A Game of Death (1945) – Review

By 1945 director Robert Wise had already made a name for himself having helmed such classics as Curse of the Cat People and The Body Snatcher – with 1944’s Mademoiselle Fifi being his one critical failure – and today we will be looking at his fourth feature film, A Game of Death, which was a remake of the classic short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, but with its own unique twists and turns.

The story revolves around a small group of people stranded on a deserted island after their yacht sank. This group consists of celebrity hunter and memoirist Don Rainsford (John Loder) and his friends Whitney (Russell Hicks) and Collins (Bruce Edwards) who are in this predicament because they took their yacht through a dangerous straight between two islands – Whitney assumed the charts they had were out of date, alas he was wrong – and before you can say “A Night to Remember” their boat’s underside is ripped open by a coral reef and starts to go under. Unfortunately, they don’t get the two hours and forty minutes it took the Titanic to sink as the yacht’s boilers almost immediately explode when they come in contact with the cold ocean water. Hungry sharks make quick work of the crew and Rainsford’s friends leaving him the sole survivor and de facto hero of this movie.

 

That place houses ghosts or a madman, either way, I’d avoid it.

After a little trek through some nice jungle footage, Rainsford stumbles upon the domain of an eccentric but wealthy recluse named Erich Kreiger (Edgar Barrier) who at first appears to be nothing more than a big fan of Rainsford’s – what a small world – and he offers him a place to stay, along with his other two charming guests, Ellen Trowbridge (Audrey Long) and her drunken brother Robert (Russell Wade) who are, surprise surprise, also victims of a boat crashing into the reef. We are told that Krieger is unable to send them on their way due to some ambiguous repairs needed on his boat, and sure, that isn’t at all suspicious. Needless to say, things take a darker turn when Krieger’s odd behaviour goes beyond eccentric and turns psychotic as his love of hunting comes to the fore in a very bad way.

 

“I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs”

As villains go, Erich Kreiger is of the entertainingly sophisticated class, with motivations that not only stem from a psychotic mind but from an elitist attitude. Over dinner, he extols his guests with his hunting philosophy and tells them that after years of shooting big game “Hunting had begun to bore me. It had ceased to be a sporting proposition. I was too good; I always got my quarry, always.” He goes on to explain that he became an expert at the bow, instead of using a high-powered rifle, “But even with that, hunting was beginning to lose its thrill. There is no greater bore than perfection.” So, he came to this island to construct his own game preserve and found a new animal to hunt “One with courage, cunning and every attribute of the ideal quarry.” He won’t tell his guests what that quarry is but he does provide them with a hint “Mine is the most dangerous game in the world.” Of course, it will be revealed that hunting man has become Kreiger’s ideal sport.

 

But isn’t the female deadlier than the male?

Kreiger’s new hunting philosophy isn’t the only twisted thing in his mad mind, his ideas towards women aren’t that much better. He quotes the proverb of the Uganda chieftains “Hunt first the enemy then the woman” and later he states, with an almost wistful stare, “First the hunt, then the kill and then the woman. Only when you’ve experienced all that, do you know complete ecstasy.” As villainy goes, this guy goes all in. He’s not only nuttier than Jimmy Carter’s peanut plantation he’s a sick bastard who believes rape is the perfect desert after a murder. These are all major red flags but the penny finally drops  when Ellen secretly informing our hero that they are basically prisoners and that her party once consisted of four members but after Kreiger took the two others “hunting” they have not been seen since.

 

“Just smile and try not to look like prey.”

This remake does give us a pair of protagonists who are also a little more decisive when it comes to acting on their suspicions than what we had with Joel McCrea and Fay Wray in the 1932 adaptation, with both Ellen and her brother – who isn’t drunk but uses the facade to investigate without arousing suspicion – having come to the obvious conclusion that Kreiger is hunting people and not some “mysterious” animal. With the advantage of being tipped off to Kreiger’s real intent, our hero can then go on the offensive, slipping out into the jungle to set up their own jungle booby traps, and playing on Kreiger’s ego so that he can gain an edge against this madman. It’s this aspect that makes this version of “The Most Dangerous Game” a unique entry among the many adaptations to come. I’ve always found it more interesting if the heroes aren’t oblivious idiots who have no idea of the danger they are in, and both John Loder and Audrey Long are a fun and dynamic couple in this outing.

 

A Dangerous and Lovely Game.

Stray Observations:

• Not only is this the second adaptation of Richard Connell’s short story but it also contains footage from the first adaptation,
• 1932’s The Most Dangerous Game.
• Actor Noble Johnson, who plays one of Kreiger’s servants in this film, also appears in the stock footage used from the 1932 adaptation. I wonder if he got paid double for his troubles.
• When discussing the nature of hunting with his friend Collins, Rainsford points to a photo of him about to shoot a leopard and he states “I happen to be a hunter, I’m not concerned with that fellow’s feelings. As a matter of fact, he’s probably enjoying himself just as much as I am. After all, he has a sporting chance of getting me.” But does he? I wouldn’t put a rifle on the same level playing field as a set of claws.
• The insane Kreiger has the channel markers moved so that ships will run aground on the coral reefs, thus supplying him with fresh “game” to hunt – with exploding boilers, drownings and sharks disposing of everyone else – a tactic that weeds out the weak and gives him better prey.
• Kreiger lives on a remote island in the middle of the jungle yet he dresses to the nines for dinner, with Bow Tie and Tails, and I kind of have to respect that level of class and villainy. Just because you are a psychotic murderer doesn’t mean you can’t have a little style and panache.

 

Erich Kreiger, winner of Best Dressed Murderer.

Director Robert Wise does an excellent job of creating a tense and atmospheric setting, utilizing the island’s eerie landscapes to enhance the feeling of isolation and danger. The cinematography is particularly striking, with haunting shots of the mist-covered jungle and ominous shadows adding to the film’s suspenseful mood. A Game of Death is a compelling exploration of themes of morality and survival. This film excels in building tension and creating a palpable sense of fear. The remote island setting, captured with J. Roy Hunt’s shadowy cinematography and Paul Sawtell’s haunting musical cues all contribute to the eerie atmosphere. The suspense is further heightened by the ingenious use of the deadly “game” as the characters navigate the treacherous terrain as they attempt to outwit their cunning adversary.

 

This is not an ideal vacation spot.

This film excels in building tension and creating a palpable sense of fear. The remote island setting, captured with J. Roy Hunt’s shadowy cinematography and Paul Sawtell’s haunting musical cues all contribute to creating an eerie atmosphere. The suspense is further heightened by the ingenious use of the deadly “game” as the characters navigate the treacherous terrain, facing moral dilemmas and attempting to outwit their cunning adversary. The performances are top-notch, with Edgar Barrier delivering a chilling portrayal of the sadistic antagonist, whose old head wound has turned him into a madman obsessed with the hunt. Of course, a good villain needs a good hero and John Loder fills the bill quite nicely, giving us a strong and intelligent protagonist. Being forced to become the hunted is also a nice piece of irony, having been introduced earlier stating “There are two kinds of creatures in the world, the hunters and the hunted, I happen to be a hunter.”

 

“That kind of bit me in the ass.”

Overall, A Game of Death is a classic thriller that proves Robert Wise once again was a master of all genres, giving us a brilliantly executed adventure story that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats from start to finish, and it’s an adaptation that brings some new elements to the table and a more proactive “damsel” for the hero to run off with.  With its gripping storyline, strong performances and atmospheric direction, it remains a must-watch for fans of suspense and mystery cinema.

The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

Cinemas of the 1950s saw a variety of threats from outer space but come the 1960s flying saucers and death ray-toting aliens would step aside from some more insidious types of attacks from beyond. In the case of Britain’s The Earth Dies Screaming we have a film that isn’t so much about an alien invasion as it is about the end of civilization itself.

The film begins with a chilling sequence dealing with a mysterious cosmic event that strikes the Earth, causing widespread devastation. People collapse dead in the streets or crash whatever they are driving. Among the survivors is Jeff Nolan (Willard Parker), an American pilot who emerges unscathed from a plane crash. He soon encounters a handful of other survivors, including Peggy (Virginia Field), a woman who had unwittingly found herself under the protection of Quinn Taggart (Dennis Price), who will be this film’s resident asshole and the cause of strife beyond the exterior threat. They are joined by couple Vi Courtland and (Vanda Godsell) and Edgar Otis (Thorley Walters), our despondent drunk, and heavily pregnant Lorna Brenard (Anna Palk) and her moody husband, Mel (David Spenser).

 

“Tune in for terror from beyond space?”

Apparently, a mysterious gas attack has killed off most of the Earth’s population, our protagonist having survived by either being in a bomb shelter or room with an equally isolated air supply, and they must discover what exactly is going on before they meet a similar fate. This fight is soon tied to the appearance of figures in space suits who are seen marching down the street. As the group begins to explore the desolate landscape, they discover that the world is now inhabited by deadly robot-like creatures. These machines, constructed by the alien invaders, patrol the streets, relentlessly hunting down any remaining humans, and by “relentlessly hunting down” I mean slowly meandering after people and occasionally peaking in a window.

 

Alien invaders or robotic perverts?

As the survivors struggle to stay alive, they uncover clues about the nature of the alien invasion. Through their investigations they learn that the robots are controlled by an invisible force, and they must find a way to disrupt the aliens’ hold over their mechanical minions. But to make matters worse, it seems this particular robot menace has the ability to resurrect the dead and use these “walking corpses” as foot soldiers to track down the last surviving members of humanity. Though to be fair, this threat is slightly lessened by the fact that the undead can easily be stopped by a couple of well-placed bullets. I don’t want to disparage alien science but that seems to undercut the reason behind using the dead as soldiers.

 

Night of the Easily Killed.

The premise of the film is simple yet effective, with our band of survivors struggling to comprehend the situation and find a way to endure. When they discover that the planet is now inhabited by deadly robots controlled by an unknown force the tension quickly mounts as they must navigate this perilous landscape while confronting their own fears and suspicions. At its core, The Earth Dies Screaming is a gripping tale of survival and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. It explores themes of humanity’s capacity for both destruction and redemption, making it a thought-provoking addition to the sci-fi genre.

 

Humanity’s last-ditch stand against an alien menace.

Stray Observations:

• This movie has quite a few similarities to the 1954 film Target Earth where giant robots from Venus invade Chicago and survivors hide out in the deserted city.
• The car and plane crash during the opening gas attack is “borrowed” from the film Village of the Damned.
• Jeff states he survived the gas because he was flying at the time of the attack, but during the opening scenes, we saw an aircraft crash because the pilot was slumped over the controls. Is there an issue of altitude we are not aware of?
• The idea of an alien invasion utilizing the reanimated dead had recently been used in 1959’s Invisible Invaders.
• The biggest question viewers may have while watching this film is “If the ‘aliens’ are robots, why do they need space suits?”
• The look and design of these robotic invaders bear a striking resemblance to the Cybermen who would appear for the first time on Doctor Who two years after this film’s release.

 

“We are the future. There is nothing to fear.”

Despite its low budget, The Earth Dies Screaming makes effective use of its limited resources to create impressive special effects, particularly in its depiction of the robotic antagonists, even if their slow lumbering walk doesn’t come across as all that threatening, and the film’s brilliant use of silence adds a very ominous tone that heightens the tension throughout its short running time. Another of the film’s strengths lies in its ability to create a sense of dread and unease from the very beginning as the desolate landscapes and abandoned streets serve as a haunting backdrop for the unfolding events, while the eerie silence punctuated by the occasional sound of approaching robots keeps viewers on edge throughout.

 

“Have you heard the good news about robotic slavery?”

While the special effects may not match contemporary standards, the film excels in creating a haunting atmosphere through its stark black-and-white cinematography. The barren landscapes and dilapidated structures contribute to the sense of isolation and impending doom. The sound design, with minimalistic yet effective use of music and sound effects, adds to the film’s overall eerie ambience. As for the alien robots, while basic by today’s standards they manage to exude a menacing presence that complements the film’s overall sense of dread. The decision to keep them somewhat enigmatic adds to the fear of the unknown, a common theme in effective science fiction and those opening scenes of the dead littering the streets keep a pawl hanging over the proceedings.

 

At least find affordable housing will be less of a problem.

The cast delivers solid performances, with veteran actor Willard Parker leading the ensemble as a stoic American determined to protect his fellow companions often despite themselves. Joining him are a diverse group of characters, each grappling with their own fears and motivations, adding depth to the story and keeping audiences engaged. Their struggle for survival and the tension among the group elevate the film beyond a mere creature feature. The narrative unfolds with a series of discoveries and challenges, and the script successfully maintains a balance between character-driven drama and suspenseful sci-fi action.

 

Mankind’s last and great hope, these guys.

Ultimately, The Earth Dies Screaming is a story of resilience, courage, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. It’s a gripping tale that offers a unique twist on the classic alien invasion narrative, delivering suspense, thrills, and thought-provoking themes that resonate long after the credits roll. It is a compelling story with atmospheric visuals and strong performances making this piece of vintage science fiction sure to leave a lasting impression.