Top 10 Surprising Facts About The Princess Bride

#10: Alternate Casting Choices

The Princess Bride almost beat Twins to the punchline, at one point considering Danny DeVito for Vizzini and Arnold Schwarzenegger for Fezzik. When Schwarzeneggers name first came up, he wasnt an established star. By the time the film adaptation of William Goldmans book finally moved forward, Schwarzeneggers schedule was swamped. So, the filmmakers went with André the Giant, who had always been Goldmans first choice. For Buttercup, Goldman envisioned Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. Courtney Cox, Meg Ryan, Uma Thurman, Sean Young, Suzy Amis, Alexandra Paul, and Whoopi Goldberg were in contention for the role that ultimately went to then-newcomer Robin Wright. Christopher Reeve was once attached to potentially play Westley. Ironically, Cary Elwes worked on the original Superman as an assistant to Marlon Brando.

#9: A This Is Spinal Tap Easter Egg

Multiple creative figures attempted to adapt The Princess Bride before Rob Reiner threw his hat into the ring. Reiner was a fan of the book, which he had received from his father. After speaking with Reiner, William Goldman watched his feature directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap. The 1984 mockumentary cracked Goldman up, giving Reiner his blessing. Since Spinal Tap helped get him the gig, its only fitting that Reiner worked in a nod to that comedy. Among the various trinkets adorning the grandsons bedroom is the USS Ooral Sea hat that Reiner wore in Spinal Tap. This Easter Egg was included as a favor to Dire Straits member Mark Knopfler, who agreed to compose The Princess Bride if Reiner included a Spinal Tap reference.

#8: Real Fire in the Fire Swamp

The Fire Swamp sequence was shot on a sound stage with practical effects. This included the fire that gave the swamp its name. One shot required Buttercups dress to be set ablaze before Westley promptly extinguishes it. To avoid any hazards, Robin Wrights flame-retardant dress was given an extra layer of fireproof fabric. William Goldman didnt realize this when he showed up on set, interrupting the shoot because he thought the leading lady was on fire. That wasnt the only challenge the Fire Swamp brought. Danny Blackner, one of the little people who played the R.O.U.S., had been pulled over a night earlier. The filmmakers had to get him out of jail so he could dress up as a giant rat.

#7: Christopher Guest Really Knocked Out Cary Elwes

Count Rugens infamous sixth finger might not be real, but the bop on the head that Christopher Guest gave Cary Elwes most certainly was. Although Guest didnt want to hit his co-star too hard, Elwes pushed him to make it look real. As they shot the scene where Rugen knocks Westley out with his sword, Guest swung harder than intended. The next thing that Elwes knew, he was in the emergency room getting stitches in his skull. Ironically, the doctor tending to Elwes head injury was the same one who had treated him for a broken toe he received while horsing around on André the Giants ATV. Elwes didnt blame Guest, who nonetheless felt awful. On the plus side, they got the shot!

#6: Mandy Patinkins Sad Motivation Behind You Killed My Father

Mandy Patinkin had no idea you killed my father would become such an immortal quote. Yet, the line always carried great significance for Patinkin, who had lost his father to cancer years before being cast as Inigo Montoya. To capture Inigos intense hatred for Count Rugen, Patinkin envisioned the six-fingered villain as if he were the cancer that had claimed his fathers life. Patinkin mightve gotten a little too into character, as he accidentally stabbed Christopher Guest in the thigh during a rehearsal. Guest was alright, although he feared Patinkin might actually kill him when the cameras rolled. Despite this hiccup, Inigos quest for revenge proved therapeutic for Patinkin, who walked away with some form of closure concerning his fathers death.

#5: Peter Falk Wanted to Wear Old Man Makeup

Peter Falk became a TV icon as Lieutenant Columbo, but to a certain generation, hell always be the grandfather from The Princess Bride. By the time he was cast in the 1987 film, Falk was nearly 60 years old. Although he was an appropriate age, Falk wasnt convinced that he looked old enough to be a grandfather. Falk asked if he could wear prosthetics, an idea that Rob Reiner humored. After seeing the results of the makeup test, Falk reportedly told Reiner that he resembled a burn victim. Reiner suggested that they do it without the elderly makeup, to which Falk replied, I think youre on to something. No stills of that makeup test are available, although we imagine Falk mightve looked something like Deadpool.

#4: Billy Crystals Ad-Libs Were Painfully Funny

Although his screen time is limited, Billy Crystal completely threw himself into the role of Miracle Max. He even played a role in his makeup design, suggesting the character look like a mix between his grandmother and Casey Stengel of the New York Yankees. Crystal and Carol Kane, who played Valerie, also conceived a backstory for the old odd couple. Although Reiner encouraged Crystal to improvise, the director couldnt be on set for his scenes. Reiner knew he wouldnt be able to contain his laughter if he were in the room, tasking Mandy Patinkin with giving the off-camera lines. While Patinkin managed to restrain himself, it wasnt easy. In fact, Patinkin claims that he bruised a rib fighting his urge to laugh at Crystals antics.

#3: André the Giants Back Problems on Set

When André the Giant was cast as Fezzik, the filmmakers were concerned about his line delivery, but figured he wouldnt have any physical issues given his wrestling background. Ironically, Andrés performance was spot on, but he couldnt do stunts because of a back surgery. As Fezzik faced off against Westley, André required a stunt double for certain shots. For the close-ups where Westley hangs from Fezziks back, Elwes walked up a flight of unseen ramps. In the end, when Buttercup leaps from her window into Fezziks arms, Robin Wright needed to be suspended with cables. To combat his horrible back pain, André often drank. How much? During the films production, André stayed at a hotel where he accumulated a bar tab of roughly $40,000.

#2: The Duel Initially Ran Short

Although Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin had no prior swordfighting experience, they learned to duel with both hands. The two received guidance from fencer Bob Anderson and stunt coordinator Peter Diamond, who share credits like Highlander and Star Wars in common. After months of training, the actors performed the duel in front of Rob Reiner on set for the first time. Everyone appeared satisfied except Reiner, who asked, Thats it? Not because the choreography was underwhelming, but the scene ran short. Elwes and Patinkin had become so skilled that they were able to complete their duel in just over one minute. Reiner said it needed to be at least three minutes. So, the team had to devise a few new tricks.

#1: An Almost Fairytale Ending

The film ends on a simple, sweet note as the grandson asks if his grandfather can read the book again tomorrow, to which he replies, As you wish. Originally, fantasy and reality wouldve clashed. The grandfather left the book with his grandson, who reads it himself. The grandson is then drawn to his window, where he sees four white horses with the heroes atop. This ending was shot, although it wasnt easily executed. Since Andre was too heavy for a normal horse to carry, he had to be lowered onto the animal with a pulley system. While they pulled it off, Reiner felt this ending didnt work. We cant argue with the new ending that was written, but this deleted scene needs to see the light of day.

Are you a Princess Bride superfan? Share your surprising facts in the comments.