The Most Dangerous Game
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- This article is about the short story by Richard Edward Connell. For the novel by Gavyn Lyall see The Most Dangerous Game (1963).
"The Most Dangerous Game" (1924) is an adventure short story by Richard Connell. The plot concerns a man trapped on the private island of an insane hunter who, bored with the standard big game, has taken up hunting humans, the only quarry he considers worthy of his skill. The man must struggle to outwit the hunter and escape.
Adaptations
The story has been adapted for film numerous times, with the most successful one being made in 1932 starring Fay Wray and Joel McCrea.
The story was also made into a radio play by the show Suspense. Actor Joseph Cotten played the lead role. Very little editing was done; the main difference was that the story was told in retrospect from the star waiting for his opponents in his bedroom (it was only "live" after he returned for the final battle) as opposed to third person narration from the beginning to the end.
Influence
The simple premise which does not require close relations between the hunter and prey has led to other fictional adaptations and parodies including:
- The Marvel Comics supervillain Kraven the Hunter was an insane hunter who repeatedly hunted Spider-Man as the ultimate quarry.
- The television series Gilligan's Island had an episode where a hunter decides to hunt Gilligan while the other castaways struggle to interfere with the hunt.
- The Incredible Hulk television series had David Banner trapped on an island with an insane hunter who finds his quarry more challenging than he ever dreamed, due to Banner's tendency to turn into the Hulk when he is cornered.
- An episode of Fantasy Island, in which Mr. Roarke grants a hunting aficionado's wish to hunt the wildest quarry of all—man.
- The film version of Jumanji, in which the hunter in the magical board game central to the story hunts only humans, despite an abundance of jungle animals all over the place.
- The "Homecoming" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer features Buffy and Cordelia on the run from manhunters.
- The plot of the 1993 novel Hunting Party by Elizabeth Moon is a MDG derivative.
- The 1961 film Bloodlust!, starring Robert Reed, which was mocked as an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- The 1993 film Hard Target, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, involved wealthy businessmen hunting drifters across desolate urban landscapes.
- The 1994 film Surviving the Game with Ice T as the hunted.
- In Crank Yankers, a character makes a call requesting to hunt another human being.
- On an episode of The Simpsons, celebrity Rainier Wolfcastle informs Homer that he plans to convert a YMCA into a game park where he can hunt "the most dangerous game of all... man." (paraphrased) He then proceeds to take shots with a rifle.
- In his Dirk Pitt novel "Dragon" Clive Cussler has a scenario where Dirk is hunted by a neo-samurai type of character on an island. Also a direct reference is made to "The Most Dangerous Game".
External link
- The Most Dangerous Game Etext (HTML format) (http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/shorts/danger.html)