Spielberg's anxiety between Duel and Jaws
In 1975, nobody could've predicted how important Spielberg would be.
A June 21, 1975, Washington Post article captured a legendary moment in cinematic history. It may seem unbelievable now, but at the time, the Post sought to introduce the reading public to Steven Spielberg. A man now so inextricably linked to moviegoing was then a relative newcomer. He'd just released Jaws, and the journalist, Tom Zito, found Spielberg awaiting box office totals for his film's opening weekend.
This is a Spielberg that didn't quite yet have the world on a string. But later that summer, Jaws would grow to be one of the most significant movies in memory and would truly define the summer blockbuster.
At the time, though, Spielberg only had two movies under his belt, Jaws and the previous year's Sugarland Express, which hadn't yet broken even, financially. As such, the Spielberg featured in the Washington Post article was "caged in a limbo of anxiety." Would Jaws connect with its audience, paying off its big-budget gamble?
Spielberg had one sure-fire credit to his name: Duel. Anyone who'd seen the 1971 television movie could agree that the director knew how to pack suspense and character depth into each frame. However, it was "made-for-TV," a distinction that still to this day feels like a negative qualifier.
Although he was still only on the brink of true superstardom, Spielberg was already becoming a magnet for Los Angeles moviemaking wannabes.
"They say to me, 'Kid, you're young! You're hot! Don't be self-destructive. Keep working hard.' But what they're really saying is, 'Make my movie.' All the talk in this city is 'me me me!' It's a weird place to be.
"I had a guy walk in my office, sit Olympic swimming champion Mark Spitz down on that couch, and play a tape recording of why I ought to use him in a movie."
In those days, his humble office still sat between those belonging to filmmakers William Friedkin and George Roy Hill. While those peers were incredible artists in their own right, Spielberg's success would soon dwarf their efforts.
"If this picture makes money," said Spielberg, "I have a chance at getting a suite of offices. I'm going to let Universal know that I consider an inferior office an indication that they consider me an inferior director."
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