Hounds of Zaroff (1932)
"The Most Dangerous Game" (original title)

An insane hunter arranges for a ship to be wrecked on an island where he can indulge in some sort of hunting and killing of the passengers.

Directors:

Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Writers:

James Ashmore Creelman (screenplay), Richard Connell (story)

Stars:

Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joel McCrea	...	Bob
Fay Wray	...	Eve
Robert Armstrong	...	Martin
Leslie Banks	...	Zaroff
Noble Johnson	...	Ivan
Steve Clemente	...	Tartar (as Steve Clemento)
William B. Davidson	...	Captain (as William Davidson)

Storyline

After their luxury cabin cruiser crashes on a reef, Bob Rainesford finds himself washed ashore on a remote island. He finds a fortress-like house and the owner, Count Zaroff, seems to be quite welcoming. Apart from Zaroff's servant Ivan, the only other people present are Eve Trowbridge and her brother Martin, also survivors of their own shipwreck. Other survivors are missing however and Bob soon learns why: Zaroff releases them onto his jungle island and them hunts them down and kills them.

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Plot Keywords:

island | hunter | reef | hunting | shipwreck | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

16 September 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

A legveszélyesebb játék

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$218,869 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min 78 min (preview)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jungle sets were also used for simultaneous filming of jungle scenes in King Kong.

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Goofs

When Count Zaroff is first giving the knife to Rainsford, he is pointing the blade at him. There is a cut to a closer shot, and the blade is now facing away.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Captain: The channel's here on the chart, all right, and so are the marking lights.
First mate: Then what's wrong with them?
Captain: Those lights don't seem to be in just the right place. They're both a bit out of position according to this.
First mate: Two light buoys means a safe channel between the world over!
Captain: "Safe between the world over" doesn't go in these waters.

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Connections

Referenced in Simon & Simon: The Least Dangerous Game (1981)

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Soundtracks

"A Moment in the Dark"
(uncredited)
Music by Carmen Lombardo

User Reviews

What Is The Most Dangerous Big Game Of All?

Imagine this: a remote jungle island set in a lonely sea. A solitary chateau outfitted with every luxury & inhabited by a charming lunatic. A lovely young woman & her drunken, boorish brother. And a celebrated big game hunter who suddenly finds himself to be the prey.

This is an excellent adventure movie, imitated many times but never equaled. Once the hunt begins, the suspense doesn't let up. It keeps on pounding until the last bark of the savage hounds used to track down the helpless quarry.

The film was shot, largely at night, on the same jungle sets being used by day for KING KONG; four cast members appeared in both films. Joel McCrea & Fay Wray make a fine romantic couple, with Robert Armstrong suitably annoying in the small role of the intoxicated brother.

But it is Leslie Banks as the mad Russian, Count Zaroff, who remains in the mind the longest. Like a sophisticated & urbane serpent, he coils himself around his florid role of the master huntsman who has discovered a new sensation - that of stocking his island & hunting through its jungles the most dangerous big game of them all...