Jeannot Szwarc, Director of Jaws 2 and Night Gallery, Dies at 85

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85-year-old filmmaker Jean Shwarc, who directed ‘Jaws 2’ and 19 episodes of ‘Night Gallery,’ passed away recently. He was known for his work in French cinema.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, actress Jane Seymour, known for her role alongside Christopher Reeve in the 1980 time-travel romantic film “Somewhere in Time” directed by Szwarc, announced the news.

Today, we bid farewell to an exceptional visionary, she penned down. Jeannot Szwarc was more than just a gifted director; he was also a compassionate and benevolent individual. He bestowed upon us numerous classic tales, among them Somewhere in Time, a movie that left an indelible mark on my life. May his spirit continue to inspire us, and may his creative genius linger in our hearts eternally.

As a devoted admirer who had the honor of portraying Amity Island Deputy Leonard Hendricks in the iconic film Jaws, I, Jeffrey Kramer, echoed my heartfelt tribute to the exceptional Jeannott Szwarc on Instagram. My post read: “Rest In Peace, my dear friend JEANNOT SZWARC. One of the most gifted and talented individuals I was fortunate enough to know.

Jeannot Szwarc’s life and career

1939 saw the birth of Szwarc in Paris on November 21st, following which he spent his childhood years in Argentina before eventually moving to the United States. There, he obtained a Master’s Degree in political science from Harvard University. His cinematic journey began in his homeland France, where he worked for a production company that produced commercials and documentaries. (This version is adapted from IMDb.)

His experiences prepared him for a future in the American television industry, where Szwarc directed numerous shows such as Ironside, Marcus Welby M.D., Kojak, Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, and Rod Serling’s post-Twilight Zone anthology series, Night Gallery. Notably, he directed 19 episodes of Night Gallery, including one of its most chilling segments: “The Caterpillar.

In 1973, Szwarc ventured into full-length movies with the release of “Extreme Close-Up“, which was followed by “Bug” in 1975 and notably, “Jaws 2“. Although Steven Spielberg declined it, the 1978 sequel featured a reunion of several crew members from the original “Jaws“, including lead actors Roy Scheider (as Police Chief Martin Brody), Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), Murray Hamilton (Mayor Larry Vaughn), Jeffrey Kramer (Deputy Hendricks), screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, and composer John Williams.

In the end, Szwarc stepped in at the last moment as a substitute for John D. Hancock, whose ominous perspective on the project had left the studio feeling uneasy.

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In an interview from 1978, Szwarc explained that since the script was finalized and the actors were chosen, their only option was to streamline the story by removing three characters and shifting focus towards the second half of the movie. He simplified the narrative because he knew the intricacy would be detrimental. To maintain a classic Hitchcockian suspense, Szwarc focused on basic elements, and added a lot of shots from the shark’s perspective to make viewers experience the shark’s feelings. They even constructed a unique underwater camera setup for this purpose.

Szwarc’s filmography expanded to include “Somewhere in Time” (1980), “Enigma” (1982), and “Supergirl” (1984) over the course of his career.

He worked as a television director until 2019, accumulating credits for shows such as Ally McBeal, CSI: Miami, JAG, Boston Legal, Heroes, Smallville, Supernatural, Fringe, Almost Human, Scandal, Castle, Bones, Designated Survivor, and Grey’s Anatomy.

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2025-01-17 23:01