Two famous notes scared the world. People have become more vigilant sighting fins in the water ever since a score of shark attacks struck Amity Island one fictional summer. “Jaws” continues to captivate the imagination and fear of audiences everywhere. 

The legacy of “Jaws” stretches from the box office to the beach. Even today, certain boat sightings of great white sharks may usher someone to say one of the movie’s most famous line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Audiences everywhere remember seeing the famous great white shark appear and Chief Martin Brody’s (Roy Scheider) ashen face piercing the screen. 

However, it is a wonder “Jaws” ever made its way to the big screen in the first place. In the National Geographic’s documentary “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” it is revealed that the movie struggled during production. The movie almost didn’t hit theaters, but Steven Spielberg, along with the rest of the movie crew, persisted.  

“The film I thought would end my career,” Spielberg said in the documentary, “is the film that began it.” 

The movie was a blockbuster. It revolutionized horror films. Even though shark attacks are nothing new, attack stories enrapture audiences. Ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) delivers the haunting — but true — story of the USS Indianapolis in the film as a survivor. The ship was torpedoed after delivering the atomic bomb, leaving the crew vulnerable in shark-infested waters. “So, 1,100 men went in the water, 316 men came out,” Quint said. “The sharks took the rest.” 

Such shark attack stories detailed in “Jaws” instigate fear in audiences — so much so that some went out to hunt sharks following the movie’s premier. The movie has also had the opposite effect, boosting awareness of shark conservation over the years. Now, there are shark shows, such as Discovery’s “Shark Week” and National Geographic’s “SharkFest,” that educate audiences about recent shark research, shark behavior, shark attack survival skills and the shark diet, which does not include people.  

Even though “Jaws” has stimulated both fascination for and fear of sharks, the movie teaches lessons of courage and civic responsibility. Even when summer comes to an end, “Jaws” keeps audiences afraid to go to the beach.