Susan Backlinie
Susan Backlinie (born Susan Jane Swindall on 1 September 1946 in Ventura, California, passed away at the age of 77 on 11 May 2024) is a former actress, animal trainer and stuntwoman who specialized in swimming work. She is known for her role as Chrissie Watkins, the first victim in Steven Spielberg's 1975 movie blockbuster Jaws. She appeared in The Lady and the Lion pictorial in the January 1973 issue of Penthouse Magazine.
She was an excellent swimmer in her teenage years and later became a professional swimmer at Florida's long running Paradise Mermaid Follies show.
Contents
Scene from Jaws
Originally, the shot in Jaws of the shark attack where Backlinie, playing Chrissie Watkins, was killed was shot several times over the course of 3 days. The final shot was produced when Backlinie was not told when she would be attacked. When the diver below her grabbed onto, and pulled her leg to pull her under, she gave a genuine scared reaction that remained in the final movie edit. There were two 300-pound weights attached to Backlinie that were being tugged by two groups of crewmen on shore. One group would pull right, and the other would pull left in order to create the iconic death scene. Later, when she was recording the screams to be dubbed over the film, Spielberg had her tilt her head back and poured water down her throat while she screamed.
In the movie when the remains of Chrissie Watkins were examined, the tissue damage indicates the non-frenzied feeding of a large squalus is described by oceanographer Matt Hooper. Squalus is Latin for shark. On the beach when Chrissie's remains are discovered, the prop arm that was originally used looked too fake in the scene so director Steven Spielberg had a female crew member buried in the sand with only her arm exposed.
Jaws Opening Scene
Making Of Jaws
Film and Television Career
1975 Jaws as Christine Chrissie Watkins
1975 The Grizzly and the Treasure as Eve
1976 Grizzly Victim
1976 Two-Minute Warning as pretty blonde woman in crowd
1977 Day of the Animals as Mandy Young
1979 1941 as Polar Bear Woman
1981 The Great Muppet Caper as Charkie's Water Ballet Performer
1988 A Stranger in My Forest
1976 The Quest (TV) as Girl in Brawl
1978 Quark as Guard #1 for 2 episodes
External links
- Susan Backlinie, the Most Watched Open Water Swimmer In History, Passes Away
- Jaws Illustrator Roger Kastel Passes Away
- Summer Shoes For Ocean Swimmers
- What Was The Most Impactful Open Water Swim In World History?
- The Making Of Iconic Film Scenes
- Susan Backlinie at the Internet Movie Database
- The Lady And The Lion
- The Most Viewed Open Water Swimmer In History
- Quint, Hooper, Brody In The Open Water Swimming World
- Jaws Was Hollywood, Global Carnage Is A True Story
- Armed With Nothing But A Swimsuit
- Steven Spielberg's Legacy - Don't Go In The Water
