The novel grew out of benchleys interest in shark attacks after he learned about the exploits of shark fisherman frank mundus in 1964. As recounted in the books 30th anniversary edition, when producer richard zanuck discussed the adaptation with benchley who cowrote the script, he explained, this picture is going to be. Jaws was his first novel, after all, and maybe he ironed out some of these issues with his later works. Peter benchley was born in new york city in 1940 and was the son of novelist nathaniel benchley and grandson of humorist robert benchley. When the movie is better than the book thezombieroom. Peter benchley books list of books by author peter benchley. Many assume that munduss cocky swagger and defiance he hated using the twoway radio was the source. The jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and continues to inspire a growing interest in sharks and the oceans today. While researching his book and in tv appearances after jaws was released benchley found his way onto the cricket ii, munduss biggame fishing boat. Why jaws was so terrifying, according to the guy who co.
Jaws was published in february 1974 and, thanks to some canny marketing moves by congdon like getting the theninfluential book clubs interested became a. But i wouldnt know, because i havent read any of his other books, and after jaws, im not exactly chomping at the bit to start. Several of the authors novels were adapted into movies include, the island, the deep, white shark, and beast. His other books include the deep, the island, the girl of the sea of cortez, q clearance, rummies, beast, white shark, and shark trouble. The brody family is featured in all of the films as the primary antithesis to the shark. Knowing what i know now, i could never write that book today, he said, years later.
This novel is based on an unused script for jaws 2 and actually bares little resemblence to the film version. Born peter bradford benchley, may 8, 1940, in new york, ny. See the jaws movie compared to the book after the jump. Shaw steals the scene effortlessly, aided by a few whiskeys of course, but here in 20 most. Today, the remarkable bestseller by peter benchley still towers as a thrilling classic of suspense, drama, and the eternal conflicts of man against nature and man against himself. Til peter benchley, the author of jaws regrets writing. With some fine tuning of the script to move things along at a quicker pace and tighten things up this could have been a horror film for the ages. He wrote screenplays for the movie versions of three of his novels and wrote, narrated, and appeared in dozens of television documentaries. Jaws at 40 is peter benchleys book a forgotten masterpiece. Jaws 2 is one of those weirder than life scenarios only hollywood could concoct. Universal pictures reportedly planning to remake jaws. Spielberg wrote a script when peter benchleys screenplay didnt fit what he imagined the film version to be. Estimated sales of 20 million books changed benchleys life forever, not to. After all, he both starred in the film as the local newspaperman and cowrote the screenplay adapted from peter benchleys terrifying novel.
How jaws went from best selling book to blockbuster movie. As anyone who wasnt off the planet for the last 30 years knows, author peter benchley wrote a novel called jaws, all about a big, hulking shark dining on the locals of a long island resort town in the summer of 1973. Peter bradford benchley may 8, 1940 february 11, 2006 was an american author, screenwriter, and ocean activist. Even though the movie focuses only on a part of the novel, which is the terrorizing shark. Eight fascinating facts about jaws author peter benchley. Over the ensuing decades, benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions. Jaws is an american actionadventurethriller film series that started with a 1975 film that expanded into three sequels, a theme park ride, and other tiein merchandise, based on a 1974 novel. The author of jaws, peter benchley, was deeply perturbed by this. Peter benchley was 27 when he quit his job writing for president johnson to write a book about a villainous killer shark that stalked, and ate, members of a small island community. Benchleys tale of a great white shark that terrorizes a new england coastal community sold millions of copies, and the 1975 film of the same. How the creator of jaws became the sharks greatest defender. When peter benchley wrote jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all the available data about sharks.
See the jaws movie compared to the book its based on. When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, its up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down. Peter benchley began his career as a novelist in 1974 with the publication of jaws, which was made into a hugely successful film. Peter benchley wrote the immensely successful 1974 novel that became one of the topgrossing movies of all time, jaws. Benchleys original would struggle to make most literary critics top 50,000 books. With roy scheider, robert shaw, richard dreyfuss, lorraine gary. The internal pages are clean, bright and flat with no marks, no stains, no writing, no handling marks, no bent pages and no foxing. The book will be accompanied by a signed card with a shark drawing by peter benchley, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity by jg autographs. The script that ended up being shot still cocredited to benchley, but largely rewritten by carl gottlieb was so different to the book that spielberg reportedly told star richard dreyfuss not to. Benchley was 27 and had just left a job writing for president johnson, a job for which i was splendidly inept and unqualified, when he decided to write jaws. The classic, blockbuster thriller of maneating terror that inspired the st. The indianapolis speech by robert shaw in jaws 1975. What i now know, which wasnt known when i wrote jaws. James keen once upon a time there was a shark that ate people jaws.
Peter benchley was 27 when he quit his job writing for president johnson to write a book about a villainous killer shark that stalked, and ate. He is known as the author of the bestselling novel jaws and cowrote its film adaptation with carl gottlieb. But nothing would compare to the massive power of jaws. A primer for directors, writers, actors, and producers hal leonardapplause press, 2012 is fast becoming the standard reference work for people entering the profession. Jaws 2 by hank searls meet your next favorite book. Spielbergs jaws adaptation cut the mafia and sex subplots. Peter benchley was an american author of mystery and thriller novels best known as the author of jaws and cowrote the novel subsequent film adaptation alongside carl gottlieb. Scientific fact notwithstanding, anyone who s read peter benchley s terrifying jaws or seen the movie version will forever see the great white shark as a vicious, bloodthirsty monster. Benchley also wrote seven other wellreceived novels, many of which are set at sea including the deep, which was made into a successful 1977 movie starring robert shaw.
When peter benchley wrote jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior. Jaws novel jaws is a 1974 novel by american writer peter benchley. Many readers only know peter benchley, if they know him at all, as the author of jaws 1974, the novel upon which steven spielbergs acclaimed blockbuster film was basedbut benchley was more than a one hit wonder or a one trick pony. Features cast, crew, and hundreds of neverbeforeseen photos. Jaws was about the resort town of amity island in new england on the coast of the atlantic ocean where a massive great white shark feasted on tourists while the mayor wanted to rake in the money despite the danger in the water. Another answer peter benchley wrote a book, jaws, in 1973, and was commissioned to craft the screenplay for the movie in 1975, which steven spielberg directed, according to imdb. His bestselling 2001 nonfiction book, shark trouble, remains one of the leading guides to understanding them. Peter benchley biography life, family, name, story. Many readers only know peter benchley, if they know him at all, as the author of jaws 1974, the novel upon which steven spielbergs. Benchley wrote the first draft of jaws script, which spielberg summarily rejected. The book sold more than 10 million copies and turned benchley into a millionaire. Freelance journalist and author peter benchley wrote jaws the novel in 1974 after doubleday commissioned the book in 1971. This famous novel has been made into a thrilling movie about a maneating shark that terrorizes a beach town. Used to have a book that he wrote basically cataloguing all the adventures he did post jaws, whenever he got really famous, and some of his stories are absolutely riveting.
On this anniversary, mother jones spoke with actor and screenwriter carl gottlieb, who cowrote the screenplay of jaws with benchleyand has been asked about the film so much, he now refers to. Jaws not only broke box office records, it would not look out of place in any top 50 movie list. Robert shaw is probably the main reason for jaws being one of my favourite films of all time, mainly of course for a scene that is three and half minutes of nearperfection. The book is also called jaws, but there are quite a few differences between the book and what ended up on the big screen. With the 1974 publication of the novel jaws and the release a year later of the film based on the book, an american cultural phenomenon was born. New york times bestseller the classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was made into the. Jaws author now regrets his attack on sharks by philip delves broughton in boston thursday, april 4, 2000. Its the true story of jaws, a lost treasure of history literally buried beneath the waves. It tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town and the voyage of three men. The jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and inspired huge interest in sharks and the oceans. Peter benchley, whose 1974 novel jaws turned shark attacks into a national obsession and who later used what he called his fish story to help. Peter benchley, whose novel jaws terrorized millions of swimmers even as the author himself became an advocate for the conservation of sharks, died at home saturday in princeton, n. Whatever damage benchley did to the sharks reputation, he made up for it as a champion of study and conservation, making him a compelling author for shark fans and foes alike.
A tightly written, tautly paced study of terror that makes us tingle. It tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town and the voyage of three men trying to kill it. I retrieved it in 2001, while living in new jersey, and told the story in my nonfiction book close to. Jaws is a 1974 novel by american writer peter benchley. While peter benchley cowrote the screenplay for jaws, and authored several other novels, including the deep and the island, wendy benchley said he was especially proud of his conservation work.
As the movie continues to broadcast all over the world, entire. Next year, specifically february of 2014 will be the forty year anniversary of peter benchleys bestselling novel jaws, a book with a narrative that concerns itself with the efforts of a small island community to catch and kill a great white shark that has been gobbling up some of its. Benchleys book, incredibly, was inspired by the true events of a big hulking shark or sharks. The main subject of the saga is a great white shark, and its attacks on people in specific areas of the united states. The author of jaws said yesterday that he would never have written the book if he had known the damage it would do to the reputation of the great white shark. He read a story about the harpooning of a 4,550lb great white off long island and began thinking, what if one of these things began marauding a community. New york times bestseller the classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was made into the blockbuster steven spielberg movie.