I just saw a documentary on the Bio channel and learned something new that has completely changed my opinion of the movie.

In the movie, Sam Quint (the captain) explains why he has such a hatred of sharks. He was a survivor of the USS Indianapolis sinking.

When I watch movies I guess I do not play too much attention to detail. I do not see discrepancies in story lines or costumes and stuff like that. I have seen the movie a few times (the first time in a theater when it came out) and never paid attention to that part of the story.

It has completely changed my view of the movie. I always saw Quins character as just some pissed off drunk who was blood thirsty and hated sharks. Now, not so much and the fact that he was killed by Jaws in the end takes on an entirely different meaning.

Guess I need to start paying attention a bit more.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

That was horrible, its hard to imagin the terror those guys felt as their friends were taken under water one by one by the sharks. Or they drank seawater and went insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6lVsvhyLbY
You do run into hero's once in awhile, many people don't realize who they are.


I have heard some amazing story's chatting up old guys who look about 80ish, hero's do walk among us.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I remember reading the story someplace. As I recall, the part of the story about them not being reported overdue because of the secrecy of the mission wasn't true. Apparently, it was pretty normal for their exact schedule and location to be unknown.

The use of the USS Indianapolis was something that legitimized Quint's history with sharks and even with all of his experience it still got him in the end. Spielberg likes the unstoppable leviathan character as he admitted that he used the sounds of the truck "dying" in Duel as Jaws is sinking to the ocean floor in silhouette looking up at the ocean surface from the deep.

It is interesting looking through some of the Jaws movie props and shark artifacts that we have at our Planet Shark exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium. The most striking live video we have is a white coming right up to the surface alongside a boat and a guy leisurely pushing on its nose as if he were shooing a fly away. Amazing.

__________________
1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

The US Navy looked for a scapegoat and courtmartialed the Captain.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-2.htm

He was found guilty of failing to zigzag.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-4.htm

Here is a moving account by the ships doctor, Capt. Lewis Haynes, MC, USN of his ordeal and survival.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-5.htm

The Captains recollections.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-7.htm

Capt. McVay eventually comitted suicide. The Congress exonerated him in 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_B._McVay_III

Zigzaging was outdated at that point, the captain of the Japanese sub said he would have gotten them either way.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

True and true. But that didn't do the Captain any good.
Even Admiral Nimitz only wanted a reprimand.

When 800 men die, somebody's head will roll, unless of course, the torpedoes are Israeli. In that case, the Capt. gets the MOH and the crew is told to STFU or else.

I've been reading the book, and had never given much thought to the corrosive effects of immersion in saltwater for days...they say the men had lesions and sores on them, and most of their body hair had fallen out. As is sunburn, dehydration and sharks weren't enough...

__________________
2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

That scene happens to be my favorite. Gives me chills everytime I watch it.

__________________
'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

It's hard to imagine a more harrowing ordeal that you could actually live through. The shark lottery scenario would be hard to deal with, to say the least.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K