Day 46: The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Based on the short story by Richard Connell, “The Most Dangerous Game” is a sociological action thriller that dives into what differentiates man from the rest of beast, both as predator and prey. Filmed in 1932, this adaptation is as before its time as the 1924 story it’s based on. In fact, it continues to impress as it was filmed before Hollywood’s Motion Picture Production Code (Also known as the Hays Code), which began censoring the more risque and dark aspects of film the very next year. Because of this, “Dangerous Game” acts as almost a bookmark in the history of cinema- one of the last untouched by unnecessary bureaucracy.

In “The Most Dangerous Game,” big game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) finds himself stranded on a jungle island after his boat shipwrecks on coral reef. Though at first he believes himself alone, he soon finds a large mansion where Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks), a Russian hunting enthusiast, resides. Along with Rainsford, the Count is also currently entertaining Eve Trowbridge (Fay Wray) and her brother Martin (Robert Armstrong), two others who have recently wrecked on the island.

Though at first it looks like Rainsford is saved, Eve soon warns him that there is more to the island than meets the eye as their host, Count Zaroff, has a special hunting habit that he keeps to himself. Soon, curiosity gets the best of the big game hunter and he finds, to his terror, that Zaroff prefers hunting none other than mankind- the most dangerous of game. With his secret out, Zaroff offers Rainsford that chance to hunt with him, to be the ultimate predator, but Rainsford refuses and soon he and Eve find themselves Zaroff’s newest prey.

Though “The Most Dangerous Game” itself is a wonderful and interesting tale of survival, what is almost even more intriguing is the film’s relationship with another jungle adventure, “King Kong.” “Game” producers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack had both been discussing the idea of the big ape for sometime and, in an attempt to pitch the idea to R.K.O. honcho David O. Selznick, they even used “Games” jungle set and three of its performers, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Noble Johnson, to shoot a test reel, which, of course, eventually lead to creating the ultimate monster movie.

“The Most Dangerous Game” is a classic thriller from a bygone area whose story is just as intriguing and provokative as when it was first released.

To learn more about “The Most Dangerous Game,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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