The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Directed by Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack. Starring Leslie Banks, Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Noble Johnson.

First of numerous variations on the famed Richard Connell short story; the most faithful of the lot, though it still takes the expected liberties and expands the roster of characters. Central story is a simple but striking one—shipwreck survivors find themselves on an island where they are hunted as game by the mad General Zaroff (Banks) and his hulking, mute sidekick (Johnson). Performances tend towards the ripe side, and the seams show in the exotic locale production, which uses some of the same jungle sets—and several actors and crew members—as those from King Kong, but it’s a trim adventure with sufficient suspense, frequently breathless pacing in the second half, and fortress interiors straight out of classic Gothic horror. Zaroff’s dogs were trussed-up Great Danes belonging to silent comedy star Harold Lloyd. Avoid the colorized version.

71/100