Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Life is full of surprises - some even pleasant. And much to my surprise this past month I decided to check out new DvD and VHS versions of old movie classics, something for which I don’t always have time.

I began with several of the incomparable Fay Wray movies from her 1932-33 period and sure enough, with her, I found several of my favorite all time actors: Lionel Atwill, Melvyn Douglas, Joel McCrea, and Robert Armstrong.

In doing so, I realized I had overlooked something - a hidden little gem (hidden underneath “King Kong” that is. (What wouldn’t be hidden underneath his big hairy feet?). The little classic which has been copied many times in different variations over the years is entitled “The Most Dangerous Game.” The O’Henry short story by author Richard Connell shall be the object of this review and I hope most everyone who reads this will please do themselves a favor and watch it for themselves.

BUT FIRST, A LITTLE BACKGROUND MATERIAL:

DIRECTED AND PRODUCED: Dir. Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producers: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
CAST: Almost exactly the same as the one in King Kong. Starring Leslie Banks, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Joel McCrea, and Noble Johnson.
SCREENWRITER: James Creelman.
MUSIC: Max Steiner.
GENRE: Action Thriller.

OPENING SCENE:
A cabin cruiser (cruising I never found out where but apparently in the South Seas ) is hosting a group of high society adventurers. Among them is the world renown big-game hunter Robert Rainsford, (played by a very young Joel McCrea).

Suddenly the captain announces that the buoys on the horizon are not compatible with his charts - the shipping lane has somehow been changed. Before a correction can be made, coral reefs, breakers, and a looming storm at sea all help in provoking a ship wreck. Within moments it seems, the ship sinks and all lives aboard are lost in the very shark infested waters - all that is, but Bob who has no choice but to try to swim to shore where he sees an island within distance. How is that for openers? And all within the first 7 minutes of the film!

SCENE TWO
After making it to the shore, he awakens exhausted on the beach of a very small island and as he walks to seek help, he notices a huge mansion, or actually a gloomy looking castle not to far ahead. Upon arriving at the front door he is allowed entrance by the most morbid servant-butler since Lerch of the Adams Family. Played by Noble Johnson, this mute-servant can’t even smile , until forced to do so by the elegantly dressed Dr. Zaroff, (Leslie Banks) former general and Count of the Imperial White Russian Army. This very continental owner of the manor seems to delight in having a guest visitors to his dwelling. After a short rest and change of clothes by his rather strange host, Bob is introduced to two other “survivors” of a previous ship wreck.


An drunken brother, Martin Trowbridge (Robert Armstrong) and his frightened and embarrassed sister, Eve (Fay Wray) are also survivors of a previous ship wreck.

As the evening proceeds, Dr. Zaroff seems to be making moves on Eve (Fay Wray) and she in turn, is trying to communicate to Joel McCrea that there is something very definitely wrong going on in this place.

By the shifting of her almond, blue eyes; deliberately over turning coffee cups; and the nervous jerking of her head; Eve finally gets over to Bob that their host is totally nuts; their companion survivors have not been seen since they arrived - and their boat has not been repaired at all as Zaroff promised initially.

Martin, a lush if there ever was one, is a frustrated "wanna be" who can’t wait to see Dr. Zaroff’s trophy room. Dr. Zaroff’s voiced his delight and mentions that he had come to a point in life, in which he tired of hunting big game, (as in four footed), but is now in search of another sort of game - the most dangerous game there is, in his opinion. He is utterly fascinated upon learning whom Bob is - another world famous hunter! Now, they both have something in common in his twisted mind.

SCENE THREE and TRANSITION INTO FOUR...
Later on, upon a midnight visit by the beautiful Eve where she pleads with Bob to help in finding her missing brother, Bob decides to lend her a hand as they both search the castle happening upon the darken trophy room. The trophies are human heads!

A few moments later, accompanied by Zaroff and his slave-servants, on a stretcher covered by a blanket comes the body of Eve’s brother, Martin - another trophy has been hunted. The crazed Dr. Zaroff invites Bob to join him in his quest to hunt the “most dangerous game” as there are more future ship wreck survivors certain to arrive at the island within hours. Bob says “no way.” “What do you think I am?” Now the tempo picks up even more quickly.

Bob is given 24 hours head start to try to escape from the island, kill Dr. Zaroff - or be killed himself. Since Zaroff fully expects to win the hunt, he makes it clear that after the kill he will reach his climax of sick sorts by taking Eve into his chambers and exchanging his lust for blood for his lust for her.

This is a proposition which both Bob and Eve quickly decline and with Eve in tow, Bob begins the “run for their lives”. This couple has not even had a chance to get to know each other - if they do it’ll have to be during their desperate and apparently futile attempt for survival. As a matter of fact, this may very well be considered a survival movie of sorts. Their only weapon of defense - a solitary knife and Bob’s wit as a season hunter who has now become the hunted! “Now I know what it feels like to be the hunted”, he tells Eve between gasps for breath. The roles have now been reversed.

This is action movie at it’s best! Never mind clichés. This is what movie making used to be all about - and on a budget! The pace of the movies already fairly quick, now grows in intensity to a fast run - “just run for your lives and hope, there’s somewhere to run to!”

It is an apparently small island which lacks no scenic variety but does lack an abundance of places to hide. Through dense jungle undergrowth; up mountains slopes; down ravines; behind water falls with cavernous passages and through gator invested swamps - the viewer cannot tell if the fleeing couple will survive the “hunt”. All attempts seem futile.

The tempo is increasingly fast and intense. With the rabid Count Zaroff closing down upon them, Joel McCrea is forced to set up his own traps in order to lessen Zaroff’s chances of being the winner. Some traps work - most don’t.

Unable to get his game at the first attempt, Zaroff switches from a sportsman bow and arrow and goes back to get his high powered rifle while sounding the blast of the hunter’s horn. Out of the castle’s courtyard come 15 enormous hunting dogs hungry for blood and eager for the hunt.

I will digress now at this moment and touch on other aspects of this little gem of a production.

THE MUSICAL THEME:
Max Steiner, what more can one say? The man who within months composed and arrange the robust, intense, and all mighty “King Kong”, came to Hollywood in 1929 - Max's Viennese godfather was Richard Strauss, no less, and among the family friends were Jacques Offenbach and Johann Strauss, Jr.

For 42 years he worked in Hollywood, during which he worked sometimes as conductor or arranger, sometimes as both, but principally as composer.

His record is unparalleled as it includes music for: “ KING KONG”, “OF HUMAN BONDAGE”, “THE INFORMER”, “THE GARDEN OF ALLAH”, “THE LETTER”, “DARK VICTORY”, “SINCE YOU WENT AWAY”, “THE BIG SLEEP”, “THE FOUNTAINHEAD”, “SERGEANT YORK”, “THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE”, “A STAR IS BORN”, “THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA”, “A SUMMER PLACE”, “NOW VOYAGER”, “THE GLASS MENAGERIE”, “THE CAINE MUTINY”, and yes, who can forget “GONE WITH THE WIND” and “CASABLANCA”?

In “The Most Dangerous Game,” we find tiny shades of “King Kong” - much less powerful - but more agonizing. At the appropriate moments you will hear the corresponding chords and strains as the emotional tempo dictates but the forte of the movie, in this writer’s opinion, is in the chase scenes and the loud, forelorned blast of the hunter’s horn calling the dogs to the blood thirsty run.

While there are some short tender moments between the two leads (Fay Wray and Joel McCrea), the score never really underscores those feelings.  Instead, there is always a sense of dread, and the film comes to an exciting climax at the end, with the main theme triumphantly restated.


This was not meant to be a full orquestration, but candidly admitted by Steiner, something out of previous short sound tracks - done on the cheap. But cheap sounding it is not. It rises to the occasion - which is to heighten the chase and the hunt.

SETS AND SCENERY:
Made on a shoe string beginning about a year before the legendary film, and then, concurrently with “King Kong”, the viewer will be able to feel quite familiar with some of the sets. They are for the most part one and the same. Painted backdrops, dense jungle growth and even the famous log tree used later in “King Kong” (from which sailors dropped to their death into a horrible pit )- all these will indeed help bring to the movie the essence of a deathly Horror Island from which there is no escape. Despite the cost-cutting measures, this is not a cheap looking picture by any account.

The movie was shot outdoor except, of course, for the castle scenes and most impressive was the fog-filled swamp scenes as Bob and Eve drag , pull, struggle and schlepp on through with real live gators at easy, snapping distance from their feet. Their only hope is to hide themselves in the fog hoping to throw Zaroff’s arrow off target.

Although not calling for the special effects for which Kong was famous, these two films, filmed simultaneously (although this one was released first by almost a year), could be considered first cousins if not sister movies and quite similar in vision, style and overall feel. Both are fast paced and both get increase in tempo even more towards the end in a rising crescendo.

SCREENPLAY
“The Most Dangerous Game” must be recognized for it’s own merit apart from it’s famous, hairy cousin. Screenplay written by James Creelman, it features a strong, quick paced script where the dialogue cuts like a sharp instrument. The drama is quite shortly framed by the two main characters (Leslie Banks and Joel McCrae), weaving a web of good versus evil. 

The action starts almost immediately as soon as the film begins. But there is a strong secondary theme here as well as the basic - “hunt or be hunted”. The play of both stars, Banks and McCrea vying for the woman Fay Wray for different reasons, adds to their substantive fight for survival.  These intellectual, physical, sexual, psychological underpinnings are manifested during the movie and there is no occasion for rest here - one action after another in staccato-like speed. Yes, sex is present and implied but without the vulgarity found so prevalent in today's films.

From the opening scenes which plunge upon the viewer with a ship wreck, (among the best wrecks I’ve ever seen in the cinema), the timing and tempo of the movie goes from a frisk pace to a crescendo of missed opportunities to survive Zaroff’s madness.

This is an excellent adventure movie, imitated many times but rarely, if ever equaled. Once the hunt begins, the suspense doesn't let up. It keeps on pounding and pounding until the last bark of the savage hounds used to track down the helpless couple and seemingly star-crossed future lovers.

CHARACTERIZATIONS:
In my opinion, this is “The Most Dangerous Game”s strength. Developed from the award winning Richard Connell short story, each character is the star in this movie.

As the classic villain Count Zaroff, Leslie Banks cuts an imposing figure. Very chic and debonair, his twisted logic makes perfect sense to him, while sounding totally insane to everyone else. He is a cultured man, but we can see by the way he fingers the scar on his forehead, or casually strokes the fang of a tiger skull, that he is preoccupied with his deadly sport to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. Yet, he is still cognizant of a beautiful woman and the fact that to him, at least, there is no better way to heighten his thirst for blood than to ravage a beautiful woman after the hunt. Very strange host.

As Robert Rainsford, a young tall, athletically blond Joel Mcrea makes a physically striking nemesis to the short, dark Dr. Zaroff. Apparently made while Joel McCrea was in his early twenties, I personally think he had the appearance of being an inter-varsity quarterback. I really would have preferred to see another more mature or even a later, more mature Joel McCrea in this role. I was left with the impression that he really didn’t know much about lions, tigers, or bears - or beautiful women either. However, he was a beautiful looking hunk of a man, to which I can attest.

Many years ago, I had the good fortune to go to a Santa Monica film festival honoring the films of Director King Vidor. And there, directly in the seat in front of me sat Joel McCrea. (They don’t make guys that look like this anymore girls!)

The only part which may have thrown the movie off a bit was the drunken stupor of Martin (played by Robert Armstrong), it went on somewhat too long and who really wants to hear an alcoholic ramble on for half the night - but what the heck, even that was tastefully handled and one kind of felt sorry for the lug-lush when he was carried in dead - another trophy for Zaroff.

In our hairy, sister movie, “King Kong”, Carl Denham, the overly enthusiastic film producer is asked why is he taking a girl with him to film his mysterious movie. Quickly, and without any hesitation he snaps back k, ”because of the public, bless them!”

With this mind frame one suspects the real reason for a feminine touch being written into THDG. And what better female leading lady than Fay Wray? While once again, not having much to do but look lovely, petrified, and threatened, being the very capable and competent actress which she was, Fay Wray was able to rise to the character’s part far beyond what was actually called for.

It would be my pleasure to one day write a critique of this late, great Lady’s acting ability throughout her cinema and later television and theatrical career, however, suffice to say that no one was ever disappointed over her performance in TMDG of an innocent yet sensual woman - fully aware of her sexuality - and her vulnerability in this most precarious of situations.

I apologize for this rather lengthy review - but not for extolling this little gem of a film. Precious jewels are meant to be mined, found and sold on the market. Then they should be exhibited. I really take delight in having done so.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older