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'Jaws' And 16 Other Summer Blockbusters From The Past

REMEMBER THESE? 17 Summer Blockbusters We'll Never Forget
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Susan Backlinie swimming as the Great White Shark swims up in publicity art for the film 'Jaws', 1975. (Photo by Universal/Getty Images)

Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun.

"Jaws" -- the movie that launched Steven Spielberg's career and still has many afraid to go swimming -- was released today, June 20, in 1975. By now we all know the plot: a blood-thirsty great white shark terrorizes a coastal town. But did you know that "Jaws" was the first of the ever-present summer blockbusters? It was number one at box offices for 14 weeks and was the first movie to gross more than $100 million.

The film is a cultural touchpoint for many post 50s, as our readers described on our Facebook page. Today's movie goers clamor to theaters for superhero movie after superhero movie. But what past summer blockbusters lacked in CGI they more than made up for with style and substance.

We took a look at summer blockbusters of the past. Which was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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Before You Go

Summer Blockbusters From The Past
'Jaws' (1975)(01 of17)
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"Jaws" premiered on June 20, 1975. (credit:Alamy)
'Star Wars' (1977)(02 of17)
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"Star Wars" premiered on May 25, 1977. (credit:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="5" data-vars-position-in-unit="8">Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation</a>)
'The Omen' (1976)(03 of17)
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"The Omen" premiered June 25, 1976. (credit:Alamy)
'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977)(04 of17)
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"The Spy Who Loved Me" premiered July 7, 1977. (credit:Alamy)
'Grease' (1978)(05 of17)
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"Grease" premiered June 13, 1978. (credit:Alamy)
'Apocalypse Now' (1979)(06 of17)
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"Apocalypse Now" premmiered May 10, 1979. (credit:Alamy)
'Alien' (1979)(07 of17)
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"Alien" premiered May 25, 1979. (credit:Alamy)
'Raiders Of The Lost Ark'(08 of17)
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"Raiders of the Lost Ark" premiered June 12, 1981. (credit:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=sr_1" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Lucasfilms and Paramount" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=sr_1" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="4" data-vars-position-in-unit="7">Lucasfilms and Paramount</a>)
'Battle For The Planet Of The Apes' (1973)(09 of17)
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"Battle for the Planet of the Apes" premiered June 15, 1973. (credit:Alamy)
'Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid' (1969)(10 of17)
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'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' premiered September 23, 1969. (credit:Alamy)
'The Exorcist' (1973)(11 of17)
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"The Exorcist" premiered June 19, 1973. (credit:Alamy)
'American Graffiti' (1973)(12 of17)
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"American Graffiti" premiered August 1, 1973. (credit:Alamy)
'Cleopatra' (1963)(13 of17)
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"Cleopatra" premiered June 12, 1963. (credit:Alamy)
'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975)(14 of17)
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"Dog Day Afternoon" premiered on September 21, 1975. (credit:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=sr_1" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Artists Entertainment Complex and Warner Brothers" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=sr_1" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="3" data-vars-position-in-unit="6">Artists Entertainment Complex and Warner Brothers</a>)
'Animal House' (1978)(15 of17)
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"Animal House" premiered on July 27, 1978. (credit:<a href="http://drafthouse.com/movies/animal_house/denver" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Universal Pictures" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://drafthouse.com/movies/animal_house/denver" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="2" data-vars-position-in-unit="5">Universal Pictures</a>)
'Smokey And The Bandit' (1978)(16 of17)
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"Smokey and the Bandit" premiered on May 27, 1978. (credit:<a href="http://www.johnshotrods.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Universal Pictures" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.johnshotrods.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="1" data-vars-position-in-unit="4">Universal Pictures</a>)
'The Amityville Horror' (1979)(17 of17)
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"The Amityville Horror" premiered on July 27, 1979. (credit:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078767/?ref_=ttco_co_tt" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="American International Pictures (AIP)" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb66225e4b0527153088cc6" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078767/?ref_=ttco_co_tt" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="0" data-vars-position-in-unit="3">American International Pictures (AIP)</a>)
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