Peter Benchley
Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 12, 2006) was an American author, best known for his novel Jaws and its subsequent movie adaptation, the latter co-written by Benchley (with Carl Gottlieb) and directed by Steven Spielberg. Several more of his works were also adapted for cinema, including The Deep and The Island.
Peter Benchley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter Bradford Benchley May 8, 1940 |
| Died | February 12, 2006 (aged 65) Princeton, New Jersey, United States |
| Cause of death | Pulmonary fibrosis |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Author, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1975–2006 |
| Known for | Creator of Jaws |
| Spouse(s) | Winifred "Wendy" Wesson (1964-2006; his death) |
| Website | www.peterbenchley.com |
Life
He was the son of Marjorie (née Bradford) and author Nathaniel Benchley and grandson of Algonquin Round Table founder Robert Benchley. His younger brother, Nat Benchley, is a writer and actor. Peter Benchley was an alumnus of Allen-Stevenson School or now known as The Allen-Stevenson School, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Harvard University.
Benchley died of pulmonary fibrosis on February 12, 2006 in Princeton, New Jersey.[1]
Books
- Jaws (1974)
- The Deep (1976)
- The Island (1979)
- The Girl of the Sea of Cortez (1982)
- Q Clearance (1986)
- Rummies (1989)
- The Beast (1991)
- White Shark (1994)
- Creature (re-publishing of White Shark) (1997)
Movies
- Jaws, 1975 film adaptation; actor: Interviewer.
- The Deep, 1977 film adaptation
- Jaws 2, based on characters from Jaws
- The Island, 1980 film adaptation
- Jaws 3-D (a.k.a. Jaws 3), based on characters from Jaws
- Jaws: The Revenge, a fourth film based on characters from Jaws
- Dolphin Cove, 1989 TV series
- The Beast, 1996 TV film adaptation
- Creature, 1998 TV film adaptation
- Amazon, 1999 TV series
- Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, 1994 (actor, as Frank Crowninshield)
References
Other websites
- Peter Benchley at the Shark Research Institute Archived 2008-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- The Peter Benchley Shark Conservation Awards Archived 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Shark Alliance
- Official site
- Peter Benchley on IMDb
- Peter Benchley: Rapture of The Deep Archived 2006-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Peter Benchley: Shark Conservationist (LA Times)