Afternoon at the Movies with Theo Siegel – The Deep

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Presenter: Theo Siegel Location: Costa Mesa – Donald Dungan Branch: Costa Mesa – Donald Dungan This film from 1977 was Peter Benchley’s best-selling sequel to his popular book and its film version, “Jaws”.  The original concept came from the tale of a shipwreck in Bermuda, the Constellation, which sank in 1942 while transporting morphine and other wartime supplies like concrete and pharmaceuticals.  They created the largest underwater set in the world by digging into a historic hill in Bermuda.  They sliced off a big chunk of the hilltop and excavated a hole that was thirty-three feet deep and one hundred twenty feet wide, then filled it with millions of gallons of seawater that was refreshed daily.  This man-made marina also housed a shark, a moray eel, and three hundred fish. When the film premiered, it gained attention for its opening scene featuring Jacqueline Bisset swimming underwater in just a thin white T-shirt and a black bikini bottom.  This image was used for the film’s poster without Bisset’s consent.  Producer Peter Guber stated that this contributed to the film’s box office success, famously saying, “That T-shirt made me a rich man!”  Discover these fascinating details with the movie guy as we chat about “The Deep”, Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset, and Robert Shaw, followed by a screening of the movie.