Susan Backlinie
Susan Jane Backlinie (born September 1, 1946) is a former actress and stuntwoman.[1] She is known for her role as Chrissie Watkins, the first shark victim in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster Jaws (1975).[2]
Susan Backlinie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Susan Jane Backlinie September 1, 1946 |
| Occupation | Actress, stuntwoman |
| Years active | 1973–1981 |
Notable work | Christine "Chrissie" Watkins in Peter Benchley's Jaws (1975) |
| Spouse(s) | Harvey Swindall (1995–present) Monty Cox (?–?) |
Personal life
Along with being a stuntwoman specializing in swimming work, she was also an animal trainer.[2] She currently works as a computer accountant in her home of Ventura, California.
Career
Backlinie's appearance in Jaws took three days to shoot, with Backlinie strapped into a harness while the crew struggled to get the desired effects.[3] Backlinie also appeared in Spielberg's film 1941 parodying her role in Jaws.[2] Instead of being attacked by a shark during a midnight swim, she's "picked up" by the periscope of a Japanese submarine.[4] The scene has been described as the best joke in what is otherwise widely considered one of Spielberg's least successful films.[5] Backlinie also appeared in the 1977 film Day of the Animals, regarded by some as a Jaws clone about nature gone bad.[6]
When Jaws co-star Richard Dreyfuss saw a daily of her performance of being attacked by the shark, he told her it absolutely terrified him.[7]
Contrary to rumor, Backlinie’s startled reaction and screams of anguish were not due to her being injured by the harness that yanked her back and forth in the water. However, she was attached to a line that was anchored to the ocean floor beneath her, and she was intentionally not warned when she would be first pulled underwater. This helped provoke a more genuine expression of surprise from her initially - but the remainder of her performance was her own as an actress. [8]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Jaws | Chrissie Watkins | |
| The Grizzly and the Treasure | Eve | ||
| 1976 | A Stranger in My Forest | unknown | |
| Two-Minute Warning | Pretty blonde woman in crowd | (uncredited) | |
| 1977 | Day of the Animals | Mandy Young | |
| 1979 | 1941 | Polar Bear Woman | |
| 1981 | The Great Muppet Caper | Charkie's Water Ballet Performer | |
| 1984 | Terror in the Aisles | Chrissie Watkins | (uncredited) |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | The Quest | Girl in Brawl | (1 episode) |
| 1978 | Quark | Guard #1 | (2 episodes) |
| 1982 | The Fall Guy | Tammy | (1 episode) |
Other
She appeared in her own pictorial ("The Lady and the Lion") in the January 1973 issue of Penthouse magazine. This was more than a year before she submitted a nude photo of herself to the "Jaws" production executive who brought her to Spielberg's attention for the role of Chrissie. She also appeared nude in the Feb 1977 issue of Mayfair (Susan Backlinie - The nude from 'Jaws', Mayfair vol. 12, issue 2, pages 40-43)
References
- "Susan Backlinie Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- Tom Russo, "'Jaws': Shark tale still has plenty of bite", The Boston Globe, August 4, 2012.
- Andrews, Nigel (1999). Nigel Andrews on Jaws: A Bloomsbury Movie Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 45. ISBN 978-1582340425.
- Fischer, Dennis (2000). Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895-1998. McFarland & Company. p. 557. ISBN 978-0786460915.
- Brode, Douglas (2000). The Films of Steven Spielberg. Citadel Press. pp. 84–86. ISBN 978-0806519517.
- Gambin, Lee (4 March 2018). "Feeling the Fury of Mother Nature: Andrew Stevens Remembers Day of the Animals (1977)". Diabolique Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- Sturrock, Staci (20 June 2015). "'Jaws' first victim: She went to Forest Hill High!". My Palm Beach Post. GateHouse Media, LLC. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- Osborne, Hannah (31 May 2015). "Jaws 40th Anniversary: 40 facts about Spielberg's infamous shark movie and Great Whites". International Business Times. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
