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Ted Grossman (Stunt Co-ordinator)
Ted Grossman was Jaws’ stunt co-ordinator and has the distinction of being a member of the exclusive club of people killed by Bruce. Grossman is billed in the movie as ‘Estuary Victim’, the smart-alec sap who shouts sailing instructions to Brody’s kid, then gets attacked by the shark (above), his severed leg floating to the bottom of the ocean (this is one of Jaws’ most famous continuity gaffs: in the boat, he is barefoot; as his leg drops down it boasts a running shoe). Spielberg originally envisioned the scene differently with Grossman in the shark’s mouth heading towards Brody’s son and scooping him up to get him out of harm’s way. “I was in this bucket seat strapped into it,” recalled Grossman. “The shark fin was behind me on a sled. I had the kid in my arms and was going to take him underwater and then the sled went underwater. It was so horrendous, that they couldn’t use it. It was too violent period.” Grossman’s heroics also ran off-screen: he was the poor sod responsible for bringing a 900lb dead tiger shark (to hang in the Amity dock) from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard. Grossman went onto become a constant presence throughout Spielberg’s career turning up in Raiders (Peruvian Porter), E.T. (Government Agent), The Goonies (FBI man), Always (Fisherman No.2), Last Crusade (Deputy Sheriff) and Crystal Skull (reprising the role of Peruvian Porter).
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