Get out of the Water

MARTHA'S VINEYARD CELEBRATES JAWS' 30TH BIRTHDAY

Thirty years ago on June 20, Jaws, the great white whale (O.K., shark), started scaring people out of the water and into the theaters—$260 million worth of people at last count. The movie made Steven Spielberg a household name, and, ironically, island tourism tripled.

The film was shot in 1974 on Martha's Vineyard—locals were paid $26 to run across the beach screaming. This summer, the island celebrates "Jaws Fest" the weekend of June 3—5 with 23 former cast and crew members. There will even be a replica of Bruce, the troublesome "shark" of the original production. "We've never had a problem with a shark here," said a spokeswoman for the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, "except a mechanical one."

JOHN ANDERSON