'Jaws' actor attends Chatham screening as part of film festival

Jaws actor Jeff Voorhees, who played shark victim Alex Kintner in the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic, was on hand for a screening of the film at the Chatham Capitol Theatre on Thursday. (Trevor Terfloth/The Daily News)

by Trevor Terfloth

Nearly five decades ago, a cinematic classic – recognizable by two famous notes – surfaced on movie screens across the globe. On Thursday, fans of that same film had a chance to see it at the Chatham Capitol Theatre, with a special guest in attendance.

Jaws actor Jeff Voorhees, who played young shark attack victim Alex Kintner in the 1975 Steven Spielberg movie, was on hand for a question-and-answer session. “People get nervous every time they hear ‘duh-nuh,'” the Massachusetts native told the gathering. The film was shot mostly on location in the cold waters at Martha’s Vineyard.

Voorhees recalled working with a 27-year-old Spielberg in the quest to get the perfect scene, and described the mechanical great white shark, as well as other special effects. In his short but memorable role, Voorhees’ claim to fame was riding an inflatable raft at a busy summer beach town, only to meet his untimely demise. This set off widespread panic in the community, with a bounty placed on the shark.

The thrashing in the water was basically “two guys lifting me up and down,” he said.

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