The Most Dangerous Game (1932 film)

The Most Dangerous Game
Theatrical film poster
Directed by	Ernest B. Schoedsack Irving Pichel
Screenplay by	James Ashmore Creelman
Based on	"The Most Dangerous Game" 1924 story in Collier's by Richard Connell
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring	Joel McCrea Fay Wray Leslie Banks Robert Armstrong
Cinematography	Henry W. Gerrard
Edited by	Archie Marshek
Music by	Max Steiner
Production company	RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	September 16, 1932 (1932-09-16)
Running time	62 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$219,869[1][2]
Box office	$443,000[1]

The Most Dangerous Game is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, starring Joel McCrea, Fay Wray and Leslie Banks. The movie is an adaptation of the 1924 short story of the same name by Richard Connell; it is the first film version of the story.^[3] In the United Kingdom, the film was released as The Hounds of Zaroff. In the film, Bob Rainsford is stranded on a remote island after a yacht crash. He discovers a luxurious house owned by a big game hunter, Zaroff, who is hosting two other shipwreck survivors, siblings Eve and Martin Trowbridge. Zaroff hints that he has rediscovered the thrill of hunting after pursuing "the most dangerous game." That evening, Eve and Rainsford find a trophy room with human heads mounted on the wall and they realize that Zaroff has been hunting humans. Rainsford refuses to accompany Zaroff hunting, and Zaroff says that Rainsford must become the next prey. Zaroff gives Rainsford a hunting knife and a day to explore the island before he starts to hunt him at midnight. Rainsford devises two traps to use against Zaroff, but both fail. Finally, Zaroff brings out his dogs, shooting at Rainsford as a dog attacks him. Rainsford falls over a cliff with the dog, but later returns and wounds Zaroff and escapes with Eve.

The film was shot on the same jungle sets later used for King Kong, with many of the same production staff, including producer Merian C. Cooper, who directed King Kong with Schoedsack. After RKO reduced the budget and time spent shooting for The Most Dangerous Game, Cooper and Schoedsack cut down on the cast and special effects they initially planned, resulting in a shorter and more streamlined film. Most of the film was shot on a large jungle set created by Thomas Little. It had a successful release, making a profit of $75,000 in its first year. Reviews from when the film was released noted how unusual the film's subject was, with some reviews impressed by its melodrama. They praised Leslie Banks's standout performance of Zaroff, but found the other acting performances lackluster. Later reviews praised the film's chase sequences and suspense. The exploration of Zaroff's psychological motivation behind his violence--to experience excitement--was unusual for films at the time. The film also addresses the ethics of hunting.