Result with the boxoffice of the Teeth of the sea

the Teeth of the sea leaves on the American screens on Friday, June 20, 1975 on a circuit limited 409 screens, which will go up to 464 screens on Friday, July 11, then 675 on Friday, July 27. The film collects $7,061,513 as of its 1st weekend of exploitation in the United States. At this speed, the 12 million dollars of budget is refunded in a few days. One month only after its exit, the film already brought back an about sixty million dollars. With the current of August, the Teeth of the sea is the first film of the history of the cinema has to exceed the course symbolic system of the 100 million dollars of receipts in the United States. At the beginning of September, it approaches the 125 million dollars in the United States. It will finish its career with 260 million dollars on the US market and 210 million in the rest of the world. Currently, it appears in the 56e place of the world historical boxoffice, and even in the 7th place if account of inflation is taken.

Conditions of an announced success

After some projection-test showing the effectiveness of film, Universal includes/understands all the potential of the work of Spielberg and adopts a promotional strategy consequently. Helped by a favorable classification of MPAA, the film is quickly refunded, before reaching then to exceed, for the first time in the history of the cinema, the course of the 100 million dollars. With 470 million dollars collected in the world in end of a career, the Teeth of the sea sweeps at the time all the results with the boxoffice of other films passed, fascinating during 2 years the first place of the world prize list.

Promising previews

Once the film made and assembled by Verna Fields, it is shown in projection deprived with Sidney Sheinberg, general President-director of Music Corporation off America which had at the time Universal Pictures. At the conclusion of projection, it is shown entousiasmé, which reassures the team of turning.

It is decided to make two previews, so as to test the reactions of the public. They will take place every both in March 1975. The 1st projection-test is proposed with Dallas, where the pediment of the cinema takes again simply the cover of the book of Peter benchley. 3000 people make the tail during 3 hours, partly attracted by the reputation of the novel. In front of this success, much of people are driven back at the entry and Universal makes the decision to organize with haste a second meeting at 11 p.m. The 2nd projection-test with place at the Lakewood shopping mall of Long Beach, in the presence of Lew Wasserman, leader of MCA which had repurchased Decca Records in 1962, company which had repurchased itself Universal Studios in 1958. By the play of the crossed participations, Lew Wasserman thus retouvait owner of the studios Universal and it is him which had put at it at the head Sidney Sheinberg, also present this day there. Was finally on the spot Henry Martin, the owner of the distribution at Universal. Two scenes shocks hold the attention of the public during this projection, the appearance of the head of the dead man and the first outline that in Roy Scheider mouth of the shark. The end of film is accompanied by nourished applause. The leaders of Universal are satisfied, obviously the film left to bring back much money to them.

A learnedly arranged success

Initially, Universal had planned an exit targeted of film on approximately 150 cinemas, before going up in power and diffusing the feature film on several hundreds of rooms, once would have functioned with full mode the advertizing promotion and the word of mount. But within sight of the first projections, success to come from film becomes foreseeable. Universal thus re-examines its copy with regard to the distribution of film. Initially, the studio thinks of carrying out a simultaneous exit on 800 screens. The owners fight so much to have the film which another strategy emerges: to reduce the number of rooms while increasing the Profitability. Universal wants to then force the owners to transfer the entirety of the price of the ticket, a first in the United States. Even if the majority of the rooms are remunerated especially on sodas or the popcorn, measurement is badly seen and the owners go up to the crenel, more especially as Universal wants that they take responsibility for their the expenses television commercials on the local chains. The ministry for justice is seized and requires of Universal to increase the number of reels, while being benevolent towards the financial conditions imposed by Universal.

Classification and promotional countryside

Before launching film, remained to be seen which classification was going to be selected by the Motion Picture Association off America (MPAA). Steven Spielberg, thinks and recognizes that its work deserves category NC-17 (prohibition with less than 18 years), thus depriving it of most of the potential public, the teenagers. By precaution, it cuts itself certain scenes, of which end of the first diurnal attack on the beach, when a child is run up against by a shark, which holds in its mouth the head of a man. This three days assumed loss of turning will have two advantages, to still push back the visual appearance of the shark in film and to prevent of a too severe classification.

In a surprising way, it is the classification PG which is retained by the MPAA. Any type of public will be able to thus come to see the film, the accompaniment of the minors by an adult being only recommended because of certain shocking scenes. The final verdict is however surprising when it is seen that two years before, Rollerball of Norman Jewison, film violate certainly, but not much more than the Teeth of the sea , is seen allotting label R. While not being classified Restricted , the film avoided a possible disappointment. Thus, a study on films left in the years 1990 shows that the majority of classified films R do not reach the course of the $100,000,000.

In order to satisfy the MPAA, unless it is not by pure reason marketing, the original poster comprises, bellow on the right, the mention “… MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN” (Teeth of the sea '' can be impressive for pre-teenagers). In the same kind of idea, in the week preceding the exit by film, Universal diffuses pages of “teaching” publicity shelling terrifying statistical on the sharks, be-saying by preoccupations with an information of the public.

As from the 3 days preceding launching by film, Universal makes use of the media to defuse criticisms more dévavorables, like that of Vincent Canby appeared in The NewYork Times and dated June 21st, 1975, the shortly after the exit of film.

Exceptional results with the boxoffice

Starting record

On Friday, June 20, 1975, the Teeth of the sea leaves on 407 rooms to the United States and 55 to Canada. At the end of the week end, Sunday evening thus, the film brought already back $7,061,513, that is to say an average of $17,265 per screen. That can appear little compared to the current record held by Pirates of the Caribbean: The secrecy of the cursed trunk of $135,634,554 (with 4.133 screens, that is to say an average of $32,817 per screen), but it was much for the time. Thus, the Godfather left 3 years before, larger historical success before the teeth of the sea , had it a better average ($50,398 by screen), but of the receipts 23 times less important with $302,393. the Star Wars , film which will beat 2 years later the Teeth of the sea to the boxoffice, is in the same case. Its average by room is higher ($36,150 by screen) but its lower receipts $1,554,475.

At the end of its 2nd week of exploitation (23 June 29th, 1975), the Teeth of the sea brought back $21,116,354 in cumulated. At the end of its 3rd week of exploitation (June 30th - July 6th), the Teeth of the sea brought back $36,954,111 in cumulated. At the end of its 4th week of exploitation (7 July 13rd), the Teeth of the sea brought back $49,516,476 in cumulated. At the end of its 6th week of exploitation (21 July 27th), the Teeth of the sea brought back $69,725,376 in cumulated. To September 5th, 1975, the film already brought back $124,322,872, exceeding for the first time in the history of the cinema the mythical bar of the $100,000,000.

World records with the box office

At the end of the course, the Teeth of the sea brings back 260 million dollars to the United States and 210 in the rest of the world, is a total of 470 million dollars, currently placing film to the 56 E places world boxoffice (see: table n°1 ), even in the 7th place by taking account of inflation (see: table n°2 ). This results places film in front of principal films at the boxoffice which had preceded it, namely the Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972, arisen in 1997) and the Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973, arisen in 2000), with respectively $245,066,411 of world receipts cumulated at May 11th, 1997, including $1,267,490 collected after come out from 1997 and $357,500,000 of cumulated world receipts in January 2004, including $39,661,731 collected after come out from 2000.

the Teeth of the sea will remain year 1st position of the classification to the world boxoffice, until kind Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977, arisen in 1997), renamed in 1997 Star Wars: episode IV - A new hope . The film of George Lucas does much better than that of Steven Spielberg with $775,398,007 of world receipts, including $138,257,865 for arisen in 1997 (Star Wars - Special edition).

With its results largely exceeded since, but exceptional for the time, Steven Spielberg carries out a commercial performance and imposes themselves like an important scenario writer, which the continuation of its career will confirm. To date, the Teeth of the sea is the 7th film of Spielberg having brought back the most money (see: table n°3 ) and the 5th most profitable film for Universal (see: table n°4 ).

Reception of film apart from the United States

The success which the film knew took place only in the United States, 45% of the total revenues having been realized abroad. Nevertheless, it is one of films of Steven Spielberg having had the weakest market share except the United States, just behind the Adventurers of the lost arch , which will obtain 6 years later, 36.9% of these total revenues except the United States. That thus means that if the film is a commercial phenomenon in the United States, it is it a little less abroad.

To date, with 6,261 million entries, the Teeth of the sea constitutes the 4th best result in France for a film of Steven Spielberg, to 1,61 million entries of its record obtained for E.T extraterrestrial the (see: table n°5 ). This result obtained in France for the Teeth of the sea , thus places it very far from the current record of 20.758.887 entries for Titanic in 1997.

Thus, at January 1st, 1980 the Teeth of the sea figure to the 65e place of the French boxoffice, at the 1st 1990 the film is with the 75e place, and in 2006 it does not appear any more in signal 100 of the France boxoffice.

In Sweden, the film attracts 1,3 million spectators and brings back 18.897.000 Swedish crowns, which would currently correspond to approximately 2 million euros. In Germany, 5,88 million spectators comes to see film in rooms, which remains far behind the record in Germany for a film of Spileberg, Jurassic Park with 9,36 million entries, and even more far from the absolute records of the country held by the Book of the Jungle (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967) with 23,6 million entries.

Results of film to the boxoffice given in its context

Comparison with other films left in 1975

Part of the success of the Teeth of the sea comes certainly from the passion from the public from the years 1970 for the films catastrophes, kind to which the teeth of the sea was sometimes attached, wrongly besides. Appearing among greatest business successes, the films of this kind had saved Hollywood of the bankruptcy in the middle of the years 1970. Thus, 1970 to 1975, successively left on the screens Airport (George Seaton, 1970, $100,489,151 of receipts to the É.U.), ( the Adventure of Poséidon (Ronald Neame, 1972, $84,563,118 of receipts to the É.U.), 747 in danger (Smight Jack, 1974), Earthquake (Mark Robson, 1974, $79,666,653 of receipts to the É.U.), or the infernal Tower (John Guillermin and Irwin Allen, 1974, $116,000,000 of receipts to the É.U.)

In 1975, the Teeth of the sea is first of the box American office in front of, in the decreasing order of receipts, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , The Rocky Horror Picture Show , Shampoo and One afternoon of dog . It is even placed far in front of, since it realizes more of the double of receipts than its dolphin, Vol with the top of a nest of cuckoo . It even pulverizes of more than 50 million dollars the preceding historical records of the films the Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972) and the Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973).

On the level of criticisms, if the Teeth of the sea received the unfavourable ones at its exit, the film is regarded nowadays as being major in the history of the cinema. Other films left in 1975, it is one which received better criticisms still, that it is during its launching or now, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest . Moreover it is this film which has raid the most prestigious statuettes of the 48e ceremony of the Oscars of March 29th, 1976, namely better film, realizer, actor, actress and adapted scenario. Another feature film also made better than the Teeth of the sea during this handing-over of price, Barry Lyndon , which set out again with 4 rewards, better artistic director, director of the photography, costumes and film music adapted (see: table n°6).

Comparison with other films left on the topic the sharks

Except the film pioneer Blue Toilets, White Death ( Bleue is the sea, white is death), documentary American of James Lipscomb and Peter Gimbel where a team tracks for 9 months of the images of the Grand white shark throughout the world, of the South Africa while passing by the Indian Ocean and the South Australia, the general public is not accustomed to the stories of sharks in 1975, when arrives on the screens the Teeth of the sea .

After the major success of the book of Peter Benchley, then film which is adapted by it, from many Ersatz will flower the following decades, in the form of documentary, of telefilms or films, leaving sometimes directly in video. In 2006, documentary the The Shark Is Still Working of Erik Hollander, returns on the impact and the heritage let by the Teeth of the sea (see: table n°8 ). Quality is not always with go and sometimes even, work is completely poor. Certain films pass even unperceived, except for some impassioned films on the sharks or amateurs of series Z.

As for films left to the cinema, only Blue Peur of Renny Harlin, left in 1999, meets a certain success. To note that in the 10 following years the Teeth of the sea , three films Italian more or less tried to imitate film of Steven Spielberg, initially in 1981 with Lastly the squalo of Enzo G. Castellari and Shark rosso nell' oceano of Lamberto Bava, then in 1987 with Notte degli squali of Tonino Ricci (see: table n°7 ).

External bonds

• French Boxoffice (since 1945) cine-directors.net .

• Site counting the results with the boxoffice of the films boxofficemojo.com .

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