Half a century later, the legendary monster shark resurfaces—but was he ever really gone?

Fifty years ago this summer, one of Hollywood’s most iconic monsters swam into popular culture, and changed the way people view the ocean—and movies—forever. Odds are good that a few beachgoers up and down the coasts will invoke the unforgettable soundtrack at least once every July and August, and you might even hear that ominous sawing dunnn… dun… dun dun dun in a swimming pool, it’s so ingrained in the collective popular consciousness. In a true testament to Steven Spielberg’s directing chops, the shark appears on screen for only four minutes in the original 1975 film, but Jaws has captivated audiences and imaginations for five decades. The movie opened on June 20th that year, and critics have called it the first summer blockbuster, the one that set production and release schedules ever since. (Although the May 1977 release of Star Wars would cement this phenomenon.) Jaws took such a massive bite of Hollywood kismet, it’s a wonder that it spawned only three sequels, and that studios aren’t flooded with loglines such as: The top lifeguard on Martha’s Vineyard must take matters into her own hands when, during a 50th anniversary celebration of the movie Jaws, a real-life shark attacks, slaying a couple on honeymoon in Edgartown—and the bodycount has only just begun.

While no fins are currently slicing the surface of Hollywood’s waters, Martha’s Vineyard is rolling out the red carpet for a Jaws extravaganza, beginning with a free screening of the documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing...