Cary Elwes, a British actor who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, has co-authored a book about the making of the film. The memoir, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, will be released on October 14, 2014. Elwes shares his experiences on and off the set of the iconic movie, including working with Mel Brooks, Men In Tights, and more. He also discusses the audition process, which was informal and involved reading Westley’s monologue from the fire swamp for Reiner.
Elwes also shares his experiences working with Billy Crystal, who was a total scene-stealer in his minor role as Miracle Max in The Princess Bride. The Princess Bride evening with Cary Elwes is an exclusive screening of the movie followed by a question-and-answer discussion with Houston Public Media’s Ernie Manouse.
Elwes also discusses the success of the Saw franchise and his roles in films like Glory and The Princess Bride. He narrates the story himself and impersonates other people while narrating. Elwes almost missed out on playing Westley due to Chernobyl, but he improvised all of the being mostly dead physical behavior.
In his book, As You Wish, Elwes gives a first-person account of making the movie, including the swordfight scene where Westley fights to rescue Buttercup when she is kidnapped by Spanish swordsman Inigo. The book is set to be released on October 14, 2014, and will be available for purchase at the Majestic Theatre Dallas.
📹 Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride | Cary Elwes | Talks at Google
Cary Elwes stops by YouTube Headquarters for a discussion about “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the …
What is the overall message of The Princess Bride?
What’s the moral of The Princess Bride? The book discusses love, justice, and adventure. The main moral of The Princess Bride is that true love is stronger than anything.
Why do Christians like Princess Bride?
Richard Greene says Westley’s words show Humperdinck’s weaknesses and cowardice. He never uses the sword, like Christ did with the Pharisees. The film also shows other ways the Christ-like character is used. Westley climbs the Cliffs of Insanity, like Satan challenged Jesus to jump from a high place to prove he was divine (Matthew 4:5-7). Westley loves Buttercup even though she rejects him. This is like how Jesus says the Heavenly Father loves us. The most identifiable phrase from the film has a biblical origin. Just as Christians can choose to accept God’s love and salvation, Westley’s gentle response to Buttercup’s scorn is a reminder of God’s mercy. Buttercup is the Church, the bride of Christ. Hewlett says that Buttercup doesn’t know who he is, like Israel didn’t know who Jesus was. Westley criticizes her for being unfaithful. After Westley dies, Buttercup’s faith helps her believe she will go to heaven. This is like the Church, the bride of Christ, waiting for the second coming to be with God. The religious characters in The Princess Bride have meaning in their stories and in the end. Mike Lewis says that the two main relationships in Goldman’s film are between the grandfather and grandson and Westley and Buttercup. The framing element shows these two relationships are similar. The audience likes the characters and wants them to get better. They want them to be like their archetypal counterparts. If you learn about mindfulness or empathy by working with those close to you, your relationships with everyone else will improve. These relationships must be reconciled for the characters and readers to grow spiritually. When Westley first sees Buttercup in the film, he says, “I told you I would always come for you.” Why didn’t you wait for me? Buttercup replies, “You were dead.” The story has many parallels to the Christ story. For example, Jesus asked His disciples why they could not wait to pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46). Jesus also interacted with Thomas, who did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:24-29). Westley says that death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it. Buttercup’s reply shows that her journey to transformation has begun.
What was the inspiration for The Princess Bride?
They were daughters of Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman. Goldman wrote The Princess Bride and the 1987 movie adaptation. The original story was written by S. Morgenstern. Goldman was inspired by fairy tales he made up for his daughters. He told Entertainment Weekly that when they were around four and seven, he asked them what they wanted to hear a story about. One said a princess, the other said a bride, and that’s how he came up with the title. In his introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of the book, Goldman said he almost didn’t get to make the movie. Fox bought the book rights when The Princess Bride was published. Goldman wrote a screenplay, but the studio wouldn’t buy it until they knew the movie was going ahead. Fox hired Richard Lester to direct, but the project fell through. Goldman realized Fox could hire another writer, so he bought back the rights. He made many deals and was disappointed before he found the perfect partner in director Rob Reiner. Robin Wright would still make a great Buttercup. Wright nearly lost the part after a bad audition.
How old was Peter Falk when he did The Princess Bride?
Peter Falk, around 60, said, “I don’t know if I’m old enough to be a grandfather.” He said we should make me look older. We did. If you came to watch The Princess Bride without interruption, you should leave now. This was Jason Reitman, director of Up in the Air and Juno, introducing last night’s live commentary of the 1987 fairy tale satire at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Reitman sat with director Rob Reiner in the theater, interviewing him about the film. “Tonight, we’re trying something new,” Reitman told the crowd. “I thought there must be a way to get more access to what it was like making this film.” “That’s where the idea came from.”
How much of The Princess Bride is improv?
For three days straight, Billy made up jokes about the 13th century. He never repeated himself. Crystal was so funny it caused problems for the cast and crew. Elwes had to be replaced with a dummy because he couldn’t keep a straight face. Reiner left the set because he couldn’t stop laughing. Mandy Patinkin was the only one who kept it together, but he hurt his ribs. Imagine trying so hard not to laugh that you hurt yourself! Without Crystal’s quick thinking, we never would have known how delicious an MLT is. We mustn’t forget Carol Kane as Max’s wife Valerie. The actress made the scene memorable. She held her own against Crystals jokes and kept up with him. They seem like a married couple.
What celebrities are reenacting The Princess Bride?
Jennifer Garner and Tiffany Haddish play Princess Buttercup. Hugh Jackman plays Prince Humperdinck and Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have fun with the project. The project, which raised money for World Central Kitchen, was created by Jason Reitman (known for Juno and Thank You for Smoking). He says he was inspired to create something while quarantined.
Cast: Rob Reiner, Thomas Lennon, Zazie Beetz, Stephen Merchant, Nicholas Braun, Oliver Lennon, Alice Oswalt, Javier Bardem, John Cho, Kaitlyn Dever, Roman Mars, Oscar Nunez, Retta, Brandon Routh, Leslie Bibb, Bryan Cranston, Courtney Ford, Angela Kinsey, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Shaquille O’Neal, Seth Rogan, Fred Savage. Finn Wolfhard, Andrew Bachelor, Brian Baumgartner, Sarah Cooper, Zoey Deutch, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell, Leo James Routh, Sarah Silverman, Annabelle Wallis, Rainn Wilson, Jose Andres, Dave Bautista, Neil Patrick Harris, Diego Luna, Chris Pine, Catherine Reitman, Paul Rudd, Jason Segal, Richard Speight Jr., Sophie Turner, Jack Black, David Burtka, Cary Elwes, Josh Gad, Dennis Haysbert, Joe Jonas, Logan Kim, Pedro Pascal, David Spade, Taika Waititi, Penelope Cruz, Giancarlo Esposito, Beanie Feldstein, Jennifer Garner, Nick Kroll, Natalie Morales, Percy, Mackenzie Davis, Tiffany Haddish, Lucas Hedges, Ernie Hudson, John Malkovich, Carl Reiner, Zoe Saldana, Keith L. Williams, Common, Don Johnson, Patton Oswalt, David Oyelowo, J.K. Simmons, Kimberly Van Der Beek, Tommy Dewey, Mckenna Grace, Jon Hamm, Hugh Jackman, Jenna Ortega, Andy Serkis, Charlize Theron, Keegan-Michael Key, B.J. Novak, Meredith Salenger, Elijah Wood, Craig Robinson, James Van Der Beek, Joey King, Robert Wuhl, and Adam Sandler.
Who almost made The Princess Bride?
Previous attempts included 20th Century Fox, which paid Goldman $500,000 for the film rights in 1973. Richard Lester was signed to direct, but the head of production was fired, so the project was put on hiatus. Goldman bought back the film rights to the novel with his own money. Other directors had also tried to adapt the book, including François Truffaut, Robert Redford, and Norman Jewison. At one point, Christopher Reeve was interested in playing Westley in one planned adaptation. Reiner found success by getting financial support from Norman Lear, who had funded production of This is Spinal Tap. The production was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Reiner worked with Goldman to adapt the book for the screenplay. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reiner said that then-20th Century Fox head Barry Diller also had a role in the film’s production. Diller told Reiner to make it a Wizard of Oz-like film that would be more successful over time.
How did they make the Rous in Princess Bride?
The R.O.U.S.s were made with actors in rat suits. On the day Westley was supposed to wrestle Danny Blackner, he wasn’t there. Finally, Blackner arrived on set with a story about being pulled over for speeding and drinking. When asked what he liked best about making this film, André René Roussimoff replied, “Nobody looks at me.” He felt like he was treated like everyone else. Mandy Patinkin says the Inigo Montoya role is his favorite.
What is Princess Bride a parody of?
In The Princess Bride, William Goldman mocks fairy tales and traditional writing.
What is the famous line from Princess Bride?
1. Life is painful, Highness. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.
Why is The Princess Bride the greatest movie ever?
Debruge is right about The Princess Bride. It’s flawless. Goldman told his daughters a bedtime story that he later used in the film. A grandfather (Peter Falk) tells his grandson (Fred Savage) a story. The grandson asks to skip the boring parts. The result is a beautiful, fun, suspenseful, lovely film. It’s a movie anyone would defend to their death. The Princess Bride did not do well at the box office because it confused its own studio. The marketers didn’t know what it was. Sometimes it feels like a romance, and sometimes like an action movie; sometimes it reads like a comedy and other times like a drama. It’s the perfect movie to watch on a desert island because it contains parts of many different movies. Most people want to know what kind of movie they’re watching before they start. The Princess Bride defies labels. Goldman defied our expectations. McKee says we all have these expectations, even if we don’t realize it. The originality of The Princess Bride made it hard to sell.
How would I write commandments if I were trying to write like Robert McKee?
What is the life lesson of The Princess Bride?
Be like Fezzik. Stay humble. There are many lessons in The Princess Bride. When your parents ask you to do something, just say yes. Don’t trust anyone with six fingers on one hand. Don’t go into a lake full of eels. Rock climbing could save your life. Watch The Princess Bride with your kids to teach them these lessons. If you love The Princess Bride, check out this fun parody video. It’s impossible! I memorized all those movie quotes. I told you I knew it all!
📹 “Princess Bride” star Patinkin reveals his favorite line in the film
In this “CBS This Morning” Extra, actor Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride,” talks about the line that …
I got to say I met Cary 2 years ago in Knoxville TN at a Fanboy convention. Now if you have never been to one they are really alot of fun…..now for contest I am a disabled vet who has had massive spinal cord surgery and must use a cane to walk. I was standing in line (over an hour with about another hour maybe more to go) to get up to meet him. I have a DAV hat on usually because, well im proud to be what I am. As I was standing there a woman walks up too me and says ” Thank you for your service sir, Cary says Vets dont wait in his line”. She then walked me to the front of the line I looked back at all the people and said what about them? They got here first…….noone had an issue with it and upon reaching the front Cary motioned me up, shook my hand and said “Its an honor to shake your hand sir” I was able to get his autograph and photo with him free of charge (usually costs like $40). I was able to talk to him for a few min as well. I tell you this only because I want the world to know the kind of person he is and what an impact he made on me that day!!
I met Cary Elwes at Powell’s books in Portland, OR. He did a book signing for “As You Wish”. He went over the allotted time, because he wanted to be sure everyone’s books were signed. He signed over 2,000 books that night. I was among the final people in line, he must have been exhausted, his hand must have hurt like crazy, and yet, he spoke to to me as graciously and kindly as though I were th first person there! I thanked him for his time, and he said simply, “it is my honor”.
My husband and I rented Princess Bride and later he bought it for me. I fell in love with the movie the first time Westley said, “As you wish” because they were almost like what my husband would say to me, but in Spanish, whenever I asked him for anything big or small. It was his way of saying “I love you.” He was my prince and hero and I truly miss his gentle loving presence in my life.
Princess Bride was one of the greatest films a kid could possibly grow up with. Along with other classics like The Goonies, or Labyrinth, or The Dark Crystal, or the Neverending Story. The 80s and 90s were a cultural treasure trove compared to the nonsense kids have to contend with today. I was so very lucky to have been born when I was. What a time to be a kid.
This film has been such a cultural phenomenon. My daughter and son -in-law had a close friend officiate their wedding and he used most of the dialogue from the film. As soon as he opened his mouth and said “Mawage….” the entire crowd (over 200 of us) from children to senior citizens were in stitches. It was glorious.
I first saw Princess Bride on a transatlantic flight. Fell immediately in love with it, and was one of the best PR spokespersons for the film. Harassed everyone I knew to watch it until they did. I know they did because the next time I saw them they thanked me profusely for turning them onto it. The Princess Bride will prove to be The Wizard of Oz of all the generations to come. Well done! Love, Joy & Blessings in Absolute Abundance to all involved! ✨💖✨
I fell in love with this movie when it first came out when I was 21 yrs old and years later, I introduced my two boys to it and they still quote it to this day. We watch it from time to time and it gets better every time we watch it. Such a classic!! Thank you all for the great memories and laughter.
When I showed Princess Bride to my daughter, I could see the bit of “what is this?” for the first ten minutes or so, then she was into it and laughing her head off. Such a great movie! I gotta say though that if I were casting the part of Vincent Price, I would cast Mr. Elwes. His soft spoken voice and erudite accent would make him perfect! That he has a face that could work too is all the better! Such a fun article!
When we moved halfway across the country and crammed myself, wife, and two children into my sister in laws spare bedroom until we found a place, this was one of the DVDs we had on hand. Both my wife and I sleep with the television on, and we would put this on repeat for the night. Man I cannot speak highly enough about the place this movie holds with my family. To this day I tell my wife Shut up witch…..because I know how she will respond. You guys truly made a timeless movie. This is a movie my grandchildren will see, I have no doubt about that.
So, I was at church (Catholic) for my youngest daughter’s first confession. The priest was talking to the parents as the kids lined up and we’re all sitting in the pews in the church. He was Irish and his accent was so thick (this was in America) we couldn’t understand a word. My husband looks over to me and whispers, “Marriage…” doing the voice from the priest in the movie, and I lost it. I started laughing and could not stop. It was so, so inappropriate but hilarious. People giving us dirty looks because once I started laughing he started laughing. Fun Princess Bride memory for us hehe
Cary is an amazing man! I was heartbroken when he suffered a medical emergency and was hospitalized earlier this year. I loved this interview and immediately purchased his book for my Kindle! The Princess Bride came out when I was a Junior in HS and I stopped counting at 47 times I’ve seen it… it’s “inconceivable” now how many times I’ve seen it! God bless you, Cary and all the cast. Rest in Peace to all those we’ve lost….Andre to name one. 🙏💜
I first saw Princess Bride 20 years after it was released. Cary was so handsome (Pretty really, but I always loved that look on a man.) This was such a great interview. Cary seems so down to earth and relatable. I just bought Princess Bride for my grandson’s birthday. I know he is going to be so angry with me, that I bought him a “girl” movie. But, the movie has something for everyone, and it still has Cary for me.
I can’t remember enjoying 40 minutes on YouTube more than this; what a wonderful, gracious and modest man! Good questioning by the interviewer too. I guess it happens all round the world, but when my daughter was at Uni 15 years ago the kids she was with used to have Princess Bride parties; they’d dress up and re-enact the whole movie, word for word, they all knew the script off by heart! (I think I know most of it too, Princess Bride and Bladerunner are my two very favouritist movies)
wow when he saids their instructor and swordsman was teachers from the Errol Flynn and Burt Lancaster films in the beginning then at end he saids they had to watch Sea Hawk and Robin Hood gave me goose bumbs. How awesome is that for pirate lovers and of the genre 🙂 thanks :)! and love all the Princess Bride fans! Got to read that book 🙂
I have 5 children and have just had the pleasure of introducing my two youngest children to my favourite movie, The Princess Bride, in a few years I will introduce it to my grandchildren…this is a classic, one of those rare movies where all the cast fit the roles perfectly and the set, story all come together beautifully to create a timeless peace. Thank you to all those who made this movie possible❤
Funny story: A semi-girlfriend took me to see the film when it came out and I loved it. About a week later I was out with the guys (we were all recently 18) and we were playing article games at the mall and we decided to go see a movie. I started waxing lyrical about The Princess Bride and they ALL refused to see a kids film. We were men now. We were going to see a film with blood and boobs and decapitations and stuff. I held my ground and after about 20 minutes of arguing we all went to see my film amongst much grumbling and threats. When we got out of the movie, all these tough guys got in line once more and we watched it again.
I didn’t even know the Princess Bride was in the movies. I first saw it on VHS at Blockbuster years after it was made and though “Hmm? this looks interesting” We all fell in love with it. As a matter of fact when it came out on DVD I bought so by kids could watch it. Our favorite line is “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Elwes is a great interviewer and actor. Regarding his story about breaking his (big?) toe, as someone who has broken his halluxes three times (once crushing the bone to pieces – a “comminuted” fracture) I can attest to the fact that you can’t put a cast on it or even wrap it. It hurts like hell and can only be treated with painkillers and tincture of time. While very painful to walk on, it doesn’t merit a cane.
Back in ‘88 I watched this movie daily after work (just outta high school). Quoting the whole thing line for line front to back in months. To this day, as I’m at work, I run through the movie, line for line, word for word. There’s a lot of movies I love. Why is this one an obsession? The mix of American comedy with British dry sarcasm? Something is balanced, lovable and honest about this film. Thanks Cary for the book and this interview.
I saw the film its opening weekend and was blown away, from the first scene to the last it’s one of those perfect films. I work at Disneyland in one of those rare jobs where I can spend time with Guests and there are SO many engaged couples and newlyweds who can recite the entire film! I also do weddings and there are ministers who specialise in doing the “maiwidge” ceremony. They’re very good at it.
In the early 90s, I went to college 2 years early, with a bunch of fellow nerds doing the same. Every evening, a large group of us would hang out in the common room and watch movies–and almost every night, Princess Bride was one of them. (Holy Grail was pretty popular, too.) We probably watched it literally hundreds of times, and 30 years later, I STILL have it memorized. My youth was NOT wasted!
My two boys grew up with this very special movie. It was such a big deal to them that when one of them, an artist, was a senior in highschool became totally disillusioned when he had his ultimate jewelry piece TOTALLY re-designed by the teacher. Finally the schoolyear was ending and so was the arguing with the teacher about the piece that now resembled her thoughts only. Before being placed in a state competition, the dictator-teach said, “you haven’t named it yet. What are you going to call it, it has to have a name?” His response was, ” AS YOU WISH”. In a small way he was able to reclaimed a small part of his pride.
I was taking my family on vacation, a long road trip. So my wife and I and four daughters, two in high school and one in Jr high, began to play out the Princess Bride, speaking all the lines from memory. I had not seen the story but was intrigued enough that I saw it at my earliest opportunity. It is an amazingly well played tale.
I picked this book to fill a Book with a Subtitle in the 52 Book Challenge 2023 but it’s sitting in Book by a Comedian right now. This is the very first book I’ve ever listened to that kept my attention. The full 7 hours! I bought an Aux cord and plugged my phone into the car stereo system so my husband and I could both listen to it. I borrowed it through Libby and did the audio version. I’m SOOO glad I did! I think Cary’s voice, his imitations, and the others that joined him just make it something that is worth having. We went to a book store and bought the book too. Thank you Cary! You did a great job!
I had never seen this before though I have seen “The Princess Bride” hundreds of time. I always liked Cary Elwes’ acting, partly BECAUSE of this movie, AND “Robin Hood – Men in Tights” (I had always been curious if there was a connection between those two movies). Anyway, I get the very strong impression that this is a very kind and truly decent man. That was before I read the comments below, which confirmed my thoughts. He reminds me of the way Keanu Reeves or Jay Leno act in public, just normal, decent guys. It is very nice to know that there are still decent people in Hollywood.
This is so sweet. My boyfriend bought this movie for me. He said “Here, you will like this” after I went in deep mourning from another movie we saw. I started saying “as you wish” to my restaurant customers. It seemed a polite way to get along with grumpy customers, while wrapping myself in an aura of love and kindness. Thanks for posting this. It’s very meaningful at this time. I’m running a #television #violence #protest right now prompted by some outrageous #GunViolence we saw on tv. Much appreciated♡♡
My wife and I watched Princess Bride the first time on VHS and we loved it. Then a month later we wanted to rent it again an have our kids enjoy it. We went back to Blockbuster and couldn’t find it. The cashier said it in the comedy section. Now in a mind set of a comedy it was even better! My grown children still quote lines….. inconceivable!
First time I saw this film I had absolutely no idea about the plot nor heard anything about it. I hadn’t seen my mother in a while and she said let’s go see “The Princess Bride”. I probably rolled my teenage eyes and thought bloody typical, got to go watch a stupid princess movie with my mum. I don’t think I had ever been as entertained as I was that day. One of the great films and an awesome interview. Off now to buy Cary’s book!
I was at university when the film came out, and the only other person I knew who’d heard of it – let alone seen it – was my flatmate. So it was just the two of us for years sharing lines from the film. It wasn’t for at least 10 years that I started to meet other people who liked it as well. And, as Elwes says, they’d come to know it through article rental. Nowadays, a kidult action-fantasy film is the movie standard. Back then it was uncommon.
I would watch Princess Bride over Fatal Attraction to this day… I am a 45yr man and we watched this as kids and my kids watched it while growing up and I’ve watched it with many a girlfriend over the years… such a classic and such a fun movie to watch, kinda timless to me…. a movie for kids and adults… fans of fairy tale, romance, comedy and action, etc, etc. it kinda had everything…
Cary you still have the it factor. I have loved Princess Bride for years. My husband is your doppelgänger lol. Thank you so very much for sharing your talent and gifts with the world. This is a charming interview. So inspiring and informative. I love your accent and humor. Please continue to stay in the craft unless you feel too old. Lol. Then retire and relax. I am going to share this little gem with my family. It really shows your true magical dynamic true colors. You’re awesome 😎. 🤗
I brought this in VHS home for my 3 sons in 90. They ALL have copies of it in DVD to this day as 1 of their top 5. When I was a JR. in College in 2002 I asked a girl if she ever saw it and said no. I WAS floored…. So the next time I brought a DVD copy for her to borrow. She said she showed it to her boyfriend as something to watch. He almost flipped out at her questioning how she never saw it and it was HIS favorite. They watched it twice in one night. She was really thankful for the recommendation and was going to buy her own.
I love this interview so much. Cary is so poised and humble for a person of his talent and celebrity. The Princess Bride is my all time favorite film as it is for many people. As wonderful as all the actors were, the reason for me was Cary’s role as Wesley. I’ve followed his career ever since. The book and hearing these anecdotes is a joy. It’s an added layer to know the people making the film enjoyed it as much as you did perusal it.
The VHS boom of that movie was a lot faster than 10 years later. It was one of the first article cassettes we had in our house. We got a VCR in 87 and we had Lady and the Tramp, Rocky and Star Wars which I recorded off tv and The Princess Bride we got in 88. Watched it so many times, it nearly wore out.
Our entire family–hubby, me, and 3 children–went to see this together as soon as it came out in our local theatre!!! We ALL loved it… cheering, laughing out loud, etc., etc.! When it came out on DVD, we bought it. Every once in awhile, I still pull it out to watch once again!!! Truly, one of the BEST EVER movies ever made and very family-friendly!! High recommended . . . STILL!!! Glad I came across this interview this morning…gonna pass it on to my kids! Thank YOU for sharing this with all of us!!!
i am a military contractor and prior military. i was in the military active duty during the 80s. i have always THOROUGHLY enjoyed the princess bride and its always been the go to movie i cant pass up. i have traveled the world and worked with so many different types of people from so many walks of life. the one thing i can tell you is … an INCREDIBLE number of people … can quote various lines from the film and everyone that has seen it .. loves it. its in a word, INCONCEIVABLE. i am now 61 years old and still working with the US military. i was in Estonia last year working when i female capt. had asked me to have my unit perform a task for her team. i replied “as you wish”. to which she replied that if i could manage this it would be “Inconceivable”. she was maybe in her 30s. in Estonia. its hard to wrap your head around that. A timeless pearl cast before a swine like me 🙂
In every single story I’ve ever heard about André he was entirely the giant sweetheart that you’d want him to be. He really was so loveable. It’s well worth listening to his former wrestling companions talking about him, there are some great stories, from picking up a young Arnold Schwarzenegger like he was a toddler to casually drinking a bar dry.
I saw Princess Bride on its release in a small independent cinema in the Lake District in England. I think there were about 10 people in the cinema. It’s been my all time favourite film ever since, and I’ve watched it more times than I can remember. I’ve also introduced to anyone who didn’t know the film and they have all loved it too. Just listened to Cary reading his book. Wonderful! He downplays his fencing abilities in this interview.
It was a very rare thing, The PERFECT movie. Well written well directed, and well cast. I think a great tribute to this movie could be made some time in the near future. They should reshoot the parts with Peter Falk and Fred Savage, with grown up Fred Savage reading the story to his child or grandchild. Fred Savage will be 43 in July. He’s a bit old to be reading it to his son, but in 10 or 15 years he’ll be old enough to read it to his grandson. Peter Falk did say he had read the book to Fred’s father and his father had read it to him. If the leave the rest of the film alone, it would be a fantastic tribute edition.
My husband and I were camping when chernobyl happened. Came out of the woods after three days, turned on the radio and hear “more on that nuclear explosion later.” After a pause we realized if it was that bad we wouldn’t have radio reception 🙂 I also was an extra in Sugar Mountain with Cary Elwes here in Seward Alaska. He is very nice.
Overseas on deployment, very intense year. Got to see The Princess Bride. It was almost 13 years after the release. Walked in during the opening scene, Peter Falk was speaking. I sat down and watched, in a hot tent that smelled of *&^%, the entire movie. And, yes, the majority of the people in there were reciting the dialog in sequence in perfect unison. I thought, before going to the mwr tent, that the only useful entertainment I needed came in the form of sleep. I was wrong and helped me to realize what good movies are great at doing, suspending reality or disbelief. Thank you to the entire cast and everyone involved for your hard work.
The first time I saw princess bride I went with a friend with zero expectations. I figured it was a romance but I was so pleased to see it was a sweet little comedy that has it all. When everyone I knew got a vcr, it seemed like every time I went to a friends they’d have Princess Bride. So after awhile certain iconic lines became part of our daily vocabulary. “Inconceivable” is probably one of the biggest. As well as Mostly dead all day, as you wish, you keep saying that but I don’t think it means what you think it means, mahwiiidge is wha bwings us togeda…., cliffs of insanity, my name is inego Montoya …….., so many, and Humperdinck, Humperdinck, Humperdinck…. Of course. It’s something that keeps finding a new generation and the buzz words that have come from it have become a part of our English lexicon and shared cultural experience
Easily one of my favorite movies of all time. & it’s now my son’s favorite movie too. He watches it every night b4 bed & usually asleep by the time they get to the Fire Swamp. Seen it so many times that now I can quote every line in the entire movie, in the different voices, all from memory. My question for them is: Do they really survive at the end of the movie? (Bc they don’t in the book)
I got my picture taken with him, Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) at the last pre covid Comicon in Portland Oregon. The Princess Bride is my all time favorite movie. Any time I am asked, hands down, no hesitation, it’s the same answer I give when asked what’s one movie if I were trapped on an island with just one movie, which would it be? The Princess Bride. If I had a Nickle for every time I said “you keep using that word, I don’t think it means what you think it means” I could have retired 10 years ago. Also the fight scene with him and Andre while Andre had a jacked up back and was basically in constant pain was and I never even knew till years later in an interview shows how good an actor he was. Also, how can you not like the movie, it literally has something for everyone in it, pirates, swordfights, Giants, Cicilians, mystery, rodents of unusual size, fire swamps, witches, princes, princesses, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, sailing, rock climbing, revenge, love, hate, torture, comedy, drama, magic.
I met cary, his car broke down and he was headed to tyson fight and needed a ride to airport quick.. I didn’t know him or had not seen any of him films, probably cuz i was in the military before this and didn’t go to the movies much. I was just a nice guy and gave him a ride. On the way he told me who he was. Later I did watch some of his films..
Every movie has stuff that’s forgettable. Scenes characters dialogue etc. But Princess Bride is one of the few where that just is not the case. Everything about this movie characters, scenes, dialogue is so memorable you don’t forget anything about it, even if it’s a random extra as a guard riding 2 rows back to the left behind Humperdinck while searching for Buttercup. This movie is just that amazing you can’t forget any detail even if you tried. Back To The Future is another one like that.
Another reference for you from Wikipedia – Peter Diamond (10 August 1929 – 27 March 2004) was an English actor who had trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is remembered as a stuntman on television or film.\r \r His appearances total over 1,000 credits in the industry as a stuntman, coordinator or fight arranger.
He is a fantastic storyteller! These types of in depth interviews that run over 30 mins can make my attention wane but I was completely engaged until the end! His charm and wit aside, his attention to detail, all the little impressions… It’s the same technique to captivating a child with a good story
The stories from Cary were excellent as he was very charming in retelling the events of how it came to be. But the interviewer was a real life version of the character Chris Farley plays interviewing famous people…”Awesome” is not a connecting point to the story or the person telling it. Try for some insight and connection to the person and stop worrying about getting to your next question.