In the realm of sequels, Jaws 2 remains surprisingly decisive. While some adore the more slasher-based direction the picture took, others feel that it didn’t need to exist at all. But, while some cite it as the film that ultimately led to an abysmal franchise, even the most jaded fans will admit that the follow-up has its merits, such as Roy Scheider’s begrudging, but more unhinged performance as Chief Brody, and John William’s more sophisticated score. However, the movie isn’t just a lighter version of what came before, as it included one of the most horrific and heartbreaking kills in Jaws history, thanks to the death of Marge (Martha Swatek). However, how graphic the teen’s demise is depends on who you ask. While most audiences are familiar with the version that exists on streaming and home media, there are many who swear that Marge’s demise has a much gorier alternate cut. But is it true? Collider is here with the answers.
Marge’s Death is One of ‘Jaws 2’s Most Intense Moments

Though a serviceable sequel, Jaws 2 is nowhere near as good as the Steven Spielberg classic. While the picture was, at one point, meant to have a much darker tone thanks to the events of the first movie, it was meticulously toned down as Universal wanted a movie more in the same vein as the original. Additionally, the film experienced a slight genre shift, moving away from the deep sea adventure themes of Jaws and more toward a traditional horror film. Indeed, we don’t get a deep, nuanced monologue in the follow-up to match the iconic USS Indianapolis sequence, nor are we treated to an effectively psychological opening à la Chrissy Watkins (Susan Backlinie). From the beginning, Jaws 2 is set up to feel more at home in the slasher genre more than anything else. We get glimpses of the shark almost immediately, followed by increasingly more brazen and bloody attacks. However, Marge’s death is a gem among the film’s other kills.

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In an effort to save Sean Brody (Marc Gilpin) from the approaching shark, Marge helps him on top of her capsized boat, but struggles to get up herself. There is an absolutely terrifying shot of the shark preparing to breach the surface, before the camera cuts away, and shows it approaching Marge from behind. We see the shark thrash around, as the sound of bones crushing as the camera cuts to various teens in the group, screaming in horror. It is absolutely one of the most effective moments in the film, as, much like the Spielberg classic, our imagination does much of the work thanks to the clues set up. However, many around the world swear that there was a much darker cut of the scene that left little to the mind’s eye.
Audiences Remember Marge’s Death More Graphically

The False Memory Phenomenon is one of the most fascinating marvels mankind can experience. From art to logos and even films, the phenomenon’s effect on our collective memories continues to captivate us. In the case of Jaws 2, Marge’s death is one of the most interesting commercial examples of the occurrence. According to the Daily Jaws, the idea began in Ireland, where many audiences seemed to remember a much gorier ending to Marge’s arc. Somewhat similar to the infamous banana boat scene in Jaws: The Revenge, many swore that there was a cut of the film that featured Marge in the jaws of the monstrous villain. Per Daily Jaws, the people of Ireland swore that the cut was aired on RTE when the film made its television debut. While such a graphic end would certainly leave an impression, the cut had never been included on any of the various Jaws 2 home media releases, many of which boast copious bonus features. As it turns out, such a sequence never existed.

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The Daily Jaws interviewed several creatives involved in the project, from producer and production designer Joe Alves to Gilpin and Swatek, all of whom denied that they even discussed such an idea, let alone filmed it. When the publication interviewed director Jeannot Szwarc, the film’s leader set the record straight. Not only did they never film such a stunt, the animatronic shark and Swatek were at least ten feet away from each other during the time of filming. Szwarc did say that a fan somewhere attempted to create the sequence, but it was obviously faked as the clip went from the actual footage of the shark approaching to a homemade shot with a shark that the director said, “looked about as much like a great white shark as I do.” There were claims made that Universal’s original director for the project, John D. Hancock, filmed Marge’s death before being let go from the project, and that the footage was added back in from his work. However, Hancock only ever worked on the film while production was in Martha’s Vineyard, and all of the footage of the teens on the water, including Marge’s death, were filmed when the production moved to Florida. So, why do so many people seem to remember this?
The Memory of Marge’s Death Just Shows How Well the Scene Was Shot

Image via Universal

As previously mentioned, Marge’s death is one of the most effective sequences in the Jaws franchise. While we can point to anything specific that would explain the phenomenon, the idea that Marge’s death was more graphic than it is speaks to how well the sequence was shot. Sure, Jaws 2 is largely a teen slasher, but there’s such a stunning precision that comes with Marge’s death that plays with each of our senses. There’s the visual of the shark breaking water, the horrific sound effects and quick camera work, the crunching sounds of each bite. It’s hard to deny that this is the best scene in the movie. And, as such, it makes sense that people would remember it being more graphic than it actually is. After all, that was one of the driving factors that made the first film such a huge hit. Indeed, the cardinal rule applies here in the same way it did for Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock with Psycho: The greatest horror stems from what we don’t see. For more than four decades now, the nature of Marge’s death has been debated by Jaws fans. While some swear to this day that her demise was far more graphic than what streaming and Blu-ray will show you, it appears that the horrific image of Marge in the shark’s jaws is nothing more than False Memory Phenomenon. It speaks to how well the scene was shot, and, to this day, remains a sequence that lingers at the back of our minds, just when we thought it was safe to go back into the water.

Jaws 2

Release Date

June 16, 1978

Runtime

116 Minutes

Director

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers

Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, Howard Sackler