The Thing from Another World (1951)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Christian Nyby
(more)

Writers:

John W. Campbell Jr. (story)
Charles Lederer (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

29 April 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Look Out...It's

Plot:

Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.

Plot Keywords:

Arctic | Scientist | Alien | Arctic Expedition | Pilot

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Margaret Sheridan	...	Nikki
Kenneth Tobey	...	Captain Patrick Hendry
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Dr. Carrington
Douglas Spencer	...	Scotty
James R. Young	...	Lt. Eddie Dykes (as James Young)
Dewey Martin	...	Crew Chief
Robert Nichols	...	Lt. Ken Erickson
William Self	...	Corporal Barnes
Eduard Franz	...	Dr. Stern
Sally Creighton	...	Mrs. Chapman
James Arness	...	'The Thing'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Bray	...	Captain (uncredited)
Edmund Breon	...	Dr. Ambrose (uncredited)
Nicholas Byron	...	Tex Richards (uncredited)
Ted Cooper	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
John Dierkes	...	Dr. Chapman (uncredited)
George Fenneman	...	Dr. Redding (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo	...	Lee, a Cook (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Dr. Vorhees (uncredited)
Everett Glass	...	Dr. Wilson (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ray McDonald	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Brig. Gen. Fogarty (uncredited)
Edgar Murray	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Bill Neff	...	Bill Stone (uncredited)
H.B. Newton	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Walter Ng	...	Second Cook (uncredited)
Carmen Nisbet	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jimmy Ogg	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Allan Ray	...	Officer (uncredited)
Norbert Schiller	...	Dr. Laurence (uncredited)
Cap Somers	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Capt. Fred Smith (uncredited)
Lucille Thompson	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
Christian Nyby
Howard Hawks		(uncredited)

Writing credits
John W. Campbell Jr.		(story "Who Goes There?")
Charles Lederer		(writer)
Howard Hawks		uncredited and
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer
Edward Lasker	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roland Gross

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
John Hughes		(as John J. Hughes)

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera
William Stevens

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Lee Greenway	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Walter Daniels	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maxwell O. Henry	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Arthur Siteman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Lucius O. Croxton	....	art director: second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Phil Brigandi	....	sound
Clem Portman	....	sound

Special Effects by
Donald Steward	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Linwood G. Dunn	....	special photographic effects (as Linwood Dunn)
Harold E. Stine	....	process photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Leslie Charles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Lewin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Teddy Mangean	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Moreland	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Regan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Duke Taylor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Landon Arnett	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Emmett Bergholtz	....	camera operator (uncredited)
George K. Hollister	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Howard Schwartz	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Archie Stout	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
T-Bone Thompson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Harold E. Wellman	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Woulfe	....	wardrobe: ladies

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Manuel Emanuel	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Winchester Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Turner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Manga Films (2000) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• RKO Radio Films (1951) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1972) (Finland) (TV)
• Media Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS) (as Nostalgia Merchant)
• TV3 (1987) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2002) (2004) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

The Thing (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

87 min | USA:81 min (re-issue version) | USA:85 min (original US 16 mm television syndication prints)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #14925) | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | West Germany:12 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Company:

Winchester Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Close-ups of "The Thing" were removed. It was felt that the make-up could not hold up to close scrutiny. However, the lack of close-ups gave the creature a more mysterious quality.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the plane arrives at camp the sled dogs are aboard. But after landing only the crew and passengers debark and close the doors leaving the dogs aboard the plane.

Quotes:

Dr. Chapman: Find anything, Captain?
Hendry: Not a sign. We poked into every snowbank within miles.
Bob, Crew Chief: Barnes flushed a polar bear.
Cpl. Barnes: Sure did.
Dr. Chapman: Scare you?
Cpl. Barnes: Not after I saw it was only a bear.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Hollywood and the Stars: Monsters We've Known and Loved (#1.15)" (1964)

Soundtrack:

A Lovely Way To Spend an Evening

Will Mankind Prevail? Or will we all become produce?

This fast paced thriller set in an Arctic research outpost has the familiar elements for the 1950's sci-fi movie: a hideous monster unleashed upon mankind, the U.S. military trying to cope with it, and the ever present scientist who wants a chance to glean the "wonders of the Universe" from said creature, all at the same time.

Howard Hawks' adaptation of John Campbell Jr.'s short story, "Wh o Goes There?" may not be completely faithful, but nonetheless, the suspenseful plot about an Arctic research team's discovery of a recently landed spaceship embedded in the ice, and more importantly, it's lone occupant is still gripping today.

When this frozen alien carcass is accidentally thawed out back inside the research station, all hell breaks loose. As soon as the Air Force contingent(led by Kenneth Tobey) realizes that their visitor from space is bent on "feeding" on the human residents there, a "cat and mouse" situation is set up.The Thing is first repelled out into the Arctic blizzard, giving the lead scientist (Robert Cornthwaite) enough time to theorize that it's a highly evolved vegetable from outer space, and therefore, MUST be advanced enough to impart the answers to all man's questions if given a chance to communicate.

Therein lies a major conflict between the Air Force personnel and this scientist... the military sees The Thing as a threat, and the scientist sees The Thing as a fountain of knowledge in disguise. Some disguise! James Arness plays the E.T. visitor which appears at key moments through the film as a menacing humanoid with unusual claw-like hands, and though it is inferred that it is vegetable rather than animal, you're left to your imagination as to what exactly the creature is composed of. The brief encounters with the Thing as it returns from the unseen depths of the storm to feed on human blood is heralded with the ominous ticking of the crew's Geiger counter. Tension mounts as it draws nearer and nearer to the vulnerable wooden buildings of the outpost.

Once it has been revealed that Science wants to "protect" the Thing (as the Dr. Carrington has planted seedlings from the Thing's tissue remains into their greenhouse lab for an eerie result of reproduction), the military binds together with a plot to destroy It.

Although lacking in modern sophistication and effects, this film allows the viewer to be marooned with the hapless research and Air Force crew to face an Unknown, a common enemy... a theme so highly epitomized by the McCarthy era of anti-Communism that engulfed the nation at that time. I say this will always be a classic unto itself, and though not in any way comparable to John Carpenter's 1982 re-make in terms of gore, horror and psychological perspective, it still carries its own due to the snappy script and sense of foreboding.