Alan Samuel Lyle-Smythe MBE, M.C. (November 9th 1914 – October 1st 2006), who wrote his books under the pseudonym Alan Caillou, was an English-born author, actor, screenwriter, soldier, policeman and professional hunter. Recently I showed how the Rampage (1963) movie starring Robert Mitchum, Jack Hawkins and Elsa Martinelli was the primary influence behind the Zodiac Killer's July 31st 1969 letters and 408 cryptogram, not The Most Dangerous Game movie and short story, that has been put forward as the main driver for many decades.
The Rampage movie was based upon a 1961 novel by Alan Caillou, which carried on its front cover the following text: "A big novel of two white hunters who battle to possess a beautiful woman as they track the jungle for the most dangerous game of all". Converted by the Zodiac Killer into "the most dangerous animal of all". The Rampage movie poster and original Warner Brothers press book cover expanded the wording on the front of the Rampage book to "The woman who was the most dangerous game of all", which shaped the complete phrase used by the Zodiac Killer, when he enciphered "man is the most dangerous animal of all". The movie poster and Warner Brothers press book cover were also headlined by the words "The screen's mightiest excitements go on the rampage", with the Zodiac Killer threatening to "go on a kill rampage" in all three letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald on July 31st 1969. The movie poster of "go on the rampage" differing only slightly to the Zodiac Killer's wording, when he wrote "go on a kill rampage". The opening credits of the Rampage movie also contained crosshairs embedded within its title. The feature article entitled "Rethinking The Most Dangerous Game" has many more connections between the July 31st letters and the Rampage book and movie, including the wording on another Zodiac letter (and cryptogram) in 1971.
The Rampage movie was based upon a 1961 novel by Alan Caillou, which carried on its front cover the following text: "A big novel of two white hunters who battle to possess a beautiful woman as they track the jungle for the most dangerous game of all". Converted by the Zodiac Killer into "the most dangerous animal of all". The Rampage movie poster and original Warner Brothers press book cover expanded the wording on the front of the Rampage book to "The woman who was the most dangerous game of all", which shaped the complete phrase used by the Zodiac Killer, when he enciphered "man is the most dangerous animal of all". The movie poster and Warner Brothers press book cover were also headlined by the words "The screen's mightiest excitements go on the rampage", with the Zodiac Killer threatening to "go on a kill rampage" in all three letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald on July 31st 1969. The movie poster of "go on the rampage" differing only slightly to the Zodiac Killer's wording, when he wrote "go on a kill rampage". The opening credits of the Rampage movie also contained crosshairs embedded within its title. The feature article entitled "Rethinking The Most Dangerous Game" has many more connections between the July 31st letters and the Rampage book and movie, including the wording on another Zodiac letter (and cryptogram) in 1971.
The one thing I couldn't connect between the book, movie and July 31st 1969 letters, was the Zodiac Killer's choice of the words "in paradise" in his 408 cryptogram (albeit misspelled). But if I was correct, the answer would be found in either the book, the movie, or Alan Caillou himself - sometime during this period. The Rampage book was released in several versions of paperback and hardback between January 1961 and 1963, during which time, Alan Caillou was starring in an extremely popular TV series created by James A. Michener (USA) that ran for 91 episodes between 1959 and 1962. The TV series was called Adventures in Paradise, described on the Internet Movie Database as the adventures of the Tiki III and crew as they sailed from island to island through the South Pacific, carrying cargo and the odd passenger from one drama to another. Alan Caillou starred in Incident in Suva (December 26th 1960) and Errand of Mercy (May 25th 1961). Alan Caillou played the characters "Bates" and "Inspector Black" in the series.
Therefore, we have a 1963 movie that is more contemporary to the Zodiac murders, carrying the elements of "go on the rampage" (go on a kill rampage), "the most dangerous game of all" (the most dangerous animal of all), and the "crosshairs" in the movie title. The Warner Brothers press book also carried the phrase "a dozen men" (a dozen people), and "they lived and loved by the code", which the Zodiac Killer enquired about on August 4th 1969, when he stated "are the police having a good time with the code". We now have the author of Rampage starring in Adventures in Paradise at the same time. James A. Michener also created the movie Return to Paradise in 1953, starring Gary Cooper.
Therefore, we have a 1963 movie that is more contemporary to the Zodiac murders, carrying the elements of "go on the rampage" (go on a kill rampage), "the most dangerous game of all" (the most dangerous animal of all), and the "crosshairs" in the movie title. The Warner Brothers press book also carried the phrase "a dozen men" (a dozen people), and "they lived and loved by the code", which the Zodiac Killer enquired about on August 4th 1969, when he stated "are the police having a good time with the code". We now have the author of Rampage starring in Adventures in Paradise at the same time. James A. Michener also created the movie Return to Paradise in 1953, starring Gary Cooper.
