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 | Mystery | Thriller

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 | Reef | Hunting | Shipwreck

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Buster Crabbe	...	Sailor who falls off boat (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	First Mate on Yacht (uncredited)
Arnold Gray	...	Passenger on Yacht (uncredited)
Hale Hamilton	...	Bill - Owner of Yacht (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Tarter Servant (uncredited)
Landers Stevens	...	'Doc' - Passenger on Yacht (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Passenger on Yacht (uncredited)

Directed by
Irving Pichel
Ernest B. Schoedsack

Writing credits
James Ashmore Creelman		(screenplay)
Richard Connell		(story)

Produced by
Merian C. Cooper	....	associate producer
David O. Selznick	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Henry W. Gerrard		(photographed by) (as Henry Gerrard)

Film Editing by
Archie Marshek		(as Archie E. Marshek)

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Art Department
John Cerisoli	....	special props (uncredited)
Byron L. Crabbe	....	art department technician (uncredited)
Marcel Delgado	....	special props (uncredited)
Mario Larrinaga	....	art department technician (uncredited)

Sound Department
Clem Portman	....	sound recordist
Murray Spivack	....	sound effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lloyd Knechtel	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Jr.	....	special effects (uncredited)
Vernon L. Walker	....	photographic effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Linwood G. Dunn	....	optical effects (uncredited)
Orville Goldner	....	miniatures (uncredited)
Donald Jahraus	....	miniatures (uncredited)
Bud Thackery	....	process photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Buster Crabbe	....	stunt double: Joel McCrea (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert De Grasse	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Gaston Longet	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Norma Drury Boleslavsky	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Emil Gerstenberger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (a Cooper and Schoedsack production)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Radio Pictures (1932) (UK) (theatrical)
• Franfilmdis (1934) (France) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Bach Films (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Bach Films (2009) (France) (DVD)
• Castle Communications (1995) (Finland) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD) (first print)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• DTP Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• E-Realbiz.com (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• E-Realbiz.com (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Genius Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (75th anniversary edition)
• Legend Films (2007) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (75th anniversary edition)
• Magnus Opus (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)

Other Companies

• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

Also Known As:

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:

Finland:(Banned) (1934) | UK:12 (re-rating) | UK:A (cut) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | 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) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Jungle sets were also used for simultaneous filming of jungle scenes in King Kong (1933).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Count Zarof claims to be a Cossack. The Cossacks were famous for their equality within the ranks. They did not have titles.

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 "Get Smart: Island of the Darned (#2.11)" (1966)

Soundtrack:

A Moment in the Dark

A Solid Little Thriller

A solid little thriller with several things going for it, "The Most Dangerous Game" easily holds your attention all the way through, even at the more predictable points. It takes good advantage of an often-used plot idea, without trying to squeeze too much out of it. Joel McCrea makes a likable and confident hero, and he fits in well with Leslie Banks and with "King Kong" stars Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Banks's performance is a little on the eccentric side, but he has enough energy to make the character and the plot work most of the time.

The opening sequence is a little slow, but it does set up some of the themes of the rest of the movie. The first half of the movie is generally predictable, yet even so it builds up a good amount of tension. In the last half, the suspense is sustained quite well for an extended time, and though the last few scenes may lack plausibility, they work well dramatically because they were set up carefully. Overall, it is an effective and rather efficiently-made thriller.