What caused many breakdowns?

Salt water damaged the machinery

How did the failures improve the film?

The shark was hidden more, building suspense

It turned the film into a comedy

Bruce the Shark Quiz: How Jaws' Mechanical Shark Kept Failing

This Bruce the shark quiz goes behind the scenes of Jaws, the 1975 thriller whose mechanical star kept breaking. Play 10 interactive questions on why the shark was named Bruce, the effects artist who built it, sharks made for different angles, salt water failures off Martha's Vineyard, a shoot that ran far over schedule, John Williams' two-note theme and the bigger boat line.

Start Bruce the Shark Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Film
Which film starred the mechanical shark Bruce?
Director
Who directed Jaws?
Name
Whom was Bruce named after?
Builder
Which effects artist designed the shark?
Count
How many full mechanical sharks were built for different angles?
Problem
What caused many breakdowns?
Place
Where was Jaws mostly filmed?
Effect
How did the failures improve the film?
Music
Who wrote the famous two-note theme?
Line
Which line is spoken after the shark first rises behind the boat?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which film starred the mechanical shark Bruce?
Answer: Jaws
It was released in 1975.
Q2: Who directed Jaws?
Answer: Steven Spielberg
He was in his twenties.
Q3: Whom was Bruce named after?
Answer: Spielberg's lawyer
His name was Bruce Ramer.
Q4: Which effects artist designed the shark?
Answer: Bob Mattey
He built the giant squid for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Q5: How many full mechanical sharks were built for different angles?
Answer: Three
Some were built for left or right sides.
Q6: What caused many breakdowns?
Answer: Salt water damaged the machinery
It was first tested in fresh water.
Q7: Where was Jaws mostly filmed?
Answer: Martha's Vineyard
It played Amity Island.
Q8: How did the failures improve the film?
Answer: The shark was hidden more, building suspense
Barrels hinted at the shark instead.
Q9: Who wrote the famous two-note theme?
Answer: John Williams
It signals the shark approaching.
Q10: Which line is spoken after the shark first rises behind the boat?
Answer: You're gonna need a bigger boat
Roy Scheider says it.

The Shark That Kept Breaking

For Jaws, released in 1975, Steven Spielberg needed a great white shark that could attack on cue. Effects artist Bob Mattey, who had built the giant squid for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, designed three full pneumatic sharks, including versions built for left or right side views. The crew nicknamed the shark Bruce after Spielberg's lawyer.

The sharks were tested in fresh water, but in the salt water off Martha's Vineyard their machinery corroded and failed. The shoot ran far longer than the planned schedule, and Spielberg feared his career was over.

The breakdowns forced him to hide the shark, using yellow barrels and point-of-view shots, which made the film far scarier. John Williams' simple two-note theme signaled the unseen threat. When Bruce finally rises behind Chief Brody, Roy Scheider delivers the line you're gonna need a bigger boat.

What This Quiz Teaches

Movie fans will enjoy these questions.

Who built the shark
Why it was named Bruce
Why it kept failing
How failures helped
Which scenes are famous

Did You Know?

A shark cast from the original mold is in a Los Angeles museum.
Jaws became the first summer blockbuster.
Bruce's skin was made of neoprene.
Robert Shaw played the shark hunter Quint.
Peter Benchley wrote the novel.