Dusenberry played Tina in the “Jaws” sequel, and Carpenter is right that she can play terrified extremely well. In “Jaws 2” she watches her boyfriend eaten by the shark and is stranded alone in their little boat until Chief Brody (Roy Schieder) and his wife (Lorraine Gary) find her. When they do, she’s in shock and terrified beyond belief, and the scene where she clings on to them screaming “Sh-Sh-Sh-Shark!” is super effective.
Would she have been a good Laurie Strode? You know, I can see it. What I’m not so sure about is if “Halloween” loses a vital piece of what made it such a massive success if you swap out Jamie Lee Curtis, even for an actress who would absolutely nail the part. Curtis’s instincts for the character set the template for decades of final girls to come. She brought a casual innocence to the part that might not have been the instinct of another actress.
In short, it’s fascinating to think about this alternate world “Halloween” starring “the girl from ‘Jaws 2’,” but I wouldn’t trade Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of Laurie Strode for damn near anything.
One final note: Carpenter must have really been paying attention to “Jaws 2,” because he would later cast another actor from that movie — Keith Gordon — as the lead in 1983’s “Christine.” So, let’s start the rumor that John Carpenter friggin’ loves “Jaws 2.” I think he’d appreciate it.