Bruce (Prop)

Bruce is the nickname given to the mechanical shark prop that portrays The Shark from the movie Jaws.

History
Bruce was designed in late 1973, by Art Director Joe Alves. The design later became three full-sized, pneumatically powered sharks created by 40 technicians under the supervision of Mechanical Effects Supervisor, Bob Mattey, whose previous work included the Giant Squid from 20 000 leagues under the sea. The first was known as a "Sea Sled Shark" That was a full sized prop with its belly missing. It required a 300-foot line to tow it.

Trivia

 * Bruce became so famous that its name was used for the animatronic bull shark created for the Shark Week Episode Anatomy of a Shark Bite to determine how sharks attack humans.
 * Bruce the Shark from Finding Nemo, a vegetarian great white shark that refuses to eat fish, was named after the prop and goes just as crazy as the titular shark from the smell of fish blood.