- Directed by Christian Nyby
- April 27, 1951 (US)
A UFO crashes in the Arctic and now the people in a US Air Force outpost must defend themselves against its alien occupant.
The Thing from Another World (or just The Thing) is a classic early alien horror film. Many of the elements used here such as a disparate group of individuals and isolation from help have been used many times over since to varying degrees of success. This movie has inspired numerous imitators since it first came out and some of them have even been better than. Heck, the John Carpenter version is that rare superior remake. Still though this film is a treat for fans of old-school science-fiction horror.
Much like so many films at the time, it is an alien invasion flick that upped the creep quotient for the time by giving us a plant-based alien that has come to Earth to spawn an army but needs blood in order to do so. It was not some space vampire seeking to convert innocent maidens into its slaves but rather an intelligent creature that was essentially going to turn whatever living thing it could find into food to make babies. It was also a single individual invasion force able to birth an entire army on its own.
Our cast of characters includes Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) who is afraid of commitment to base secretary Nikki Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan). Nikki is not necessarily a damsel waiting to be charmed by Hendry but rather a woman who appears to be toying with him. Certainly a standout type of character from other women in science fiction of the time.
Tobey is one of those actors that owes much of his later career to performances early on. Some of his parts came from those that remember him from this, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, It Came from Beneath the Sea, and John Ford’s The Wings of Eagles. Because he endeared himself early on he got parts in films like The Howling, MacArthur, Airplane!, Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Big Top Pee-wee. His early work also led to parts on shows like Night Court and an amazing episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine called “Shadowplay” as Rurigan who lives in a village populated by holograms.
Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) is the individual that calls for help and is ultimately blinded by his quest for knowledge. This film was in the post Hiroshima days and his character could be a bit of a response to the public concern over science. He is so blinded by his drive for knowledge and desire to study the alien that he ignores all the danger with his character going so far as to try to stop the creature from being killed.
Carrington is in charge of an assortment of scientists and civilians who at times treat the possibility of their blood being used to grow a plant monster army as a fun adventure. Among this group is Paul Frees as Dr. Vorhees. You may not know the face, but the voice is unmistakable. You have heard him because of his work on MGM, Walter Lantz, and Walt Disney cartoons during the Golden Age of Animation as well as voicing Boris Badenov in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. At least if you are a connoisseur of the finer things in life.
I draw issue with the reporter character of Scotty (Douglas Spencer). I know adding in humorous elements was done in many films that are considered classic such as this, but I really do just wish he had been crafted more seriously. Either that or the assorted things that happen with him during the film should have been treated with annoyance by those there rather than as a good laugh.
James Arness, who would go on to fame in Gunsmoke, stars as our titular creature. The design of the monster is an unfortunate example of the era. Arness’s features are obscured by the makeup (not that we need to see his face) and it looks a lot like the Kanamits from the classic The Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man.” Given the limitations of makeup effects at the time and society and the assorted organizations that could sink a movie I am not sure what they could have done but I would have liked to of seen something that looked a little more plant like.
Nyby does a good job of creating tension and a sense of isolation in this film. The characters have no way of reliably communicating their situation to the outside world and are taunted by the fact that the outside world can communicate with them because it has access to a more powerful transmitter. Help is so close but still so very out of reach as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Interestingly there is some confusion if Nyby directed all or any of this movie. Some believe Hawks, who produced, was the true directing talent at the helm. Some on the film have given credence to both arguments. Some believe if Hawks was the true hand behind this that he allowed Nyby to take credit so Nyby could get his Director’s Guild membership.
This Thing has surprisingly smart, rapid, and witty dialogue. At around 90 minutes the film moves quickly but does not skimp on anything. We get a good feel for the significant characters and the situation they find themselves in.
The Thing from Another World is based on the 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell under the pen name Don A. Stuart. It is a very loose adaption that adapts the film in the broadest of strokes. A later film called Horror Express with events being set on a train is also seen as a loose adaption.
The Thing from Another World is a classic piece of old science-fiction horror. It is a little dated at points but not unwatchable. You may not scream in terror, but you will still find a great deal of enjoyment. This is most definitely a watch it!
