Suspense – The Most Dangerous (1943) starring Orson Welles

Описание: The Most Dangerous Game (1943) is a gripping episode of Suspense, featuring a psychological narrative rooted in the thrill of the hunt. Based on the short story by Richard Connell and hosted by Joseph Kearns as The Man in Black, this broadcast exemplifies the artistry of mid-20th-century radio storytelling.

🎙️ Program: Suspense
Episode: #57 - The Most Dangerous Game
Original Air Date: September 23, 1943
Genre: Thriller
Running Time: 30:00
Host: Joseph Kearns

Sanger Rainsford, a celebrated big-game hunter, falls overboard while traveling to the Amazon and washes ashore on a mysterious Caribbean island. He discovers a palatial estate owned by General Zaroff, a Russian aristocrat who has grown bored with hunting traditional wildlife. Zaroff reveals he has turned his sights to the most dangerous game: human beings. Rainsford is forced into a deadly contest of survival, being hunted through the dense jungle by the armed General and his mute servant. The episode utilizes high-tension sound effects and a mounting sense of dread to illustrate the transition of the hunter becoming the prey in a primitive struggle for existence.

🎭 Starring Cast
• Orson Welles: Performer who established the Mercury Theatre on the Air.
• Keenan Wynn: Supporting actor active in radio, film, and television from the 1930s to the 1980s.

👉 What lesson did you take away from this story? Comment below.

📻 Production Notes & Historical Context
• This broadcast was the second of two consecutive weeks in which Orson Welles appeared on the Suspense series in 1943.
• The script was adapted by Peter Lyon from the 1924 short story by Richard Connell.
• The production was directed and produced by William Spier, who was known for maintaining a high standard of tension in the series.
• Unlike the film version, the radio play relies heavily on internal monologue to convey Rainsford's fear and tactical thinking.
• The musical score was composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann, a frequent collaborator with Welles.

💬 Character Quote
"God made some men poets. Some He made kings, some beggars. Me He made a hunter."

📡 Broadcasting History
To simulate the sound of walking through thick jungle or underbrush, foley artists often squeezed bundles of broomstraw or stepped into boxes filled with dried corn husks and twigs.

📻 Vintage Radio Spotlight
Zenith Trans-Oceanic H500 (1951). This high-end portable 'luggage' style radio featured six vacuum tubes and five shortwave bands plus standard broadcast. It utilized a 'Wavemagnet' antenna and a rugged black stag-finished cabinet. Marketing slogan: 'The world's most magnificent radio.'

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