The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Directors:

Irving Pichel
Ernest B. Schoedsack

Writers:

James Ashmore Creelman (screenplay)
Richard Connell (story)

Release Date:

16 September 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Thriller | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Hunter | Hunting | Reef | Most Dangerous Game

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	Bob Rainsford
Fay Wray	...	Eve Trowbridge
Leslie Banks	...	Count Zaroff
Robert Armstrong	...	Martin Trowbridge
Noble Johnson	...	Ivan
Steve Clemente	...	Tartar Servant (as Steve Clemento)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Tarter Servant (as Dutch Hendrian)
William B. Davidson	...	Captain (as William Davidson)

Runtime:

63 min | USA:78 min (preview version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1987) | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #1348-R: 29 August 1935 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1934) | UK:12 (re-rating) | UK:A (cut) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | USA:PG (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Some of the screams of the sailors as the ship sinks are the same as the screams of the sailors in King Kong (1933) when Kong shakes them off the log.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rainsford and Zaroff are exiting the bedroom in a scene 14 minutes into the movie, Rainsford is quite clearly entering the door first. When we cut to the hallway, it is Zaroff who is leading the way.

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.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVI (#17.4)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

A Moment in the Dark

The Grandfather of them all!

The second most used plot device (boy meets girl is the first) happens to be one of my favorites, Man Vs. Man. The Most Dangerous Game (based upon a short story) is about an eccentric hunter who has hunted every single animal there is to hunt except one. Man. On his tropical island surrounded by dangerous coral reefs he seeks out prey so he can add them to his trophy case. That is until the day he happens to meet the world's most famous big game hunter. This excellent film was shot by the same crew that was shooting King Kong (both films nearly have the same cast) Between takes they would shoot this one. If you want to see where it all started, then this is it!!

Highly recommended.

A+