Susan Backlinie

Susan Backlinie
Susan Backlinie
Born	Susan Jane Backlinie; September 1, 1946; Miami, Florida
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 (?–?)

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]

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
1975	The Grizzly and the Treasure	Eve
1976	A Stranger in My Forest	unknown
1976	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.

In March 2018, at age 71, she was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, failing field sobriety exercises while providing breath samples that registered .195 and .200 blood alcohol content, more than twice the legal limit.[9]

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". IB Times. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
"California woman arrested after crash at Odell Circle and Dunkirk Trail". Villages-News.com. The Villages of Lake Sumter Landing, Inc. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.

External links

Susan Backlinie on IMDb
Susan Backlinie at AllMovie

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[1] "Susan Backlinie Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 29 November 2013.

[Russo-2] Tom Russo, "'Jaws': Shark tale still has plenty of bite", The Boston Globe, August 4, 2012.

[3] Andrews, Nigel (1999). Nigel Andrews on Jaws: A Bloomsbury Movie Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 45. ISBN 978-1582340425.

[4] Fischer, Dennis (2000). Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895-1998. McFarland & Company. p. 557. ISBN 978-0786460915.

[5] Brode, Douglas (2000). The Films of Steven Spielberg. Citadel Press. pp. 84–86. ISBN 978-0806519517.

[6] 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.

[7] 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.

[8] Osborne, Hannah (31 May 2015). "Jaws 40th Anniversary: 40 facts about Spielberg's infamous shark movie and Great Whites". IB Times. Retrieved 17 May 2018.

[9] "California woman arrested after crash at Odell Circle and Dunkirk Trail". Villages-News.com. The Villages of Lake Sumter Landing, Inc. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.