Peter Benchley

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Benchley
Born
Peter Bradford Benchley

(1940-05-08)May 8, 1940
DiedFebruary 12, 2006(2006-02-12) (aged 65)
Princeton, New Jersey,
United States
Cause of deathPulmonary fibrosis
NationalityAmerican
Alma materHarvard University
Occupation(s)Author, screenwriter
Years active1975–2006
Known forCreator of Jaws
SpouseWinifred "Wendy" Wesson (1964-2006; his death)
Websitewww.peterbenchley.com

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.

Life[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

  • 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[change | change source]

  • 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[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]