As a remake of The Most Dangerous Game from 1932, A Game of Death (1945) suffers greatly in comparison. It simultaneously clings too close to the original picture, reusing lines, scenarios, and even footage, coming off as a largely shot for shot remake, and when it does add new elements to the story, they only drag down the pacing and economy of the movie. We have a whole fifteen minutes of dead screen time, where the characters know the villain's intentions and make a plan which ultimately fails. It's boring and pointless.There's little style to the proceedings: everything is over-lit and lacks the proper horror atmosphere. Everything is watered down and there is no strong sense of suspense. The best parts of the climactic hunt, such as the cinematography, are taken straight from the 1932 film.None of the actors top the original cast. Not that anyone is especially bad, but they're all rather bland and seem to phone things in.The biggest difference is that Game was made after the Hayes Code started to be enforced in 1934, while The Most Dangerous Game was a pre-Code picture through and through. The hero in that film is almost as violent as the villain and the violence depicted is rather graphic for the time, unlike the bloodless stuff here. The original also makes the antagonist plans to subject the heroine to the proverbial "fate worse than death" much more explicit, though some of that is still present here in a more subtle manner.A Game of Death is not a terrible movie, but seeing as it offers no fresh take on this story, it feels stale and pointless. You're better off with The Most Dangerous Game or Run for the Sun from 1956.

Game of Death, A (1945) ** (out of 4) Robert Wise directed this RKO remake of their 1932 classic THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. This time out, world-known hunter Don Rainsford (John Loder) washes ashore on a strange island where he learns that its owner Erich Kreiger (Edgar Barrier) likes to hunt humans for sport. You know it's never a good sign when a remake borrows footage from the original film but that's not even the start of the problem with this film. You certainly can't blame the studio for trying their hand at another version of the story but there was so much set against this film from the word go. For starters, that 1932 film is a flat-out classic and one of the greatest and most gruesome action pictures you're ever going to see. With the Hayes Office in full force by 1945 that meant the story had to be toned down and this really kills a lot because you haven't a shot at building up any atmosphere and even worse is that this remake doesn't contain that creepy and raw energy of the original. It also doesn't help but Wise seems to be all wrong for this material. Even though the subject matter had to be toned down that's not a reason for everything to be so lifeless. There's really no chemistry between the cast and when the final hunt does happen it's more boring than anything else. There's not an ounce of energy to be found anywhere and that's a real shame because the story itself is so good that it really shouldn't take too much to get it on the screen. Of course, another major problem is that the 1932 film had such a wonderful cast that it would be nearly impossible to try and match it. I thought Loder was pretty good in the lead but the screenplay really doesn't give him too much to do in terms of acting. Barrier isn't nearly as perverted or creepy as Leslie Banks but he has a few interesting bits. Audrey Long is pretty bland as the female on the island and Russell Wade doesn't do much as her weak brother. At just 72-minutes the film goes by at a rather good pace but the entire time you're just sitting there wishing that you were watching the original.

While some may consider a remake of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME pointless, the fact is the story is one of the most popular in modern American fiction and was certainly worthy of another cinematic stab. Contrary to some modern commentaries, A GAME OF DEATH does not feature Nazi characters. The antagonists are certainly German (the Russian Zaroff has become the German Krieger with a henchman, Pleshke, played by Scandanavian actor Gene Roth (the Stooges' friend "Mr. Borscht"). Noble Johnson is back, this time as a mute Islander in pseudo-pirate garb and he is, indeed, seen also via stock footage in his original characterization as Ivan. The narrative is expanded slightly by giving Rainsford an early opportunity to outwit Krieger and a thrilling sequence featuring the hunting of Trowbridge (this time played by Russell Wade). Edgar Barrier's characterization is certainly less boisterous than that of Leslie Banks, but it is no less valid. Similarly, John Loder matches Joel McCrea's paint-by-numbers performance as Rainsford. Audrey Long is lovely, but she conveys absolutely none of the terror that Fay Wray characterized in the original and that is, perhaps, the most serious flaw in this version. The manner in which Miss Trowbridge joins Rainsford on the deadly hunt is fatally offhand and puts a serious dent in the tension of the piece. The sets are fine, certainly worthy of RKO's designers and the old staircase tapestry is back and in full view. Paul Sawtell's music is original (there are no reprises of Steiner motifs) and that is a good thing. A final shot of the lovers smiling is very much out of place and does leave the viewer with a bit of a wince. Overall, though, I recommend seeing A GAME OF DEATH as an exercise in cinema archaeology if nothing else. Oh - and that famous shot of the shark attacking the boat captain, which many have speculated is "negative" in the original because it was cut by censors and then restored incorrectly - well, it's negative in this version too and, I think by design. It's a night scene and the reverse printing gives the effect of the shark attacking in black water. By the way, for those interested in the trajectory of distributorship, the 16mm print I acquired was an NTA print from the 1960's. Heretofore I was unaware that NTA had custodianship of this (and, I assume, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME) after RKO's rights had expired.

Why RKO felt the need to remake The Most Dangerous Game 13 years later eludes me, but they did and really did so poorly. This film bears little resemblance to its forerunner except in the basic plot, which it even has the temerity to change in all the wrong places. Director Robert Wise, early in his career, has little to work with here. The script is shallow, the sets and budget very small...so small in fact that most of the chase scenes and scenes with dogs are from the 1932 version of the film. In point of fact, very little has been added here at all, except some third-rate performers(with the exception of Edgar Barrier in the Zaroff role) and some tedious and plotting scripting and direction. Noble Johnson is back...yes he was in the first film..and they even use footage of him from the earlier film looking completely different. Why? Oh well...I guess it was not suppose to be anything real good...and to be sure it does not even come close to being good. Do yourself a big favour and watch the original. That is a masterpiece!