The Most Dangerous Game

The Most Dangerous Game
1932 - RKO Pictures
Directed by Ernest B. Schoedstack and Irving Pichel



SYNOPSIS

A big game hunter (Joel McCrea) is returning from an expedition, when his boat sinks killing everyone but him. He makes it to a nearby island and finds the home of a Russian, Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks,) who's also a hunter. He has two guests who also survived a recent wreck (Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong.) Zaroff is bored having hunted every kind of animal... except man. And he's got his eyes on his three guests!



MY THOUGHTS

An entertaining horror/adventure from the makers of King Kong.

Director Ernest B. Schoedstack and Producer Merian C. Cooper made this film concurrently with King Kong. The film utilized the jungle sets from Kong as well as many cast (Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray) and crew members (most notably composer Max Steiner.) The films also share the same pulpy, straight-forward, fast-paced storytelling.... though the monster at the center of the story couldn't be more different. Kong was sympathetic, lacking the knowledge of right and wrong and being thrown into a world (New York) he just couldn't understand. The evil Zaroff knows exactly what he's doing and revels in it.

Leslie Banks is excellent as Zaroff, and is the highlight of the film. He's over the top, but not too far as to make his character completely unbelievable. His creepy stare could give anyone the willies.
Joel McCrea is solid as the standard cardboard cutout hero.
Fay Wray offers up some good screams, but like most female characters in films like this, has little to do but react with screams and the occasional fainting spell.
Armstrong's role seems to be made purposefully annoying so we don't feel too bad when he's offed.

The film is very atmospheric and holds its own in this regard with the classic horror films produced at Universal of the era (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc.) There are no overt scares like modern horror films, but a general atmospheric eeriness that makes Dangerous Game and the Universal horror films succeed. The dead body and head in a jar in the trophy room are genuinely creepy and along with Banks' performance add immeasurably to the atmosphere of the film.

The film's short run time (under 1 hr. and 5 minutes) ensures there's no unnecessary dialogue or scenes. Everything moves the plot along at a fast pace.

The Most Dangerous Game is not as huge of a cinematic achievement as King Kong, but a remains as an amazing and entertaining film in its own right.