Recent Reads - As You Wish

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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes -  Having recently read Goldman's book The Princess Bride, I thought it fitting to read Elwes's memoir about the making of the movie. This book was a delight from start to finish. Cary Elwes shares stories both humorous and poignant about the experience, from his reaction to hearing that he was being considered for the part of Westley, through the final day of filming. He gives glimpses into the personalities of the other actors, and his affection and admiration for the entire cast and crew is evident throughout. Director Rob Reiner, Assistant Director Andy Scheinman, author William Goldman, and many of the actors contributed some of their own thoughts and memories, which are included in sidebars throughout the book.

I loved having the inside scoop on how some of the scenes were filmed, and how the actors prepared. Fascinating tidbits like these - Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin trained with Olympic fencers every day to master the swordfight sequence, and they didn't use doubles for the swordfight at all! In the scene where Count Rugen knocks Westley out before taking him to the Pit of Despair, Elwes really was knocked cold, when the handle of the sword actually struck his head. While filming scenes in which Billy Crystal (Miracle Max) and Mel Smith (the Albino) were ad libbing, Rob Reiner had to leave the set after shouting "Action!" because he couldn't help laughing out loud. And Elwes couldn't keep still enough to pass for "mostly dead" while Billy Crystal was cracking jokes, so a dummy had to be used for part of that scene.

Especially touching also were the many fond memories of Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik. It seems that Andre was one of the most beloved and popular people on the film, and there are many stories of Andre's sweet nature, generosity, and kindness.

A must read for every devoted fan of The Princess Bride!

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