CBSRMT Episode Information Next Episode

Title

A Most Dangerous Animal

Plot

In order to marry the man she loves, the wife of the notorious pugilist 'Killer' Vincent asks for a divorce. Aside from denying her request, he proceeds to brutally beat up her lover. The boxer gets his comeuppance when he steps into the ring with the reigning champion.

Episode

1339

Air Dates

  • First Run - June 16, 1982
  • Repeat - September 15, 1982

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

64
57     7


11 Responses to Episode 1339

the poor quality of this program really took away from the potential intensity this program could have offered. as for the show, while it was not a mystery by any means, i found it to be a wonderful study of the actors themselves. everyone involved was in such unique and often disturbing roles. the story lured me in immediately, though i was left feeling a bit cheated at the end with a quick-way-out ending. i shouldn't complain as they fit all the drama they did into a 45 minute program. but for me, the most alluring character was Dryden's. salty and honest, yet, morally exhausted. the one person a boxer should be able to be cornered by and succumb to seemingly had no control over the fate his "boy" was falling into, let alone the fate of himself. this was a tragic tale on many levels. there was a deep current of pain and fear to the extreme that flowed below the surface, as for me, i kept finding myself thinking, "what an arse!" or "why don't you just leave him then?" only to be left with little resolve. even though the ending became a somewhat "happy" ending of sorts, it just seemed to me there was an anvil hanging over all the characters and not one person was responsible for another. and i think this kind of theme runs over into real life as well. whether work, friends, or family, even the most respectible, high profile figures are finding loopholes in simply taking responsibility for their own actions and leaving it all up to the lawyers to deal with. the media-created role models of our culture are teaching our youth that it is okay to bully, ignore, or take advantage of, because you can always "get off." Gwynne's character, in the end, was not let off, but rather shaken down in a last minute breath which offered for me, at least a moments sigh of relief. i rated the show itself a 3.8, but the quality of the file was just lousy and i apologize for that.

Nancy Cassidy

Yeah, it took us back to the old AM radio days, didn't it? (Did you, like me, keep hearing the static bursts and think: "Man, there's a lightning storm around here somewhere.") This show reminded me very much of an earlier RMT classic starring Marian Seldes (and William Redfield, I think) called "Killer's appointment". In that show she played a loving fiance who took the rap for her crooked accountant husband-to-be's white collar crime. She rotted in prison, he married and pretty much forgot about her, and her anger and desire for revenge boiled like a pot of hot water. There were some strong similarities between these two shows. For a 1982 RMT (I hate saying that) I really enjoyed it.

Robbie

It was difficult to listen to this due to the poor quality of sound but it was a pretty good story for the most part. Fred Gwynne did a great job of portraying a character that you really loved to hate. A real nasty, mean spirited type that you wanted to see get his block knocked off. What I didn't much care for was the credibility of Gwynne's profession. It just wasn't believable to me for him to be an up-and-coming heavyweight boxer on the verge of winning the championship. As much as I love to listen to him on the radio, he definitely sounds too old to pass for someone that's in a sport where the athletes have peaked physically in their twenties. I also found it odd the reaction of his trainer towards him after he beat up his daughter earlier in the story - the old man was just a little bit too mellow for my liking. Overall, not a bad show (except for the quality of the sound) and I would listen to it again - which automatically gets a 3 from me if I find myself coming back to it at a later date.

Natasha

“A Most Dangerous Animal” is a solid hit. Fred Gwynne plays a very effective bully. I have heard this fine actor in several CBSRMT’s where he plays the heavy very well. Prior to the CBSRMT my only exposure to Mr. Gwynne was as Herman Munster…heavy in body mass only, otherwise a gentle soul. The story here maintained itself well and had an enjoyable resolution.

Joey Dona

Natasha wrote: "I also found it odd the reaction of his trainer towards him after he beat up his daughter earlier in the story - the old man was just a little bit too mellow for my liking.".......................................... ...............................This does stand out as odd. I can surmise two possible explainations: 1) He is punch drunk , or 2) He is incredibly wise and thus able to mollify his rage in knowing Tiger will eventually get his dues.

Crissie

I thought this was a very good show. Dryden was terrific.

B. Adoremos

In this episode Fred Gwynne plays one of the most unlikable characters I've ever heard on RMT, and he does it really well - this actor's got range! Before the end of act 1 I was already hoping he'd get what he deserved, and act 3 did not disappoint, though it did it with a nice twist. Excellent episode, and one of the few that stirred my emotions.

AZ Mountain Geek

This is a fantastic episode starring one of Mystery Theater's most loved actors--Fred Gwynn. He doesn't play a lovable sort in this episode. Rather, a woman beating killer of a man who gets his just...rewards at episode's end. 5 stars.

DAVY JOE

Entertaining, albeit legally unsound. 1. By 1982 every state in the U.S. had "no fault" divorce. The wife wouldn't require for her husband to "give" her a divorce. She could divorce him without his permission. 2. Highly unlikely that a professional boxer knocking out a civilian in the gym wouldn't be prosecuted, and maybe even do some jail time. The legal angle was ignored.

Thomas

This one is a good listen. Straight-forward plot. While predictable, well written.

Phil

Had to go back for a 2nd listen to make sense of the story. I liked it. But then anything w/ Fred Gwynne is great, IMO.

ZipperBook


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