Susan Backlinie, the first victim of 'Jaws', dies aged 77
Susan Backlinie, the first victim of 'Jaws', dies aged 77
This unknown actress made her mark in 1974 when she played the first victim of the white shark in the film "Jaws", a major hit by first-time director, Steven Spielberg.
On a hot summer's night on a Californian beach, Chrissie and her boyfriend want nothing more than to go skinny dipping. Chrissie undresses and jumps into the water. The young man, tipsy, is unable to remove his trousers to join her in the water. Chrissie is already swimming away. Something brushes against her. Once, twice... She panics. It comes back and bites her. Chrissie struggles, screams... but an invisible monster drags her inexorably towards the bottom...
The actress who performs this deadly swim, a momentous scene in film history, is Susan Backlinie. She was the very first victim of the white shark, the real star of the film "Jaws". She died on 11 May, aged 77.
Susan Backlinie was born on 1 September 1946 in Florida. A keen swimmer from an early age, she won local competitions before playing the mermaid on duty at an amusement park. After graduating in accountancy, she preferred to work as a stuntwoman, specialising in dangerous aquatic scenes. That's why she found herself hired on the set of the first film by a promising young director... a certain Steven Spielberg.
The famous scene took three nights to shoot, with the stuntwoman wearing a harness with cables pulled violently to simulate a shark attack.
Over the last few days, tributes have been pouring in from the "Jaws" fan community, saddened by her death. Susan Backlinie died at home of a heart attack. She was 77 years old.
The average life expectancy of a white shark is rarely more than 60 years…
(LpR with DC/Picture : Adil Schindler via Pexels)
Be sure to read all our articles on MSN by subscribing to our content. Click on 'follow', next to our logo above.