P. 24—Brody says, “But nobody sport-fishes for sharks!” If this is intended to make him seem stupid, it succeeds. If it is meant as a fact, it is wrong.

P. 30—If Hooper is a diver, he’s unlikely to be bearded. Beards get in the way. Bearded divers exist, of course, but why even raise the question in the audience’s mind?

P. 35—This, I admit, is a nit, but I’ll pick it anyway. Here and on the following page it is clear that Steve doesn’t know guns. Fine. I assume there will be someone on location who will know that, for instance, a .30 caliber rifle doesn’t fire a ‘wad’ and couldn’t ruin rigging.

P. 76—Hooper refers to Ipswitch, Maine. There may be an Ipswitch, Maine, but a more familiar Ipswich is in Massachusetts.

There you have it. I am aware that 1) film is a directors’ medium, 2) my part in the entertainment has long since technically ended, and 3) you may well decide to make this letter into a paper airplane and skim it off the top of the Tower. But I did want to convey these points, if only to vent my spleen.

As I have said (and said, and said), I would be willing—nay, eager—to meet and work with Steve, should he deem it helpful.

Yrs,
Peter Benchley

PS/ What makes me angriest of all is that you didn’t tell me you had already made and released the movie of “Jaws.” I had to find out from the clipping I’ve appended below.

The studio art direction crew works with one of the three mechanical prop sharks that were created for Jaws by set designer Joe Alves, and nicknamed “Bruce” after Steven Spielberg’s attorney, Bruce Ramer. Copyright Edith Blake

A team of effect technicians, supervised by the renowned mechanical effects genius Bob Mattey, accompanies Bruce out to sea for filming. Copyright Edith Blake

One of two “platform sharks” (this one being the camera-left-to-right-shot version of Bruce) being towed out to sea for filming; its hidden side fully exposes the internal machinery that allowed the shark to move. Copyright Edith Blake

The camera-right version of Bruce is towed out to sea for filming. Copyright Edith Blake

Quint, captain of the Orca (played by Robert Shaw), and ichthyologist Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfuss) are confronted by the great white shark. Copyright Edith Blake

Chief Brody (played by Roy Scheider) with Matt Hooper in Orca’s stern, shouting out that the great white shark is close at hand, while Quint looks down from the captain’s deck. Copyright Edith Blake

“Great White: Deep Trouble”

by Peter Benchley

National Geographic, April 2000

“Haai op die aas.” Spoken casually, without a hint of alarm, the words meant nothing to me: a puff of incomprehensible Afrikaans. But the crew suddenly tensed, and their tenseness was contagious. Conversations stopped. Cameramen reached for their gear; the soundman rolled his tape. More than a dozen of us, crowded onto two tiny boats rafted together five miles off the tortuous shore of Gansbaai, South Africa, froze and watched the water.