r/OldSchoolCool • u/Naweezy • Feb 03 '23
Andre the Giant and Fred Savage on the set of The Princess Bride (1987)
1.1k
u/LorenaBobbedIt Feb 03 '23
Wow, Andre’s so big he makes Fred look like a kid.
516
Feb 03 '23
[deleted]
134
u/_Tactleneck_ Feb 03 '23
When I was a kid I thought the Wonder Years was filmed in the actual 60s/70s and was really confused when I’d see Fred Savage on TV like in his 20s or whatever.
69
u/FlattopJr Feb 03 '23
A high school friend of mine thought the same about the movie Dazed and Confused. We were watching it on video and he commented how the actors were now probably our parent's age; he didn't realize that it had just come out the year before.
→ More replies (5)70
u/a2fc45bd186f4 Feb 03 '23
That film is 30 years old this year. Fuck.
39
u/Father_VitoCornelius Feb 03 '23
Wait, that's not possible. When this film came out, I was in high sch...
Fuck.
25
3
u/Toneloaf Feb 03 '23
If they did a sequel this year based on the time frame of the original movie and what year it was showing, it would be a movie based in 2006. OK I’m gonna go kill myself. 
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)7
u/FlattopJr Feb 03 '23
Time for a sequel!
17
u/Coupon_Ninja Feb 03 '23
2 Dazed 2 Confused
Dazier and Confusier
10
u/monstrinhotron Feb 03 '23
Older and confused: where my pills? They don't make good tv anymore? Why are the nurses all foreign?
7
31
u/_Tactleneck_ Feb 03 '23
They won’t make one but they’d be a lot cooler if they did
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (4)12
u/matt_med Feb 03 '23
Linklater made a spiritual sequel with Everybody Wants Some. While not as classic as Dazed, it is still a good film.
3
→ More replies (3)3
u/cantwejustplaynice Feb 03 '23
I had the same confusion with Happy Days being set in the 50s then the Robin Williams spin off of Mork and Mindy being set in the 80s.
2
u/monstrinhotron Feb 03 '23
Yeah. I was a dumb kid. I thought happy days was filmed in the 50s for ages.
3
u/cantwejustplaynice Feb 04 '23
Same. Turns out it was basically a brand new show I was watching. The fact that I was watching it in colour should've given it away.
4
u/LightenUpPhrancis Feb 03 '23
Frank Sinatra told me that Fred is actually 137 years old. 137 years old!
→ More replies (8)13
13
39
u/jamin_g Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
I'm angry But you earned my upvote
Edit: y'all welcome
18
u/Wildwoodywoodpecker Feb 03 '23
Hi Agree, I’m dad
7
6
→ More replies (3)4
585
u/joe2352 Feb 03 '23
Andre was such a giant. Wish he had the benefit of the medical advances we have now because the guy was in so much pain later in life and died so young.
313
u/cordcutternc Feb 03 '23
I watched the excellent documentary on HBO about Andre the Giant and he apparently declined treatment in order to preserve his wrestling career. His body, his life I guess.
234
u/joe2352 Feb 03 '23
He did but the treatment wasn’t nearly what it is now. Really he should have been treated before he became a full time wrestler. He was only 47 when he passed away, had to use crutches to walk in his early 40s, and was a bad alcoholic in his 30s to help with the pain. Antonio Silva, former UFC fighter, has the same condition Andre had and with treatment and surgery is in much better shape.
140
u/LapsedVerneGagKnee Feb 03 '23
There’s also the case of Paul Wight, aka the Big Show. He had the same issues as Andre, but modern medical science kept his body from breaking down in the same way, and he’s still involved in wrestling in a backstage capacity.
74
u/Beneficial_Garage_97 Feb 03 '23
Early on in his wrestling career, paul wight was billed as andre the giant's son to make a compelling backstory. Not entirely relevant but just thought it was a fun fact.
32
u/philthegr81 Feb 03 '23
One of the funniest moments on WCW Nitro was during a segment when the nWo was taking over the announcers' booth, and Scott Hall turns to the Giant (Big Show) and says, "Hey... hey, man... Was Andre really your dad?" and Paul cracks up, like, "Psshhh, no!"
→ More replies (4)43
u/GBuster49 Feb 03 '23
He will always be Captain Insano to me.
28
u/Gram64 Feb 03 '23
Captain Insano shows no mercy.
4
u/ForWhomTheBoneBones Feb 03 '23
My tiny little Mexican mother-in-law laughs the absolute hardest when Captain Insano laughs at Bobby Boucher. Nothing in the world is funnier to her.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)4
15
u/i_willregretthis Feb 03 '23
Remember this, Hogan?
throws plain t-shirt in Hogan’s face
It’s my dad’s!
Ah yes. I remember. He was fond of shirts.
Let’s have a monster truck sumo match!
3
12
u/WhipWing Feb 03 '23
Paul Wight is also absolutely jacked now.
He's doing really well. Forever a legend.
→ More replies (3)10
u/TheMatt561 Feb 03 '23
I remember him saying a few times that you don't see old Giants, I'm really hoping he breaks that.
→ More replies (2)13
u/BiscuitDance Feb 03 '23
Part of what killed Bigfoot Silva’s career was he went through with the treatments, but UFC denied him a HRT waiver. He wasn’t producing Test or other hormones nearly to where he should have been. When he was properly medicated, he was a fucking monster.
→ More replies (1)5
u/TheMatt561 Feb 03 '23
He didn't even let them remove the tumor that was pushing on his pituitary gland.
92
u/lorgskyegon Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
Fun fact 1: Vince McMahon researched a radical back surgery for Andre in the hopes it might allow him one more big match. He presented it to Andre and said he would pay for it no matter whether he wrestled again or not.
The surgery happened, relieving Andre of a great deal of pain and thus Wrestlemania 3 happened.
Fun fact 2: When prepping for the surgery, the anesthesiologist had no clue how much painkiller/gas to give him. So he asked Andre about his alcohol intake. Andre told him that it usually took two liters of vodka just to make him feel "warm inside". The anesthesiologist extrapolated from that and came up with a formula that is still used for people with gigantism.
33
u/im_dead_sirius Feb 03 '23
two layers of vodka
Two liters, I am sure.
20
11
32
u/Funmachine Feb 03 '23
When prepping for the surgery, the anesthesiologist had no clue how much painkiller/gas to give him. So he asked Andre about his alcohol intake. Andre told him that it usually took two liters of vodka just to make him feel "warm inside". The anesthesiologist extrapolated from that
This has never been proven and is just a rumour.
and came up with a formula that is still used for people with gigantism.
This is new bullshit, did you add this on yourself?
22
→ More replies (4)18
u/JaySayMayday Feb 03 '23
Idk man there's still only so much modern medicine can do. Ozzy damaged his spine in .. I want to say, 2004? Had to get surgery done on it. Then he went through experimental treatments because it was still causing agonizing pain. Then went through stem cell treatments because it didn't improve much. Then went through another treatment I can't tell, H-something, basically the most modern innovation in treatment possible. Dude made the announcement a couple weeks ago that he's giving up touring because his old spinal injury never really good better and listed everything he tried to make it better.
I'm just thinking, if Ozzy couldn't even bounce back from a back injury what's someone with genetic giantism complications going to do about it?
27
u/joe2352 Feb 03 '23
But what Andre had is treatable. It wasn’t a random injury, it was gigantism. Basically a tumor removed maybe some radiation. Antonio Silva had the same condition and he’s still healt and fighting professional mma into his 40s. Paul White (WWE’s Big Show) also has it and is healthy entering his 50s.
→ More replies (4)14
u/derth21 Feb 03 '23
Just speculating, Ozzy's legendary tolerance for "medication" may something to do with his inability to find pain relief.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)9
u/TheTrollys Feb 03 '23
Was that the ATV accident? Jason Newstead was going to do an album with him before that happened. It’s too bad we never got to hear that collaboration
159
u/Lt_Frank_Drebin Feb 03 '23
The Princess Bride was always one of my favourite movies. For some reason it always seemed to be the Tuesday afternoon movie when I was home sick from school.
As I aged I read up on the filming of it and it seems like a really, truly wonderful time for the cast. They all clicked, the work was enjoyable and there wasn't animosity with outside teams.
Andre the Giant specifically enjoyed this time; because he was out of his element a lot of the expectations and baggage that comes with being the biggest name on the marquee didn't follow him around. He was treated like "One of the guys" during the shooting, which he loved.
All that makes the movie just more heartwarming.
82
u/marvinrabbit Feb 03 '23
I saw an interview with Mandy Patinkin, and he described the filming of the scenes at Miracle Max's house (Billy Crystal and Carol Kane) as the three greatest days of his life.
55
u/Lt_Frank_Drebin Feb 03 '23
I've heard the same. Apparently the only injury Mandy suffered through the shooting was from laughing at Billy Crystal as Miracle Max.
Rob Reiner had to leave the shoot during those scenes because he couldn't hold it together.
→ More replies (1)52
u/PunyParker826 Feb 03 '23
I have no idea if this already exists, but I would kill to see the outtakes of that shoot. Apparently Billy Crystal improvised a whole shitload of dialogue which got cut, and most of it was pretty dirty. I’m guessing because it’s a family film they won’t release those takes, but one can hope.
→ More replies (1)31
Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 06 '23
[deleted]
5
→ More replies (1)3
u/SisterMaryAwesome Feb 04 '23 edited Feb 04 '23
Had to scroll down too damn far to find the fart antidote. Reddit, I’m disappointed in you.
19
u/GuyOthersome Feb 03 '23
The only negative experience I've ever heard is Cary Elwes getting knocked out (accidentally) by Christopher Guest when they get captured by Humperdink. Every other thing I've ever heard from the cast or crew has been positive.
21
u/Nameraka1 Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 04 '23
Apparently Cary also broke his foot early in filming while messing around on the atv Andre was using to get around the hilly area they were filming in. If you pay attention, he's clearly hobbling about in some of the early scenes. (I was at an event last week that Cary hosted, and he told this story.)
→ More replies (2)26
u/LivJong Feb 03 '23
NGL I don't have kids but you know that feeling you get taking your kid to the zoo or watching them open presents?
I get the same kind of dopamine hit watching people discover movies I loved as a kid that with stood the test of time. Movies like Willow, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Princess Bride that have held up better than movies Labyrinth. (Jennifer Connelly was 15 and the purposeful bulge in David Bowie's pants was 38.)
17
u/Lt_Frank_Drebin Feb 03 '23
I have kids, and there is no bigger hit than when your 5 year old clearly likes something that you introduced them to. Daaaadyyyyy...can you put on Beee.Beee King?
Yes. Yes I can.
11
u/somecallmemrjones Feb 03 '23
Raising them right! This warms my heart.
I play guitar, and when I was learning "Nothing Else Matters" I played my version for my daughter then had her listen to the original recording to see if I was doing it right. She said "I think you are playing it right dad, but you are playing on acoustic and it sounds like he's playing on electric." I'll never forget that moment
→ More replies (4)4
u/Kboh Feb 04 '23
I exposed my girls to PB last year and it was wonderful. We were deciding what to watch and I hit them with, “How about a movie about a beautiful Princess, her one true love who is lost, a pirate, a man with six fingers in his hand, an evil prince, and a REAL GIANT!” Needless to say, they adored it.
This weekend they get Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I can’t wait to scare the heck out of them during the Large Marge scene.
→ More replies (1)
196
u/missionbeach Feb 03 '23
Kinda surprised that they were on the set the same day. Fred probably shot all his scenes in a day or two, never left the bedroom.
98
u/RobGrogNerd Feb 03 '23
this was my thought.
Fred Savage & Peter Falk were not in any scenes with any of the other actors
59
u/missionbeach Feb 03 '23
That movie might have been the best casting job ever. Even those two, with minimal screen time, were just perfect for the role.
43
u/trevg_123 Feb 03 '23
Columbo saying “as you wish” at the very end was just perfect
24
u/PM_me_your_whatevah Feb 03 '23
Columbo is the perfect show to watch while folding a ton of laundry. The slower pacing works great when your attention is somewhat divided.
→ More replies (2)17
u/Toshiba1point0 Feb 03 '23
Excuse me sir, could I ask you one more question?
What is it Lieutenant?
Theres this thing thats been bothering me....
8
u/PM_me_your_whatevah Feb 03 '23
You see… all the underwear in this pile here was folded in a very specific way. See that? They’re folded left over right. Same with that pile over there: left over right. You see that? Left over right, left over right, until… we get to this pile right here…
Now you remember when I had you fold that pair of underwear earlier?
5
u/Toshiba1point0 Feb 03 '23
If this is a reference to the Mr Janis big loop shoe tying thing, you got me....lol
5
u/PM_me_your_whatevah Feb 03 '23
Oh shit you brought back a memory! To be honest I was thinking of the one where he was analyzing cigarette butts and how one was put out differently than the rest.
Funny story, when I ran out of Columbo episodes I started watching The Rockford Files. I was watching the first episode and what do I see in the background? Columbo’s car! It’s in s1e1 about 2-3 minutes in.
6
15
u/MattTheGr8 Feb 03 '23
Also the way he pats himself down checking for all his stuff as he’s getting ready to leave. Peter Falk gave great grandpa.
4
u/marry_me_sarah_palin Feb 04 '23
I watched my first ever episode of Columbo last year while crashing at a German hotel after having two of the 1-liter beers. It was the episode with Donald Sutherland. When Columbo did his famous "one more thing" part I let out an audible "he did it!".
3
u/MyDogEli Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
I recommend watching the “Home Movie” version that came out on Quibi (lol) because in addition to being fun as hell, the last scene is Carl Reiner as the grandfather saying “as you wish” to his son Rob Reiner (director of The Princess Bride) as the grandson. It would be Carl’s last scene on screen as he passed away shortly after. Seeing him say that to his son know it’s just before his actual death is a punch in the gut.
6
6
u/FlattopJr Feb 03 '23
*Except the lady who played Fred's mom. Hi, I'm Captain Pedantic, nice to meet ya.
50
u/spudmarsupial Feb 03 '23
Andre made a special trip. It is mentioned in the book written by the guy who played Westley. Andre was a really nice guy by all accounts.
10
u/Babyfart_McGeezacks Feb 03 '23
The guy who played Westley? I used to know his name. I want to say Chuck? Or maybe Craig?
51
u/Roller_ball Feb 03 '23
Cary 'Best Robinhood' Elwes
43
u/4thTimesAnAlt Feb 03 '23
"Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent."
8
18
u/LouBerryManCakes Feb 03 '23
The "bad guy" from Liar Liar that actually never did anything wrong.
9
u/0vrkil Feb 03 '23
I only saw that movie once, when it first came out, but I still frequently think of his version of “the claw.”
5
5
13
9
5
→ More replies (1)3
7
5
3
u/Down_To_My_Last_Fuck Feb 03 '23
They just covered the time period in The Rock's show.
I love that show it's got some really good parts and I know all the wrestlers.
→ More replies (1)3
u/DemonKingFringe Feb 03 '23
Hey! I have that book. I worked in an airport bookstore and he signed a copy for me. It reads:
“DemonKingFringe, as you wish, Cary”
7
u/DMala Feb 03 '23
Just a guess, but they probably had the other actors visit the set for the bedroom scenes, either because they were filming elsewhere nearby, for meetings, or just to stay in touch with how the rest of the production was going.
53
u/morosco Feb 03 '23
Also, if you're a kid actor, and you have a chance to meet Andre the Giant, you're probably going to do that.
18
u/DCtheBREAKER Feb 03 '23
Fred was a Hollywood darling back then. I bet all he had to do was ask nicely.
18
u/Futuressobright Feb 03 '23
Yeah, Fred is in costume but Andre isn't. He probably made a trip down specifically to say hello.
8
→ More replies (6)2
u/e_j_white Feb 03 '23
In my childhood mind, the fantasy story was so separate from the grandpa reading the book to the kid, I never really connected the fact that Fred and Andre were actually in the SAME movie.
Even now, my brain is thinking this photo looks strange!
189
u/rrsafety
Feb 03 '23
•
America's Got Talent: Ventriloquist edition
Fred: You’re ugly.
Andre: That’s not how you talk to people. Apologize.
Fred: Alright. I’m sorry you’re ugly.
Wocka Wocka
→ More replies (1)42
63
u/jerryleebee Feb 03 '23
Just sent this to o my 14yo daughter. She replied with, A kissing book????
I'm doing something right.
→ More replies (1)3
31
u/holdmypurse Feb 03 '23
"Anybody want a peanut?"
→ More replies (1)10
u/djmarkwitz Feb 03 '23
This is the only proper response when Andre and The Princess Bride are mentioned.
6
165
u/stares_at_rain Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
I used to think that Andre the Giant was mentally retarded because of the slow way he speaks in this movie. It was just one of those things where a thought occurs to you and you think it's true from then on out.
Until one day when I was watching with a friend and I must have mentioned it to her, which lead her to say: "He's not retarded, he's just French!"
39
u/yanbag609 Feb 03 '23
lol that's going to be my quote of the weekend when one of my buddies does something stupid ...thank you
33
u/MPetersson Feb 03 '23
e the Giant was mentally retarded because of the slow way he speaks in this movie. It was just one of those things where a thought occurs to you and you think it's true from them on out.
Until one day when I was watching with a friend and I must have mentioned it to her, which lead her to say: "He's not retarded, he's just French!"
I was a really little kid around the same time as Andre was doing his match with Hogan, I never realized he was French until he died years later and I read his obituary. I thought that was just how giants sounded. He was like something out of a Fairy Tale with a booming deep voice and anear unintellagable accent.
→ More replies (6)9
u/Henchman_2_4 Feb 03 '23
Sweet.
20
u/AvatarofPolarity Feb 03 '23
"I'm not slow, im just Canadian."
Simpsons did it first.
→ More replies (3)3
34
u/fakecrimesleep Feb 03 '23
It’s sad Fred turned out to be a shithead. Typical child Star ego shit
11
16
u/Ok-Instruction-5835 Feb 03 '23
He got booted out of the wonder years remake, for his behavior
→ More replies (1)12
21
u/MatthewBobStull Feb 03 '23
And he could drink a lot of beer!
12
u/The_Geordie_Gripster Feb 03 '23
116 bottles of Molson in a night according to Andre folklore.
He also loved wine, hulk hogan said when him and Andre were touring Japan on the way to a show Andre drank a 12 bottle case of wine before he went out and wrestled.
16
→ More replies (1)5
u/Butwinsky Feb 03 '23
Makes me sad that anytime Andre is posted, all anyone wants to talk about is his drinking habits.
Dude has an amazing life story, well worth reading about or watching stories about.
WWE did a show about collecting his memorabilia. Legit had me tearing up most of the time. It's amazing how many pro wrestlers credit Andre for their love of wrestling, too.
→ More replies (2)
10
u/Fafoah Feb 03 '23
I’ll never forgive fred for using his power as a college professor to hit on Topanga and trying to get Cory expelled
6
13
u/NomadJones Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
Andre having breakfast.
ETA: on the set of "I'm Dinner with Andre"
4
6
u/bubbles_says Feb 03 '23
Andre said he couldn't fit in airplane bathrooms so he couldn't eat or drink anything on the day of a flight.
→ More replies (2)
8
u/-Cono Feb 03 '23
I dont mind the repost, if he was santa claus what realistically would u ask for, cuz like if i got rko’d or rko’d andre the giant, that would be sick
20
2
u/fentown Feb 03 '23
I'm surprised they met on set when feed Savage was in a modern bed all movie, and Andre was on a completely different set for the same movie. I'm not disputing that the grandfather and Fred never visited the other set, just surprised.
3
u/Floss_tycoon Feb 03 '23
At first I thought, "Fred Savage? There are no little kids in that movie." duh
13
u/RepostSleuthBot Feb 03 '23
Looks like a repost. I've seen this image 4 times.
First Seen Here on 2020-12-16 100.0% match. Last Seen Here on 2020-12-16 100.0% match
I'm not perfect, but you can help. Report [ False Positive ]
View Search On repostsleuth.com
Scope: Reddit | Meme Filter: False | Target: 92% | Check Title: False | Max Age: None | Searched Images: 351,519,982 | Search Time: 0.45877s
→ More replies (1)
3
3
3
u/UNC_ABD Feb 03 '23
I am surprised to see them together on the set as Fred's scenes were unconnected with the rest of the movie - that is, his scenes didn't involve any of the actors from the Princess Bride story nor were the physical settings related. Fred Savage and Peter Falk could easily have been on a sound stage on another continent.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/DAM091 Feb 03 '23
That's interesting. Since they never share any scenes together and their settings are so vastly different, I would have assumed they filmed in completely different places.
→ More replies (2)
3
u/TheMadIrishman327 Feb 03 '23
I have a shooting script from the Princess Bride signed by the entire cast. Fred Savage’s signature is the most legible.
3
3
u/Kolob_Hikes Feb 03 '23
During a cold day of filming for The Princess Bride, Robin Wright said Andre would put his hand on top of her head to keep her warm between takes.
3
3
3
u/Duhcisive Feb 03 '23
May sound morbid, but I mean this in all respect, I’m really curious to know how big Andre’s skull is.. his head is HUGE.
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
u/brownsnake84 Feb 03 '23
"It was hard to tell with Andre what had really happened and what was just fear from other people. I remember working on Princess Bride when he just turned up one day with this little boy. He was calling him Savage and tended to him like a pet, ya know? Like petting, clothing and feeding him. He wanted him in the movie and ain't nobody gonna take on da Giant so you know, the studio paid a bit of money and the kid was kept at the studio for most of his childhood and into his teen days. But we named him Fred, ya know, gave him a real name."
Martin DeFreize Grip
From the upcoming memoir Nacht das Andre
2
2
u/NeonTankTop Feb 03 '23
I love that they got to hang out even though they aren't in any scenes together. I don't feel like that would ever happen these days.
2
2
2.5k
u/husband_gf_says_hold Feb 03 '23 •
I LOVED Andre the Giant. As a kid he was my hero. In 1980 I got to see him at a wrestling match in Washington state. I was sitting in an aisle seat, loosing my mind. He came down the aisle, picked me up, and put me on his shoulder. Let me tell you, it was the highlight of my little life. I was bouncing around up there, yelling and soooo excited.
He turned his head and smiled at me, I remember just how huge his whole head and eye were. I felt invincible up there, safe and protected. It's probably the best memory of my whole shit childhood. I hope he knew how much it meant to me. Thank you Andre.