Jaws: The Legacy of a Shark Tale: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Steven Spielberg Classic

For millions of people, the thrill of "Jaws" has never waned, and no one knows that better than Wendy Benchley, whose late husband Peter wrote the 1974 thriller. This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the film's release, reigniting interest in the Steven Spielberg-directed movie of the same name. As an ocean conservationist and policy advocate, Wendy Benchley has traveled the world speaking out about protecting sharks and safeguarding the seas. Prior to her husband's death in 2006, the couple took part in diving expeditions and championed environmental causes.

Wendy Benchley is making the rounds this summer, speaking at select screenings of "Jaws" and the documentary "Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story" at various film festivals. The European premiere of the documentary will take place on July 1 at the Oceanographic Institute in Monaco. European and UK media outlets regularly contact her for interviews, and she says they all understand the positive influence of "Jaws" and how it really jump-started an interest in the conservation of sharks and the ocean.

In a recent interview with WWD, Wendy Benchley shared some back stories about how the book got written and how the summer blockbuster was made. It all started with a chance encounter on Nantucket in 1963 when she met Peter Benchley at a bar. They got married a year later and Peter went on to become a successful novelist and screenwriter.

Peter Benchley's early career included writing for Newsweek and other magazines, as well as speechwriting for President Lyndon B. Johnson. After Johnson decided not to run for re-election in 1968, Benchley set out to write a novel to earn a better living for his wife and two young children. He had two ideas in his back pocket – one about modern-day pirates, and the other about a great white shark wreaking havoc on a seaside community. Wendy Benchley initially thought neither idea would work, but her editor at Doubleday encouraged him to go with the shark story.

The backbone of the story was Benchley's depiction and understanding of how people "behave and react to a menace that they can't control," according to his widow. In addition, his time spent on Nantucket gave him insight into how reliant tradesmen and other locals are on having strong summers businesswise. That tension enhanced the depth of character in the book.

Spielberg featured a 25-foot great white replica "to make it more of a monster," Wendy Benchley said. After learning more about "how magnificent and important sharks" were for the ocean following the film's release, Peter Benchley said he would not have made the shark quite as much of a dynamic killer as he did. But he was always very proud of his depiction of the great white shark – its swimming, senses, and how it doesn't have very good eyesight.

During the filming of "Jaws," which Benchley cowrote, the couple spent time on Martha's Vineyard. The lousy weather and malfunctioning mechanical shark slowed down proceedings, but Spielberg's decision to screen it with members of the diving community helped bode well for the film's success. Applications to study marine science increased by 30 percent right after "Jaws," as well as at other schools, Wendy Benchley said.

People say that "Jaws" kept people out of the water and made them fear sharks. That's true for maybe 5 percent or 10 percent, but the other 90 or 95 percent were fascinated with sharks and research. Fifty years later, people are still interested in this iconic fish, and they want to conserve sharks and keep our ocean healthy. Wendy Ben