🦈 The legend of ‘Joe Jaws’ | Down the Shore

In the summer of ‘75, an American classic ambushed moviegoers. In its wake, 14-year-old Vince Sculli earned a nickname that briefly vaulted him into Wildwoods celebrity.

And a question was splashed across posters, newspapers, and banner ads pulled by piper planes:

“How many times have you seen Jaws?”

Sculli grew up in Yeadon in Delaware County, but spent his summers down the Shore. And he’d spent many days catching disaster flicks at one of the six, mostly single-screen Wildwood movie theaters run by the local Hunt’s chain.

“It was kind of like a babysitter,” said Sculli, now a 63-year-old sales manager at Canon.

In mid-June, he first saw Jaws, a film about a killer shark terrorizing a small beach town over the Fourth of July holiday, at the Blaker on the boardwalk at Cedar Avenue.

“Talk about a perfect setting,” he said. “You’ve got this movie about a shark that attacks a shore town. And then you walk out of the theater after it’s over and you’re right there on the boardwalk, overlooking the ocean.”

He went back the next day, armed with $5 from his mother that covered the tickets, soda, popcorn, and a slice of Mack’s pizza on the walk home. He caught all three showings in his preferred first-row perch in the 600-seat theater.

By the second week of July, he’d seen it about 30 times. The theater workers dubbed him “Joe Jaws.”

Merlin W. Paul, the chain’s manager and publicist, smelled opportunity. He arranged for a reporter from the Wildwood Leader newspaper to interview Sculli during an afternoon showing.

The resulting article circled the island, and a copy was taped to the box-office window. Thereafter, whenever Sculli would get in line, somebody would inevitably hand him the article and ask for an autograph.

“Joe Jaws” was Wildwoods famous.

The theater’s newspaper ads began imploring moviegoers to see the summer hit, “again, and again.”

And by the end of the season, “Joe Jaws” had racked up a total of 68 viewings.

Such an obsession, naturally, raises a few questions:

Like, are you forgetful? Or, you’re at the Jersey Shore, and you’re choosing to spend time inside?

“It was a simpler time,” he said.

There was no internet. Not even a VCR. And the television set only showed three Philly channels (3, 6, and 10), and two New York channels (9 and 11). And storms would typically knock out the signal.

And this wasn’t just any movie. It kicked off the era of the super-profitable, teen-targeted summer lineup. It was the first-ever summer blockbuster.

In 2021, Sculli twice attended a special Independence Day reshowing of the film at the Harbor Square Theatre in Stone Harbor, increasing his in-theater-viewing total to 70.

He saw the 3-D and IMAX rereleases in 2022, raising it to 72.

And two weekends ago, he saw it at friend Scott Hand’s home movie theater in Wildwood Crest, which includes six original Art Deco seats from the old Strand theater that sat on the boardwalk at Maple Avenue. Sculli counts it. That’s 73.

“For most people that grew up around that time,” said Hand, 52, “it’s not summer unless you watch Jaws.”

Throw in VHS, Blu-ray, and television specials, and Sculli’s number climbs to more than 1,000 total views.

And he never gets tired of it?

“Never,” said “Joe Jaws.”

“I can shut the sound off and do all the dialogue,” he said, “from beginning to end.”

📮 How many viewings of Jaws is too many? Are you going to see it this weekend in Stone Harbor? And is there another movie you prefer to watch on the Fourth? Let me know what you think by replying to this email and Amy will include your most interesting responses next week. And remember: Please be our eyes and ears at the Shore! Send us tips or story ideas here, or send them to the Inquirer’s tip line here.

☔ It’s going to be a hot and humid Independence Day, with a chance of showers.

— Tommy Rowan (🐦 Tweet me at @tommyrowan. 📧 Email me here.)

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🏖️ Pack the tent: Now that North Wildwood has replenished its shoreline with 750,000 cubic yards of imported sand, local officials are rolling back the ban on large cabanas, canopies, and tents on the beach.

🏡 Sticker shock: In Longport, a more than 5,000-square-foot oceanfront property that includes a pool and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean is up for sale. The asking price? Nearly $9 million.

🌊 The fate of Bart Blatstein’s water park company won’t be known for another few weeks. His next hearing on the matter, concerning millions in unpaid debts, has been moved back to July 19.

❌ Organizers of the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival have canceled the July 13 event due to poor ticket sales.

🚶Those eerily lifelike sculptures that have been hanging out in Wildwood parks over the last few years have returned for a third summer. Through November, Seward Johnson’s art installation will be on display at Holly Beach Park, J. Byrne Recreation Center, Duck Park, SOLCOW Park, and the 26th and Pacific Avenue Park.

🎆 Happy Fourth of July! Check out this handy guide to the fireworks shows and festive celebrations happening across the region.

👨‍🍳 Following Craig LaBan: Our annual series of Jersey Shore dining guides, prepared by our James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic, are starting to roll out. Part one spans Long Beach Island and Atlantic City — and also skims the mainland coast for unexpected pearls. Dig in.

🎬 Watching movies outdoors at the Shore is underrated. Ocean air, salty breezes, and overpriced ice cream cones coalesce to create the most perfect conditions to take in a summer flick. Only Cape May shows movies on the beach, but Sea Isle utilizes the Band Shell in Excursion Park, and Wildwood hosts at Byrne Plaza.

🍷 Hawk Haven Winery is kicking off the ninth season of its “Rootstock” concert series on July 12 with a performance by Joslyn & The Sweet Compression. The ticketed events are held every Friday night through Aug 30, and extensive wine offerings are supplemented with food truck service and pretty sunset views. For more vino options, check out our extensive guide to the Shore wineries.

Five U.S. presidents have vacationed in Cape May. The first to spend quality summer time in the Victorian seaside resort did so over the Fourth of July. Who was it?

A. Franklin Pierce

B. James Buchanan

C. Ulysses Grant

D. Benjamin Harrison

If you think you know the answer, email us. First one with the correct answer will get a shout-out.

🎉Speaking of which, congrats to Gail Winterbottom, who was first to correctly name the Cove as the popular Brigantine beach that has lost more than 900 square feet of sand.

We set out to make a Fourth-themed Spotify playlist to serve as a soundtrack to one of the best beach days of the year. And we took requests.

We polled stalwarts of those Philly-favored Shore towns strung between Atlantic City and Cape May, and came up with a diverse list of tunes. Here are a few offerings that stood out:

From Beth Schechter: It is 1999, and it’s the Fourth of July. We hop in our car to make the usual frenzied trek from Avalon to Stone Harbor to see the fireworks on the field by the Windrift. I say frenzied because traffic is heavy, parking is sparse and we pull the kids in the wagon with chairs and blankets for blocks. We set up our spot, enjoying the band before the fireworks. Ah, nothing like a summer night with the buzz of playing kids, a live band and a warm breeze floating through the hundreds of families covering the field. As the fireworks come to an end, the usual grand finale ensues. Cheers fill the air. Everyone starts packing up. Suddenly, another round of fireworks! Everyone roars with excitement for the second grand finale! We continue to pack up. Again! Bang! another round of fireworks go off! The cheering and whistling is off the charts for a third grand finale! The excitement of a three round grand finale makes the crazy traffic going home worthwhile. And of course the tradition of it all makes it worthwhile.

📮 Send us your favorite Shore memory or moment for a chance to be featured here. Or tweet it to me or Amy. Remember: By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Well, that’s all I’ve got. Amy’s back from vacation next week, and I have a cooler to pack. So have a great holiday, and I’ll see ya when I see ya. ✌️

— Tommy