JAWS

In 1975, Steven Spielberg made us all paranoid on the beaches with the first big summer blockbuster, JAWS.  Ideal was the big game producer at the time and they came out with the JAWS action game in early 1976.   It was a pretty simple design, one big gray shark, a hinged jaw and a hook.   Twelve game pieces were included and the goal was to fish the pieces out of his belly without touching the jaw and upsetting the big boy.  His jaw mechanism worked with two rubber bands, one on each side.  Basically, you bump the jaw and the rubber bands snap the jaw closed. 

Unlike the movie, this shark was not very terrifying.  He does not move nor does he show preference for good looking women. However, if the rubber bands were still in good shape, the jaw made a loud pop that made me jump when I was little.    

Nice touch adding a hole in the head of the skull.  Hoffa?

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