que resultó ser un rodaje algo tormentoso, que se alargó en el tiempo y presupuesto debido a las inclemencias climáticas y de la zona, sus problemas técnicos, de filmación, obras, reglamentos y población local. Pero sobre todo ello, muestra el entusiasmo y determinación, pese a las dificultades, de un equipo totalmente involucrado en la causa (con un joven, con chispa y aún entusiasta Spielberg a la cabeza) que se obstinó en sacar adelante un film en el que creían firmemente; mediante el rodaje a pie de ‘cañón’, realizado con mimo y artesanía (mediante el montaje diario, la corrección y añadiduras del guion, entre otros).
Pese a ello, hay cabida para las anécdotas, los líos y algunas que otras escenitas de personal contratado, con sus más y menos. De su escrito trasluce la intensidad del grupo de rodaje, que vivieron codo a codo, sacando lo mejor, pero también lo peor en una situación casi de reclusión isleña, debido a la exigencia natural de la finalización de la película y del ambiente familiar (en un principio divertido), repleto de veladas ebrio- filosóficas, impregnadas de la esencia del rodaje diario, que acaban por colapsar mentalmente a mencionados individuos; sin excepción.
Los más exigentes y puristas en lo referente a lenguaje cinematográfico, no crean que deben pasar por alto la obra (a tenor de lo mencionado), ya que no se decepcionarán pues a través ella, Gottlieb detalla cada paso pormenorizado de pre y post producción, incluyendo descripciones sobre los oficios y tareas precisas en ello, con sus denominaciones y lo que implican.

Así que, es una obra muy recomendable, por ofrecer una visión de primera mano, fresca, engañosamente simple pero detallada, peculiar y honesta de lo que supuso la creación de la legendaria película de asesinos marinos, top uno de Blockbusters.

[Jim Rugg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after rewatching Jaws recently. It's a movie I fell in love with as a kid and continue to enjoy whenever I see it. The Jaws Log is by one of the writers of the screenplay and actor in the movie, Carl Gottlieb. He worked on the movie from early in the process until its release. This book is a record of his experience. The making of Jaws and the struggles behind it are legendary. This book covers those experiences, the high-expectations the studios had for the adaptation of a very popular book, the mechanical shark and reality behind movie making and special effects, man vs nature, etc... There are a few moments that reveal some of Spielberg's ideas and decisions - like referring to the movie as an "adventure" story when it was time to create the musical score. Overall, it's an easy read and a fun way to add to one's love and appreciation of Jaws.

[Laura Buechler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about a great movie. The making of Jaws has become a famous story, and Gottlieb does an excellent job of taking us right behind the scenes and giving us enough movie-making context to understand the technicalities discussed. It's fun to read about how the producers originally thought they could just hire an animal trainer to teach a great white shark the needed stunts; it's eye-opening to understand how much this movie changed movie-making (not to mention swimming habits) for decades to come. A great read!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third time I've read this, because it's always called the 'definitive' account of making Jaws, and all I have wanted most of my life is to think about Jaws. This time, I've also just read, listened to and watched pretty much everything else there is on the same subject, so can now confirm that it definitely is the definitive account. Look forward to reading it again some day

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book documenting the making of my favourite film, by one who was there.

[Campbell Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must for fans of Jaws, Spielberg scholars, readers of movie literature.

[Iulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all my excitement, this took me months to finish and I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t the writing’s fault. Such an interesting story and yet it felt dull and heavy most of the time. Since the content itself has its merits, 4/5

[James Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun, Goldman-esque but relating to only one movie - Jaws, of course. There´s plenty here for anyone interested in the movie, Spielberg, or Universal and the studio system in the early seventies. Of course, it was Jaws which launched the whole summer blockbuster syndrome which continues to this day and it´s fascinating to see just how controlled and planned the whole thing was - from before Benchley´s novel was even published. The fun, of course, was in how out of control everything got when it came to trying to film the 'third act' of the picture on the open sea with 'Bruce', the Orca and a (sinking) raft of actors and crew.
Meticulous, entertaining and informative.
And easy to digest in one sitting.

[Jeff Kalac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, being a rabid fan of the original novel as well as Steven Spielberg's film. As a former film student, I loved the examination of the film-making process. The inventiveness which had to be put into play in order to push against the obstacles of time, budget, and constantly-malfunctioning special effects is a true testament to the talent involved in making "Jaws," and explains why this film has become such a success. Fans of this film never seem to get enough information about its creation, and this is an insider's peek that is as entertaining as it is insightful. I highly recommend it!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a work program and really enjoyed the behind the scenes stories from the writing of the novel all the way through the wrapping of the film. The original book was written shortly after the movie debuted and this is the 25th anniversary edition, so I appreciated the updated footnotes. On the other hand, the book is still pretty out of date. Still, you literally feel like you are in the middle of the action during the filming of the movie.

[Douglas Castagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book, though much of it was covered in the extras on the Jaws film and the subsequent documentaries of the movies. Nice insights and details that may not have been covered like how they got Shaw for the part and other little tidbits. Good companion to the film.

[David Keep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic treat

When Jaws came out i saw it multiple times at the movies and read this book even more. There is a nostalgic delight here even if the book is more anecdotal than technical

[DonJohn80 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen multiple documentaries (probably based on this book) and listened to an entire podcast series (probably based on this book) and thought I pretty much knew it all, but I kept finding new things in here.

[Spencer Vale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest book about filmmaking about the greatest movie of all time

[Mmmbacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many consider this the best ‘making of books of all time. I can see why...

[Craig McQuinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never seen it.

[Sean Carlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the days of supplemental pseudo-documentaries on DVD and Blu-ray, there were, much like movie novelizations, making-of books. But it was rare to get one written by someone actually associated with the production itself, certainly someone so intimately involved as Carl Gottlieb, co-screenwriter of and supporting actor in Jaws.

The Jaws Log was first published shortly after the release of the movie, so the recollections are still fresh and often quite candid. And this thirtieth-anniversary edition contains updated footnote annotations with yet more of Gottlieb's firsthand observations and insights, these through the prism of time and perspective. So, it's the best of both worlds.

The information in this behind-the-scenes account will be less insightful to first-time readers in 2022 (the time of this writing), as the troubled production of Jaws has been exhaustively chronicled elsewhere in the nearly half-century since its initial release, and even the "insider practices" of Hollywood that Gottlieb illumines are now quite commonly known to general audiences in the Digital Age of on-demand information (and even many of those are now outdated, given how seismically Hollywood's business practices have shifted since that time).

As such, The Jaws Log remains an entertaining read -- and still worth it for Jaws fanatics -- but for aspiring filmmakers, there's far more raw inspiration to be found in Robert Rodríguez's indie-cinema bible Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player (studied here), which details the making of El Mariachi (1993). More of an outsider's account of the filmmaking process than Gottlieb's "Hollywood insider" text, Rodriguez has a lot to teach us about what it means to be creative -- and how to best practice creativity.

Reading The Jaws Log, in fact, I couldn't help but wonder how Rodriguez, whose lean-and-mean DIY style was a consciously calculated response to the wasteful/bloated business practices of Hollywood, might've gone about meeting the constant technical challenges the production of Jaws presented. I wouldn't mind getting a new edition of The Jaws Log with his marginalia!

[Meg Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s got drama, it’s got purpose, and most importantly it’s got technical information on how movies are made!

I always wondered how movies could rack up insanely high expenses, how filming and editing could take so long, and how it required so many staff to make a movie. This book puts all that in perspective. It was a fun read that gives a birds eye view of the movie-making process, from an initial book all the way through production. There’s inter-personal drama, budget mishaps, shooting and location difficulties; I was always interested to see what the next chapter would hold.

Ultimately, I think I’m missing some of the context for the book. There were references I didn’t understand, big names (I assume) which I did not know, and terminology I was unfamiliar with. However, this book presented things in a way that was still enjoyable for a movie-novice such as myself!

[John DiConsiglio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially an on-set diary, “Jaws Log” is kinda toothless. Gottlieb was the principle screenwriter on the classic flick (prickly Peter Benchley would disagree) & an industry insider. So he swims heavily into dealmaking, location-scouting & the logistics & lunacy of filming on the water with a 30-foot mechanical shark. (Everything sinks—cameras, crafts, actors.) But he’s short on juicy gossip—maybe to keep from alienating movie pals. (Amity, as you know, means friendship.) There are more fun stories to be told about Robert Shaw’s drunkenness, Richard Dreyfuss’ girl-chasing & boy-genius Spielberg’s arrogance. But you’re gonna need a bigger book.

[Tim Oldakowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read about the production of a film. It really shows you what an arduous process filmmaking can be and how so, so many people are involved, how so many decisions have to be made, and that there are a lot of egos and conflicts to endure. But it also shows how if you have a vision, you can make a great film!

[Keelin Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this little book! Recommended by my dad (we love a little free library find) so we finally watched Jaws together and this was a wonderful insight into the moviemaking industry. Also the author had a great sense of humor and I loved his nonchalant writing style

[Rory C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greatest book about film-making? It might not even be the greatest book about the making of Jaws.

Enjoyable reading and definitely a landmark book for behind the scenes insights into movies.

Now go see the movie!