Filming Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard: Interview with Child Actor Todd Rebelo

<cite>Scott</cite>
<time>00:01:48</time>
<p>Welcome to Talk with History. I am your host, Scott. And today we have a special audio exclusive just for our podcast listeners.

In keeping with our look back at 50 years of Jaws and the impact that movie had on American culture and movie history, we have an audio exclusive for you this week. This past summer, Jen was hired to be a historian for American cruise lines. This has opened up travel opportunities for her.

And back in July, she filmed a video from Martha's Vineyard all about the original filming locations of Jaws. She even met a local who was in the movie, Mr. Todd Rebelo.

Todd played one of the kids on the beach when Sheriff Brody's son was almost attacked by Jaws near the bridge and who went into shock as he was pulled out of the water. You may remember that scene.

Well, the young boy that played Sheriff Brody's oldest son, the boy that was pulled out of the water, was also Todd Rebelo's brother in real life.

Jen happened to run into Todd while she was filming and had a short interview with him as he recounted his experience filming the movie, what it was like in the town as a local in 1975, some of the things his brother said, and the lasting impact Joss has had. Unfortunately, we had a technical glitch and we lost almost all the footage from that July trip. Jen and I were quite devastated.

But I was able to save the audio from Jen's conversation with Todd, so we thought we would share that with you today. Here is a short exclusive interview just for our podcast listeners with Mr. Todd Rebelo.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:03:26</time>
<p>Here I am. Can tell me who you are and where we're at and your connection to the movie, Jon?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:03:31</time>
<p>We're at South Beach Apparel in Oak Bluffs, Mass. On Martha's Vineyard slash Amity Island. And my connection to the movie was I was in it as well as my brother.

Was Michael Brody the older boy in the movie?</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:03:44</time>
<p>So the older son of Chief Brody?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:03:46</time>
<p>Yes, was my brother. And it was, it was a very interesting way how we got the movie. We, my mom had sent in pictures back in 1974.

We got a call back and we went to the casting and we did a couple little short, little skits. We left. We got an immediate call back.

Like a couple days later, we went back in, did another skit for more executives, and then they called back a third time. I was on a school trip. My mom took my brother down and he got the part as Michael Brody. Yeah, that's pretty awesome.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:04:21</time>
<p>Now, who, who are you in the film?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:04:23</time>
<p>So I'm one of his the beach friends. So if you can see here that that would be me with Chief Brody there. And.

And more importantly, there's my brother who played Michael Brody, and He passed away 25 years ago.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:04:35</time>
<p>So I'm sorry.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:04:36</time>
<p>You know, it's been nice to honor him.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:04:38</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:04:38</time>
<p>You know, through the documentary. The, the. The jaws at 50, the definitive inside story. So. Which was fabulous. I. I watch it.

Of course, I'm biased, but I watch it and learn so much that I didn't know, you know. You know, through the movies.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:04:56</time>
<p>And, and how. How old were you at this time?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:04:58</time>
<p>So I was 13. My brother was only 12. So we were. We were 17 months apart.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:02</time>
<p>So my. My brother and I are 18 months apart. I get that.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:05</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:05</time>
<p>You feel like twins.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:06</time>
<p>Yes, exactly.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:07</time>
<p>Okay, so what was this. What was the town like during the filming?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:11</time>
<p>So, you know, things are always on a slow pace here, so we absorbed it slowly. A lot early on took place at the beach. So a lot of the beach scenes, you know, that we. We see the bridge and the, The.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:27</time>
<p>The.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:27</time>
<p>The first attack on Alex Kittner. A lot of that took place.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:31</time>
<p>The second attack. Right. Because the girls killed first.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:34</time>
<p>Well, she was killed first. Exactly. I stand corrected. So a lot of the early scenes, but of course, that was late May.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:05:43</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:05:43</time>
<p>And into June. So we were in the water. It was cold. Even. Even the air at times was cold. So the. The experience there was building for the island.

They saw all the trucks, the, you know, production crews. So you see, like, oh, my God, this is real. They're filming a movie here on the island.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:01</time>
<p>So your brother, is he the one who's in the water then?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:06:03</time>
<p>So he was the one who walked up and said, I got bit by a vampire. He's the older boy of the chief of police in the movie. He's the one that went to the hospital. They dragged him up on the beach.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:13</time>
<p>Yes. He has, like, the shock.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:06:15</time>
<p>He goes into shock. Yeah. And he asked for coffee ice cream. That's always a big question. Why coffee ice cream? 1975, nobody even heard about coffee ice cream.

Around the country, that's true, but in New England, it was a. It was a staple.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:27</time>
<p>Okay, I'll make sure I'm getting you in a frame here.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:06:29</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:29</time>
<p>Okay. So now you live on the island, you operate a souvenir shop here. I bought a lot of T shirts for the whole family. So you've lived here your whole life?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:06:40</time>
<p>I've been in my entire life. It wasn't the business that I aspired to or thought it was the one that worked.

So, you know, I Grew up and our family was always in the restaurant business.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:50</time>
<p>Very cool.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:06:50</time>
<p>We were all very, always very involved in the, in the town and island affairs and. Yeah, yeah, true islanders.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:06:58</time>
<p>So let me ask you, it's the 50th anniversary. It has this enduring effect. Jaws is a great movie. I love watching it even. So you play it here, right?

Just tell me about the impact of the movie on your life.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:07:12</time>
<p>Well, it's always been the gift that keeps giving in a sense. You know, it's kind of like a journey.

It was 50 years and you know, there was a period where it went into hibernation for a while and you know, maybe from like 1985 to around 2000. And then you get the resurgence of sharks and Shark Week and the tv and now every year it's in everybody's face for, you know, for sometimes weeks.

And that kind of was like putting gasoline on a fire.

It just, you know, brought the strength of the movie back and people started to take a, I mean there were always people who are fans the whole time, but people started to take a closer look at the movie and the actors and, and a lot of the actors were passing and you know, so. And then they, they took a different look at the island too.

And you know, it's an interactive experience when you come here to the island and you're a Jaws fan because you can go to the Jaws bridge. You can jump off the Jaws bridge, you can, you can go to the downtown areas.

You go to the, you know, and drive by the house that the Brodies lived in.

Just access here and, and you know, when you have public access, so people can go to these locations and they can take the same pictures that were taken, you know, of the, from the film, you know, play out the same roles and post them on video.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:08:27</time>
<p>Know you're in history.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:08:29</time>
<p>Yeah, right. So it's different than any other movie. I mean, you know, the couple years ago is the 50th anniversary of Godfather. Greatest movies of all time.

But you didn't see this kind of worldwide kind of experience that's going on and all the advertising, merchandising, everything that's going on and in a couple years from now, it's going to be, it's going to be Star Wars.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:08:50</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:08:50</time>
<p>And when Star wars comes out and that's the 50th anniversary star. I mean, where are they going to go? Planet Zuma? I mean, you have, there's no interactive experience. Doesn't mean that it won't be celebrated.

This is a great all time movie.

But, but, yeah, but Jaws has a place you can go and you, and you can come and come talk and talk to people that were in the movie who, you know, there were only eight actors, real actors that were in the movie. The rest were all locusts. So cool. You know, so.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:09:13</time>
<p>Okay, so here's the, the fifty thousand dollar question. Did you ever see a great white shark?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:09:21</time>
<p>Well, I'll tell you this. I saw one that was up on blocks work that all the local kids in the neighborhood went out and climbed on and played on. So I saw that one.

But actually, as far as live in the water, the answer is no.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:09:37</time>
<p>Okay, and then one last question. Who was the nicest person to work with of all the actors? Who was the nicest?</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:09:43</time>
<p>You know, it was a hard one because most people didn't work with Robert Shaw. A lot of his things were done on the water and we, you know, out of the public view. You didn't see those shots. Similar with Richard Dreyfus.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:09:56</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:09:57</time>
<p>Roy Scheider would probably be the guy.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:00</time>
<p>He was more interact with the people.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:02</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:03</time>
<p>And he's the dad of your, your brother.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:05</time>
<p>Yeah.

And he was, you know, I, I have a few videos where, you know, you'd be down in the, with the little mess area where they had a trailer with food and all that. And he, you know, it wasn't like he grabbed his food and ran off.

He would come in and sit and, you know, so he was, he was, you know, he was a standoffish.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:21</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:21</time>
<p>You know, actually the nicest one wasn't even the actor.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:24</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:25</time>
<p>This Billberg, this Spielberg. Yeah, he was very, you know, he would communicate very well with the kids as well as the adults. He was, you know, maybe it's just his age, you know.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:35</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:35</time>
<p>He was still trying to make his name for himself.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:38</time>
<p>Exactly. First movie. Right.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:39</time>
<p>And he, yeah, he would throw the ball around. You know, even with my brother a few times they would throw the ball around in the morning. Yeah. So it's, you know. Yeah. Very, very cool.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:10:48</time>
<p>Thank you. Thank you for this interview and like one last time, your name and your location.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:10:52</time>
<p>Todd. Todd Rebelo here in Oak Bluffs.

And I have retail stores, but the main one that has been kind of exposed this year in a good way is south beach apparel.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:11:04</time>
<p>Okay, great. And thank you for your time.</p>
<cite>Todd</cite>
<time>00:11:06</time>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<cite>Jenn</cite>
<time>00:11:06</time>
<p>It was very nice to meet you. Thank you.</p>
<cite>Scott</cite>
<time>00:11:12</time>
<p>I hope you enjoy. Enjoyed that short interview with someone connected to a historic movie.

You can also see Todd in the Jaws 50 year documentary that is available to viewers now. This has been A Walk With History production. Talk With History is created and hosted by me, Scott Benny. Episode researched by Jennifer Benny.

Check out the show notes for links and references mentioned in this episode. Talk With History is supported by our fans at the History Road Trip. Our eternal thanks go out to those providing funding to help keep us going.

Thank you to Doug McLiberty, Larry Myers, Patrick Benny, Gale Cooper, Christy Coates, and Calvin Gifford. Make sure you hit that follow button in that podcast player and we'll talk to you next time.</p>