FILM · 1977 · ITALY
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26 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (26)
- #001
The production team spent about $1 million on a full-scale replica of a giant octopus that sank immediately when placed in the water.
- #002
Henry Fonda shot his scenes in a single day. Fonda had just been fitted with a pacemaker and could not do anything too strenuous; all of his scenes are quite static, with him mostly talking on the phone.
- #003
The film's distributor provided theaters with a promotional poster listing several facts about octopuses, including the fact that they can reach lengths of over 38 feet from arm to arm.
- #004
The octopus that the Orcas "killed" in the finale was a real octopus. However, it had been bought from a local market and was already dead.
- #005
Although the film was entirely an Italian production, it was shot in California.
- #006
John Huston and Shelley Winters do not appear after the 1:15 mark, even though they were still alive. They are absent from the final 25 minutes of the film.
- #007
The trailer was narrated by Percy Rodrigues. The film was sold as an alternative version of Jaws, and including Rodrigues, who was famous for narrating all of the Jaws trailers, was part of that campaign.
- #008
Actor Yul Brynner was initially set to star in the film but was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict. According to the show business trade paper Variety, he was reported to be unable to perform because of a prior commitment to a stage tour.
- #009
At one point Shelley Winters's character mentions that her second husband is Italian. Winters's first husband was Vittorio Gassman.
- #010
Veteran actor John Houseman was initially announced to appear in the film but withdrew from the project before principal photography.
- #011
According to a news article published in the April 28, 1976 issue of the show business trade paper Variety, the name "Oliver Hellman" was a pseudonym given to Italian producer Ovidio G. Assonitis for directing this feature film. As a result, Ovidio Assonitis was credited as Oliver Hellman as director and as Ovidio Assonitis as producer.
- #012
The tourist resort town on the beach was called "Solana Beach." It is a real-life beach town in San Diego, California.
- #013
The music composer, billed as S. W., was Stelvio Cipriani. Cipriani turned most of his theme from La polizia sta a guardare (1973) into the film's main music theme.
- #014
The film's production budget was $5 million, and according to an article published in the July 13, 1976 issue of the show business trade paper Daily Variety, the scenes in Italy were shot by Nestore Ungaro.
- #015
Shelley Winters was nearly 57 years old when the film was shot and was probably too old to be the mother of a young child.
- #016
Cesare Danova, who played John Corey, had his voice dubbed by another actor, Pino Locchi. Since Danova spoke fluent English, there must be another reason for this dubbing.
- #017
According to Ovidio G. Assonitis, his first choice for the lead was John Wayne, but after Assonitis met him at his home in Texas, he realized the actor was too ill to play the role. Wayne would die of cancer in June 1979.
- #018
In Japan the film was advertised as being presented in "Tremble Sound," but no such gimmick appears to have been attempted for the film anywhere else.
- #019
In the middle of the film there is a great long evening shot at the harbor entrance (about 2:50 minutes long), with many people watching the returning fishing boats, ending on Bo Hopkins in his yellow jacket with a cigarette. Stelvio Cipriani's great surreal music piece "She'll Never Come Back" plays, and there is no other sound from the film.
- #020
The $5 entry fee for the children's yacht race would equal $22.21 in 2022 when adjusted for inflation.
- #021
Three Oscar winners appear in the film: Henry Fonda, Shelley Winters and John Huston. However, the latter won his Oscars for directing and screenwriting, not for acting.
- #022
Actor Henry Fonda received a 'special appearance' credit.
- #023
Bo Hopkins, whose role references Jaws, plays a blend of both Robert Shaw's and Richard Dreyfuss's characters: a wise, experienced hunter combined with a gentle scientist. Claude Akins plays a police officer, but the central character of Chief Brody is absent. John Huston is probably the lead until Bo goes out hunting. Finally, Henry Fonda's assistant Caesar Danova takes on the role of the Mayor of Amity, since he is blamed for what happens (endangering people through his own shortcuts).
- #024
The film is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. The cover is a greenish painting featuring many characters, including whales. The disc's main cover is the film's most striking poster: the black-covered circle in which Bo's wife is devoured. The second cover shows the same girl but with very different artwork.
- #025
Actors Henry Fonda and Shelley Winters both appeared in City on Fire (1979) about a few years later.
- #026
Actors John Huston and Shelley Winters both appeared in another Italian film, The Visitor (1979) (aka 'Stridulum'), about a few years later.
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