- 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Ocean Conservation.
Lot 128:
Description
Universal Pictures (American, founded 1912). Photographic prints, Jaws production stills, 1975. Assortment of nine black and white production stills from the landmark film Jaws. The collection captures various behind-the-scenes moments during the 1974 production on location at Martha’s Vineyard. Notable subjects include director Steven Spielberg, often seen in a Jaws promotional t-shirt, alongside lead actors Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. Rare production imagery features the mechanical shark, Bruce, positioned on its underwater tow-sled and support platform. The prints depict the actors in character aboard the Orca and at locations around the town of Amity. Each print is executed on high-gloss photographic paper. 8" x 10".
Nine black-and-white 8 by 10 production stills from Peter’s files, including prints of the images in Lots 123 through 127 and a close-up of Peter in front of the gazebo. Several show Spielberg in a JAWS crew T-shirt like the one he gave Peter (Lot 147), and Bruce on the underwater sled that towed him into frame.
Jaws filming Production Stills taken during the summer of 1974 – From the set of JAWS, summer 1974
Peter kept these black-and-white production stills from the shoot on Martha’s Vineyard, where a 27-year-old Steven Spielberg, not yet famous, was directing, and Peter, then 34, was co-writing the screenplay and making his cameo. Several show Bruce, the mechanical shark the crew named after Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer. Three Bruces were built, one to be filmed from its left side, one from its right, and one for head-on shots with the jaws open. All three kept rusting and failing in the salt water while the bullhorn blared, “The shark is NOT working.”
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940–2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation.
Proceeds from the Peter Benchley Collection will benefit five ocean conservation organizations: Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, WildAid, Beneath the Waves, Blue Frontier and Environmental Defense Fund.
Condition report:
The prints are in excellent condition with no visible tears, creases, or stains. The high-gloss finish is well-preserved, and the images maintain sharp contrast and clarity throughout the set.
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