Escape-The Most Dangerous Game

The new movie Zodiac, the dramatization of the hunt for the killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1970’s, includes references to the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell (1924). It is available at classicshorts.com and many other sites.

"The Most Dangerous Game" was made into a movie in 1932 and many different versions were later done for radio and television. Both Escape and Suspense broadcast episodes based on this story but Escape's version was better because they excelled at exotic jungle tales like this one. Their version stays true to the original short story, the actors are convincing in their roles and they all have the appropriate accents.

Escape broadcast this episode on October 1, 1947.

Download Escape.1947.10.01_Dangerous_Game.mp3

Suspense's version of "The Most Dangerous Game", which takes a few liberties from the short story, stars Orson Welles as General Zaroff. Welles' drawn-out performance pulls a lot of attention away from the story and onto himself and there is also the baffling addition of a loud pet bird named Zhu-Zhu that Welles interacts with - a lot.

Still, it does have Orson Welles.

Download Suspense.1943.09.23_The_Most_Dangerous_Game.mp3

(P.S. In response to the comments posted about episode, it is true that Paul Frees and Orson Welles sound very similar! For clarity, Paul Frees starred as Sanger Rainsford in Escape's version of The Most Dangerous Game along with Hans Conried as Zaroff. Orson Welles starred as General Zaroff in Suspense's version along with Keenan Wynn as Rainsford. )

Comments

[Chris O'Brien]

Hello!
I have to alert you to an inaccuracy in this post. The "Escape" performance of "The Most Dangerous Game" does not include Orson Welles, that wonderful voice, but another splendid voice actor Paul Frees--it even says so in the spoken credits at the end, and this is a voice I know very well, having been the son of a radio and voice acting enthusiast. Frees is the voice of Boris Badinov, the spinning history discs of "The Time Machine," Ludwig von Drake, the "Ghost Host" at Disney World's Haunted Mansion, half the characters in "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (American dub), etc. etc. etc.
See http://www.voicechasers.com/database/showactor.php?actorid=1248
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Frees
for more info.
Please note that the Wikipedia article mentions a number of projects in which he served as a "Orson Welles sound-alike" (I agree he does in the Escape episode, but not in "Stan Freberg's USA").
Thank you for a superior site! I am fast becoming a fan.
Sincerely
Chris O'Brien

[Chris O'Brien]

Dear "Escape and Suspense!"
I owe you an apology for my hasty post--rereading it, I realize that you did not claim that the star was Orson Welles! Sorry. However, I think that it is good to declare Paul's role here, because this seems to be a relatively forgotten major role for him, and many might be very pleased to find this fascinating recording. I am pretty overjoyed. The first time I listened, I was under the impression that you'd said it was Welles, and totally believed it till the end credits. Then listening again, I realized my mistake.
Well, sorry again but glad once more to thank you for this episode and the rest of the site.
Respectfully,
Chris O'Brien

[Mr. Ubu]

Just wanted to let people know about a new radio theater version of The Most Dangerous Game that actually uses sound samples/dialog from both the Suspense and Escape versions. It can be listened to at:
http://kboo.fm/UbuHour

[Kenneth Sexton]

Hello there! Thanks for posting these episodes!
It might interest you (and other readers) to know that Suspense produced 'The Most Dangerous Game' more than once. In addition to the 1943.09.23 episode starring Orson Welles which you have posted, Suspense produced another adaptation of this tale which aired on February 1, 1945. It stars frequent Welles collaborator Joseph Cotten as Rainsford, and J. Carrol Naish as General Zaroff. It's available for streaming or download at Archive.org. Direct link: http://ia341010.us.archive.org/2/items/SUSPENSE2/45-02-01_Most_Dangerous_Game.mp3

Enjoy!

[Cmillinsf]

Hi Kenneth,
Thanks for the info! I don't know why that episode wasn't included in this post earlier.--Christine