Suspense - The Most Dangerous Game (#127)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 23/05/2023

Suspense - 02/01/45, episode 127
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

This is a repeat performance of the Richard Connell short story as adapted by Jacques Anson Finke. The broadcast was originally intended to star Suspense favorite Cary Grant. Instead, the familiar and reliable Suspense guest Joseph Cotten became the headliner. This episode is the first appearance of J. Carrol Naish in the series.

The blogpost about the 1943-09-23 broadcast (which starred Orson Welles) has background about the original story and that can be accessed at https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/03/1943-09-23-most-dangerous-game.html. Cotten plays the hunted Sanger Rainsford and delivers his usual fine performance. Knowing Cary Grant was planned for the role makes one wonder how different his interpretation might have been.

This episode was broadcast about four years before Naish became associated with his big radio role as an Italian immigrant in the comedy Life with Luigi. This episode, Most Dangerous Game, is an opportunity for classic radio enthusiasts to hear Naish in his natural voice and appreciate his wide range of acting skills… well, no, it’s not. Here, Naish is in the role that Welles overplayed so well, the Russian General Zaroff, with the required accent. But Naish stays within the nefarious confines of the role without testing the bounds of cartoonishness. In Naish’s three other Suspense appearances he is in a more natural voice in only one, Commuter’s Ticket. In both Footfalls and The Treasure Chest of Don Jose he plays in ethnic voices.

There are two network recordings, and it is not known which is east or west at this time. The recordings are similar and lack the crisp sound that other Suspense recordings have. The better recording is 31 seconds to network ID “(31s).” The other is 35 seconds to ID “(35s)” and has some disc problems. Perhaps a better recording may be found, but these are listenable.

The Suspense episode had the cooperation of RKO Studios. Production of the movie adaptation “A Game of Death” with John Loder was underway. It was released in November 1945. (It is at The Internet Archive… with Greek subtitles https://archive.org/details/a-game-of-death-1945 )

The cast: JOSEPH COTTEN (Sanger Rainsford), J. CARROL NAISH (General Zaroff), Joe Kearns (Man in Black / Ivan), Earl Keen? (Dog sounds), Purves Pullen? (Bird sounds)

For more information, visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/05/1945-02-01-most-dangerous-game.html