Card Shark: The Matchbox Amity Police Launch

Hi,

This is a model I have mentioned before, but this time we are taking a closer look at the Matchbox Jaws Amity Police Boat die-cast. Based on the movie Jaws (1975).

In the 1990s Matchbox had grouped together a number of different lines – including the Models of Yesteryear, larger scale models, and enhanced versions of regular models – under the name Matchbox Collectibles. Among these was the Star Car Collection, which were standard models, with more detailed painting and markings.

All were linked to a movie or television series, but did not necessarily depict a specific vehicle seen on screen. The models were released in groups of six, and the Police Boat was part of Series 2.

The Police Launch was a 1977 model (copyright date on the underside is 1976). It was of metal and plastic construction, and ran on four small wheels hidden under the hull.

The Jaws version had a white metal top, yellow edge, blue hull sides, brown lower hull, two plastic figures in dark blue, and clear or blue-tinted plastic windows. On the hull sides were written AMITY POLICE, with the number MS 5543 MC on the bow, and the name JAWS across the stern in red and white.

It was packed on one of the usual long Star Car Collection cards, with a cardboard box – and a plastic model of Jaws himself, in dark grey with a white belly. Naturally the card featured the famous film poster.

The back of the card has a 1997 copyright date, the Mattel name, and Made in China. There are also copyright notices for Universal City Studios.

Six photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

AN AMITY LUNCHBOX PLEASE

 Jaws and lunch just seem to go together 

Yeah, like nails and beds! 

Yep, a grisly combo but it's very popular judging by the number of modern Haws lunchboxes there are out there.

Here's a few chum cans! 

And a particularly nasty box ....

What?

Has anyone got an original Jaws lunchbox or flask from the 1970's?

Here's to Smimmin' with Bow Legged Women!

Jaws was one of the most iconic films of its time and probably the first of the real blockbuster movies, drawing viewers from all walks of life, not just from fans of the horror film. I recall going on a school trip to watch the film on release and hearing the screams in the theatre when the head pops out of the hole in the boat hull! I had the Making of Jaws, by Carl Gottlieb (who is actually in the film as a reporter), the 45rpm single and a cool brown sweatshirt with a seaweed encircled Jaws logo. Prior to its release, I had loved underwater films and tv almost as much as space and still do today.

Here are a few of my shark/underwater themed toys from back in the day. Possibly the rarest are the Britains Mini Sets a short lived series of dioramas and figures, a little smaller than the standard 1/72 scale figure. Each small six inch box contained a base, a couple of figures and some scenery. I was absolutely delighted when they added a Frogmen and Octopus set and then later, a Divers and Shark set. These are my original toys, the boxes long gone.

Since that distant time, I have often bought modern or vintage submarine and diver toys, including the cool National Geographic Submarine and frogman. The figure is about 8" high and fully poseable and very similar to Little Big Man.

The submarine also comes with a nicely modelled plastic shark too!

Tomy made a nice line of rescue/adventure figures, slightly smaller than the usual action figure size, with lots of cool accessories, such as mini subs and two types of shark!

Back in the sixties, with the success of Major Matt Mason, Mattel tried to expand the line with a frogman based line, Rick Riley of the 'Sea Devils'. Rick is a rubber figure with wire armature, like Matt and partly re-uses some of the equipment. There was a cool Shark figure and an aquaphibian type alien too.

Tomy, no stranger to the toy market, made two excellent sea creatures for their Zoids line, including an awesome Hammerhead shark and robotic Coelocanth fish.

The short lived Johnny Quest animated series in the 90's brought a small line of neat toys, including the Dolphin submarine, itself a reworking of a Cobra attack sub from the Hasbro GI Joe line, refitted for a smaller figure.

That's Torn It!

Apparently modern horror pioneer Wes Craven included a torn Jaws poster in his redneck mutant horror flick The Hills Have Eyes.

Rather than Steven Spielberg coming back on this one [he'll be above all that] it was young horror upstart and ardent Jaws fan Sam Raimi who picked up on it and featured a torn Hills Have Eyes poster in his sensational Evil Dead 2! 

There's mud in your eye Craven!

SNAP TOGETHER! The Addar Jaws Bottle Kit

 Yep, why stop at a message in a bottle. Let's shove a shark in one too! 

Those bottle boys at Addar did just that in 1975, releasing a neat boxed kit that was snap together! What else could it be being Jaws!

Here's a few shots of one I saw on auction. 

For a more detailed look at making the kit then maybe check out this fan video on You Tube,

https://youtu.be/ynkawUDqph8?si=DA29vBakyN3-yApD

Have you got this kit? 

Not Jaws but Still Underwater!

 https://youtu.be/Q-BI7AecOOw?si=COJHNkatKm6aVR6b

I mean, Wow! 

Is there a better subaquatic scrap?

Favourite Jaws Movie?

 Which? 1,2,3 or 4?

🦈

You're Going to Need a Bigger Snowclone

A snowclone is a modernish figure of speech involving a play on old and new famous phrases and slogans.

Examples include In Space no-one Can Hear You ....., whereby you replace scream with whatever you want. Burp, Yawn, Snore, eat pasta etc.

My favourite snowclone, largely because it's so darn handy, is Chief Brody's memorable (or should that be memable!) Jaw line, We're Going to Need A Bigger ..... And yes, you've got it, the word Boat can be anything to suit your current needs eg. Blog, post, moat, budget etc.

Have you a snowclone in mind?