The one with the six-fingered man …
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
It’s one of the most famous movie lines ever, and yet it’s just one of the many memorable quotes to come out of The Princess Bride. This 1987 film is a romance, a comedy, an adventure, and a fairy tale all rolled into one (inconceivable!), which might be why it has such widespread appeal.
From the very first viewing, it became one of my all-time favorites. All I can say is THANK GOD they haven’t tried to remake this one. It’s perfect as-is.
But did you know …
1. Book business
With its fairy tale story, it seems only fitting that The Princess Bride started out as a novel. The author, William Goldman, received $500,000 for the rights to the book in 1973 — the same year it was published. Considering that Goldman had already won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it’s no wonder the studio execs wanted secure the rights to the story ASAP.
2. A rugged Westley
Among the many Hollywood names that wanted to put The Princess Bride on the big screen was Robert Redford, who wanted to star as Westley while also making his directorial debut with the film. Even with a big leading man like Redford, however, the studios seemed hesitant to actually turn the story into a film.
Rob Reiner finally convinced 20th Century Fox to make it, and even then he had to get it financed by Norman Lear and make major cuts to the budget. Reiner’s heart was set on making the film no matter what — his father, Carl Reiner, had given him the book and it had quickly become his all-time favorite.
3. Would-be Buttercups
When it came to casting the movie, Buttercup was the hardest role to fill. Goldman thought Carrie Fisher might suit the part, while Reiner thought of Sean Young. Some of the many actresses who auditioned for the film were Meg Ryan, Uma Thurman, Courtney Cox, and even Whoopi Goldberg. But as soon as they met Robin Wright, they knew they had found Buttercup.
As far as other possible castings go, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito were both strongly considered for the parts of Fezzik and Vizzini. Coincidentally, they ended up co-starring in Twins the following year.
4. Inappropriate ad-libs
Billy Crystal put his own spin on the role of Miracle Max. According to Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya, Crystal “improvised 13th century period jokes, three days straight, 10 hours a day.” Reiner messed up multiple takes when he cracked up off camera, and Patinkin actually bruised muscles on the side of his rib from trying so hard to stifle his laughs.
Some of Crystal’s ad-libs became famous lines from the movie, including “Have fun storming the castle!” Some were a little too racy to make it into the final cut, like: “Don’t bother me, sonny. I had a bad day — I found my nephew with a sheep.” Another was: “True love is the greatest thing in the world — except for a good B.M.”
5. An avalanche? Inconceivable!
Director Rob Reiner was once approached by a mega-fan of the film who said The Princess Bride literally saved her life. After being caught in an avalanche with a group of fellow skiers, she recited the whole movie to keep everyone’s spirits up while they awaited rescue. She even showed him her still-healing frostbite as proof!
6. Mormons and mafiosos
The Princess Bride seems to be almost universally loved, which means that it’s acquired quite the diverse fan base over the years. For example, many Mormons adore the film’s clean comedy and moral values. The Attorney General of Utah once told Chris Sarandon, who played Prince Humperdinck, that it was the most popular movie in the state.
Reiner experienced the other end of the spectrum one night at a restaurant in NYC. Famous mafia boss John Gotti came in with an entourage of wiseguys, and on Reiner’s way out, one of them looked at Reiner and quoted the famous Inigo Montoya line: “You killed my father. Prepare to die.” As Reiner put it, “I almost s— in my pants. When you penetrate guys like that, you know you’ve made it.”
7. The gentle giant
During filming, André the Giant was in a lot of pain from his wrestling career and a recent back surgery. Despite his massive 7-foot-4-inch, 550-pound build, he was actually unable to perform some of the physical feats in the movie. When it looks like Westley is hanging off Fezzik’s back, Cary Elwes was walking on a series of ramps out of camera shot or acting with Andre’s stunt double. For scenes when Fezzik was carrying Buttercup, Wright was actually suspended by cables.
Despite the physical setbacks, André cherished the experience of filming. He loved that everyone treated him like an equal and didn’t stare at him on set.
8. How things might have ended …
In the movie’s original ending, the grandson (played by Fred Savage) starts looking through the book after his grandpa (Peter Falk) leaves. He hears a voice and looks out the window, where he sees Westley, Buttercup, Inigo, and Fezzik on four white horses. To film the scene, they used a pulley system to lower André the Giant down so the horse wouldn’t be carrying his full weight.
Once they started editing the film, however, they didn’t like how the scene worked. An alternative scene was written and shot later, becoming the film’s actual ending.
9. Buttercup’s baby
Goldman loved the story so much that he decided to write a sequel called “Buttercup’s Baby.” The first chapter is actually included in later editions of the novel. Although Goldman never completed the novel, the plot features Westley and Buttercup’s daughter, Waverly, kidnapped by a villain with no skin on his face. When the bad guy throws Waverly off a cliff, Fezzik (who also happens to be her babysitter) leaps off to shield her from the impact.
10. A tip of the hat
Reiner wanted composer and Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler to write the film’s score. Knopfler agreed, but insisted that he’d only take the job if Reiner included a reference to This Is Spinal Tap. In addition to directing, Reiner had played Marty Di Bergi in the movie, so he decided to have the props team create a replica of the distinctive USS Coral Sea cap his character wore and display it in the grandson’s bedroom.
Knopfler later admitted he was just joking all along, but at least we got a pretty good Easter egg out of the ordeal.
The band of heroic misfits in The Princess Bride is one for the ages. Forward this to your adventure buddies, then argue over which one of you is Westley.
Editorial: Ashley
Illustration: Nick