Review of The Most Dangerous Game (1932) by Joseph B — 25 Apr 2016

The 1932 film "The Most Dangerous Game" is directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel and stars Joel McCrea and Fay Wray. It is based off the short story by Richard Connell.

Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) is aboard a luxury yacht with other guests. He is a world renowned big game hunter and he talks about it with the fellow passengers when one asks if it's any fun for the tigers? The passenger makes a suggestion that it would not be so fun if he was in the tiger's place and being hunted. Rainsford replies there's only two types of people, those who hunt and those who are hunted. The ship then runs aground and Rainsford is trapped on this mysterious island where he finds a chateau.

A Russian expatriate named Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks) lives there after escaping the Revolution with all his money. He tells Rainsford there are others who have become shipwrecked and introduces him to them. Zaroff then talks about how he has travelled the world hunting animals, even receiving a scar from a buffalo. He then talks of how he has become bored with hunting. He tried using a new weapon, but then decided he needed to hunt a new animal. Rainsford asks him if it's tigers to which Zaroff replies that it's the most dangerous game.

Another shipwrecked guest named Eve Trowbridge (Fay Wray) is suspicious of Zaroff and tries to warn Rainsford. She tells him that the Count is keeping them from returning to the mainland and that there were originally four, but two Sailors were taken to the Count's trophy room and never seen again. Rainsford doesn't believe her. But once Eve's brother goes missing and the two find Zaroff's trophy room full of mounted human heads. It becomes obvious that humans are the most dangerous game.

The movie is only 63 minutes long and the last 25 minutes is extremely exciting. Leslie Banks as Zaroff is pure evil and he really is the best part of the movie. It has some amazing sets that were originally built for the movie "King Kong." The ending is unsatisfying, but exciting. Decent enough movie to view at least once.