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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Page 24

by Cary Elwes


  Hallam Tower Hotel, 139–40

  Hanks, Rita, 231

  Hanks, Tom, 230

  A Hard Day’s Night (film), 21

  Harper (film), 14

  Harutunian, Henry, 69

  Heartburn (film), 71

  Heaven Can Wait (film), 52

  Help! (film), 21

  Henry, Buck, 52–53, 59

  Henry VIII (king of England), 112

  Higger Tor, 135

  Highlander (film), 68

  Hogan, Hulk, 122

  Holland, Richard, 114

  Hollywood Vice Squad (film), 61

  Hotel Kempinski, 11, 15

  House of Cards (TV show), 148

  Howard, Ron, 231

  Hurt, John, 37

  Indiana Jones trilogy (film), 93

  Jackson, Peter, 68

  Jamison, Jan, 88–89

  Jane Eyre (film), 113

  The Jeffersons (TV show), 22

  Jenkins, Jane, 15

  Jesus Christ Superstar (film), 22

  Jewel of the Nile (film), 37

  Jewison, Norman, 20, 22, 242

  John, David, 93

  John Paul II (pope), 229–30

  Jones, Griff Rhys, 197

  Kane, Carol:

  casting of, 41–45, 161, 242

  cast’s mutual affection and respect, 170, 238

  cast’s table read and, 54

  Billy Crystal and, 42, 166, 167, 171

  Cary Elwes and, 165

  Rob Reiner and, 133, 155

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4

  Valerie role and, 163–65, 168–69, 171

  Katajanokka, Finland, 15

  Kaufman, Andy, 163

  Kelly, Grace, 44

  Kennedy, John F., Jr., 231

  Kiel, Richard, 49

  Kim (Kipling), 210

  King, Stephen, 18

  Kipling, Rudyard, 210

  Knopfler, Mark, 7, 191–92

  Kung Fu (TV show), 81

  Labyrinth (film), 104

  Lady Jane (film), 13, 15, 25, 35, 112, 114

  The Ladykillers (film), 144

  Lancaster, Burt, 68, 78

  The Last Detail (film), 163

  Lathkill Dale, 155

  Lawrence of Arabia (film), 33, 36

  Lean, David, 33

  Lear, Norman, 22, 24, 40, 239, 241–42

  Lee, Bruce, 81

  Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, 12

  Lester, Richard, 21

  Limato, Ed, 217

  Lincoln Center, 3, 6, 9, 234, 235, 236, 241

  Local Hero (film), 192

  Lolita (Nabokov), 14

  London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, 12

  Lord of the Rings trilogy (film), 68

  Lumet, Sidney, 51

  M*A*S*H* (TV show), 24

  Macdonald, Ross, 14

  McKean, Michael, 18

  McLean, Billy, 209–11

  Malle, Louis, 151

  Manhattan (film), 51

  Manners, John, 112

  Manners family, 112, 113

  Marathon Man (film), 16, 57, 91

  The Mark of Zorro (film), 200

  Maschenka (film), 14, 33

  Maude (TV show), 22

  A Mighty Wind (film), 188

  The Missionary (film), 40

  Mitchell, Julian, 13

  Molien, France, 119

  Mona Lisa (film), 88

  Montagna, Peter, 161–63

  Monty Python (TV show), 40, 61, 144

  Monty Python and the Holy Grail (film), 177

  Moonraker (film), 49

  Moonstruck (film), 22

  Moore, Dudley, 145

  Moore, Roger, 12

  Morrison, Jim, 36

  The Moving Target (film), 14

  The Moving Target (Macdonald), 14

  My Dinner with Andre (film), 41, 51, 151

  My Giant (film), 120

  Nabokov, Vladimir, 14

  NASA, 230–31

  Newhart, Bob, 24

  Newman, Paul, 14

  The New Yorker (magazine), 152

  New York Film Festival, 3, 221

  Nicholson, Jack, 71

  Nicolaides, Steve, 89

  Nobel Prize, 120

  Not the Nine O’clock News (TV show), 197

  Nunn, Trevor, 13

  Octopussy (film), 12

  O’Dell, Shaun, 189

  One Day at a Time (TV show), 22

  Oscar awards, 33

  Palin, Michael, 40, 144

  Patinkin, Mandy:

  André the Giant and, 119, 120, 124–25, 167

  casting of, 23–31, 41, 242

  cast’s table read and, 52

  Cliffs of Insanity scene and, 158–59, 160

  Billy Crystal and, 165, 166, 169

  film’s marketing and, 222

  on film’s success, 234

  on William Goldman, 216

  insecurity and, 71

  kidnapped Buttercup scenes and, 148

  laughing on set and, 124–25

  Inigo Montoya role and, 146

  quoting popular lines and, 5

  Rob Reiner and, 53, 71, 72, 139, 140

  Fred Savage and, 238

  Wallace Shawn and, 160

  shooting final scenes and, 212, 213

  Mel Smith and, 197

  on strength of script, 60

  sword fighting and training, 67, 69–71, 73–84, 85, 86, 126–28, 184, 187, 189, 195–208, 202

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4, 6

  Yentl and, 88

  Peak District, 7, 111–13, 136, 155

  People’s Choice Awards, 219

  Petty, Tom, 17–18, 191

  Peverel, William, the Elder, 112

  Pickens, Slim, 123

  Pickford, Mary, 112

  Pileggi, Nick, 233

  Pinewood Studios, 18

  Pink Panther series (films), 144

  Pit of Despair scenes, 40, 58, 188, 197, 198

  P. J. Clarke’s (bar), 224

  Pollack, Mark E., 241

  Pontiac Silverdome, 122

  Pride and Prejudice (film), 113

  Princess Bride (album), 192

  The Princess Bride (film):

  casting of, 18, 41–45

  cast’s mutual affection and respect, 3–4, 113, 131–33, 170, 238

  cast’s table read of, 47–56, 59–61

  catering for, 129–30

  as classic, 4–10

  critical reviews, 7–8, 220–21

  “Development Hell” and, 16–20

  director’s importance and, 132–35

  distribution of, 22–23

  as family film, 8, 167–68

  Fire Swamp scenes, 58, 85–110, 187

  gross receipts for, 222

  Haddon Hall and, 111–14

  high-profile fans of, 229–33

  as “impossible” to make, 13, 16–17, 20–22

  injuries during filming, 165, 169, 173–87, 189–91, 196, 202, 206, 211, 224

  Norman Lear and, 242

  marketing of, 218, 219, 222–23

  New York Film Festival screenings, 3, 221

  plot synopsis of, 56–59

  popular quotes from, 4–5, 9, 59, 157, 169–70, 228, 234, 235, 236

  popular resurgence of, 8–9, 228–29

  pre-production and, 33–45

  screening of rough cut, 217–18

  sword fight training, 65–84

  Toronto Film Festival screening, 4, 218–19, 220, 221, 235

  tourism in the Peak District and, 113

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening, 3, 4, 9, 234–37, 241

  weather’s effect on filming, 135–38

  The Princess Bride (Goldman), 7, 12, 14, 16, 20, 26, 34, 55

  The Prisoner of Zenda (film), 201

  Pryor, Richard, 24

  quicksand scene, 100–103

  Radner, Gilda, 217–18

  Ragtime (film), 52, 71

  Raiders of the Lost Arc (film), 68
<
br />   Redford, Robert, 20, 22, 42, 242

  Reiner, Carl:

  William Goldman and, 19–21

  as Rob Reiner’s father, 25

  screening of rough cut of film and, 217, 218

  sincerity/satire balance and, 107

  Reiner, Rob:

  André the Giant and, 48–51, 120, 124–26, 213

  Danny Blackner and, 105–7

  casting and, 11–16, 23–31, 41–44, 242

  cast’s table read and, 47–56, 59–60

  catering and, 130

  Bill Clinton and, 233

  cooking for cast and, 139–40

  critical response to film and, 220

  Billy Crystal and, 93, 155, 164, 165, 166

  as director, 7, 17–21, 93, 133–38, 174, 182–84, 216, 235

  Cary Elwes and, 11–16, 25, 113, 137, 141, 144, 161, 177–79, 181–85, 189–91, 198, 211, 237

  end of production and, 216

  English food and, 138–40

  Peter Falk and, 171

  film’s marketing and, 219, 222, 223

  film’s popular resurgence and, 239

  film’s release and, 217–19

  Fire Swamp scenes and, 85–88, 91–99, 101–3, 105–10

  William Goldman and, 20, 21–22, 23, 88, 91, 94, 95

  John Gotti and, 233

  Christopher Guest and, 139, 140

  Haddon Hall filming and, 114

  Carol Kane and, 133, 155

  laughter during takes and, 124–26, 155, 165, 167, 168, 169, 198

  love of storytelling, 237–38

  “mostly dead” and, 115–16, 123, 168

  Mandy Patinkin and, 53, 71, 72, 139, 140

  playing darts and, 140–41

  pre-production and, 36, 39–41

  Andy Scheinman and, 21, 23, 93, 128, 137–38, 140

  Wallace Shawn and, 152, 153, 154–55, 157, 158, 159, 160

  sheepdog trials and, 140–41

  shooting final scenes and, 212–15

  sword fighting scenes and, 66–67, 70, 78, 81, 196–201, 203, 204, 206–8

  tea breaks and, 128–29, 135

  This is Spinal Tap and, 11, 17–18, 20

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4, 235–37, 241

  USS Coral Sea hat and, 191–92

  weather’s effect on filming and, 135–38

  Return of the Jedi (film), 104

  Richards, Terry, 174–77, 179

  Ripping Yarns (TV show), 144

  Roberts, Bartholomew, 38

  Robin Hood (film), 67

  Robinson, Harriet, 11, 12, 14, 15, 29, 31

  The Rocky Horror Picture Show (film), 9, 235

  Rodents of Unusual Size, 4, 7, 58, 65, 103–7, 106, 109–10, 238

  Rolling Stones (rock band), 122

  Roussimoff, André René. See André the Giant

  Roussimoff, Boris, 119

  Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, 68

  Royal Shakespeare Company, 13

  Salinger, J. D., 152

  Sanford and Son (TV show), 22

  Santa Barbara (TV show), 42, 43, 61, 143, 146

  Sarah Lawrence College, 27

  Sarandon, Chris:

  André the Giant and, 127

  “Captain Kangaroo” fire warden and, 115

  casting of, 41, 42, 52, 242

  cast’s table read and, 51

  Cary Elwes and, 54

  on English crews, 40

  William Goldman and, 42, 52

  Humperdinck role and, 146

  movie poster and, 220

  Rob Reiner and, 134, 140

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4

  Robin Wright and, 54

  Sarandon, Susan, 42

  Saturday Night Live (TV show), 23–24, 27, 53, 162

  Savage, Fred:

  alternate ending scene and, 212

  bedroom set for, 40

  casting of, 242

  cast’s mutual affection and respect, 238

  cast’s table read and, 52

  Cary Elwes and, 170–71

  Peter Falk and, 7, 170–71, 210

  film’s marketing and, 222

  film’s poster and, 219

  Mandy Patinkin and, 238

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4

  USS Coral Sea hat and, 191

  Saw (film), 6

  Scaramouche (film), 201

  The Scarlet Pimpernel (film), 201

  Scheinman, Andy:

  André the Giant and, 48–49, 50–51, 62, 63, 117, 120, 122

  Danny Blackner and, 105–7

  casting and, 11, 14–15, 24–26, 28, 29, 30, 43, 242

  cast’s table read and, 47–51, 54

  Chernobyl accident and, 16, 26

  decision to produce film and, 19

  Cary Elwes and, 11, 14–15, 103, 144, 183

  English food and, 138, 139

  film’s marketing and, 223

  quicksand scene and, 103

  Rob Reiner and, 21, 23, 93, 128, 137–38, 140

  Rodents of Unusual Size and, 107

  Wallace Shawn and, 152, 154, 160

  sword fighting scenes and, 66, 198

  Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 22, 53, 219

  SCTV (TV show), 144

  The Sea Hawk (film), 78, 201

  The Season (Goldman), 20

  Sellers, Peter, 144

  Shawn, Wallace:

  André the Giant and, 159, 160

  Battle of Wits scene and, 128, 155–58

  casting of, 41, 151, 152, 242

  cast’s table read and, 51

  Cliffs of Insanity scene and, 158–59, 160

  Cary Elwes and, 153

  insecurities of, 152–59

  kidnapped Buttercup scenes and, 148

  quoting popular lines and, 157, 236

  Rob Reiner and, 152, 153, 154–55, 157, 158, 159, 160

  sword fighting scenes and, 202

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4, 236

  Robin Wright and, 147

  Shearer, Harry, 18

  sheepdog trials, 140–41

  Shepperton Studios:

  Cliffs of Insanity set, 127, 159, 160, 191, 202

  Fire Swamp set at, 40, 85

  FX Department and, 36–37

  shooting scenes and, 152, 212

  The Six Million Dollar Man (TV show), 48, 53

  Smith, Mel, 197–98, 197, 234

  Soap (TV show), 24

  Something Different (play), 20

  Spielberg, Steven, 88

  The Spy Who Loved Me (film), 49

  Stand by Me (film), 18, 22

  Star Wars (film), 36, 37, 68, 95

  Stengel, Casey, as inspiration for Miracle Max makeup, 162

  Sting (musician), 18, 191

  Storry, Malcolm, 126

  Studio Babelsberg, 15

  Sunday in the Park with George (film), 71

  The Sure Thing (film), 17, 18, 20

  Taxi (TV show), 24, 163

  The Temple of Gold (Goldman), 20

  Thibault d’Anvers, Gerard, 66

  This is Spinal Tap (film):

  Christopher Guest and, 18, 23, 188, 216

  Rob Reiner and, 11–17, 18, 20

  Nigel Tufnel’s amp, 200

  USS Coral Sea hat from, 191–92

  The Three Musketeers (film), 201

  Time Bandits (film), 40, 212

  Tony Awards, 71

  Toronto Film Festival, 4, 218–19, 220, 221, 235

  Toronto International Film Festival, 218

  Treatise on the Science of Arms with Philosophical Dialogue (Agrippa), 66

  Truffaut, François, 17, 18, 22, 242

  20th Century Fox, 21, 22–23, 217, 218, 220, 222, 223

  Twister (film), 6

  2001: A Space Odyssey (film), 36

  Vernon, Dorothy, 112

  Vernon, George, 112

  VHS video market, 8, 228

  Waiting for Godot (Beckett), 120

  Waiting for Guffman (film), 188

&n
bsp; Webber, Andrew Lloyd, 71

  Which Lie Did I Tell (Goldman), 86

  Wilder, Gene, 217–18

  William Morris Agency, 14

  William the Conqueror, 112

  Winters, Jonathan, 24

  The Wizard of Oz (film), 8, 40, 165, 222

  Wright, Robin:

  André the Giant and, 63, 117, 118, 148

  Buttercup role and, 145–49

  casting of, 25, 41–45, 54, 242

  cast’s table read and, 53

  Cliffs of Insanity scene and, 158–59

  Cary Elwes and, 41–44, 60–61, 96–99, 143–49, 183, 186

  end of production and, 216

  Fire Swamp scenes and, 85, 87, 90, 96–100, 102–3

  William Goldman and, 43, 44

  imitating accents and, 44, 61, 143–44

  laughing on set and, 107

  Rob Reiner and, 140

  Wallace Shawn and, 157

  shooting final scenes and, 212–15

  twenty-fifth-anniversary screening and, 4, 237

  Writer’s Guild of America, 9

  Wyeth, N. C., 36

  Yentl (film), 71, 88

  Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow (Goldman), 20

  Zigfield Theater, 221

  Zorro (film), 35

  Touchstone

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  New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 2014 by Cary Elwes

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Touchstone Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

  First Touchstone hardcover edition October 2014

  TOUCHSTONE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Unless otherwise credited, all photographs are courtesy of The Princess Bride, Ltd.

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  Interior design by Ruth Lee-Mui

  Jacket photographs: Images from The Princess Bride, courtesy of Act III Productions, LP and The Princess Bride, Ltd.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Elwes, Cary.

  As you wish : inconceivable tales from the making of The princess bride / Cary Elwes with Joe Layden.

  pages cm

  Includes index.

  1. Princess bride (Motion picture) 2. Elwes, Cary. I. Layden, Joe. II. Title.

  PN1997.P74534E69 2014

  791.43'72—dc23 2014014652

  ISBN 978-1-4767-6402-3

  ISBN 978-1-4767-6403-0 (ebook)

 

 

 


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