

The Thing from Another World 1951
Directed by Christian Nyby
- Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
- 87 min
- NR
Natural or Supernatural?
Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.
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- Wuchakon TMDB · Sep 20236/10
**_Stuck at an isolated arctic station with some… Thing_** Scientists at a base in the frozen North discern the crash-landing of an unknown vessel 50 miles away, which they naturally investigate with the corresponding militarists. They bring a mysterious frozen specimen back to the station. Big mistake. “The Thing From Another World” (1951) was the first attempt to film John W. Campbell’s novella Who Goes There? Being shot in 1950, there’s a quaintness to the proceedings compared to the 1982 version with Kurt Russell or the 2011 prequel. This version lacks the grimness of those two future renditions and the extraterrestrial (played by towering James Arness) is lame by comparison. We know from “War of the Worlds” and “The Blob” that flicks from the 50s can feature effective alien creatures and be genuinely scary, but I can’t really say that about this B&W classic, although there’s of course SOME creepiness at the remote station. On the positive side, the elaboration on a mysterious plant-based lifeform from another planet is well-done and interesting. So is the contention between Capt. Hendry (Kenneth Tobey), who is intent on saving lives, and Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite), wh
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · Mar 20199/10
There are no enemies in science, only phenomena to be studied. The Thing from Another World is set at The North Pole and finds a bunch of U.S. airmen, scientists and a journalist getting more than they bargained for when they investigate a space craft frozen in the ice. What is most striking about the film is the basic human story of team work, the pulling together of mankind during a crisis, this theme is a big shift from the short story by John W Campbell Jr. (Who Goes There?). Where that story and later John Carpenter's wonderful remake focused on paranoia and mistrust, this film is something of the "polar" opposite (literally) as regards the group in peril. It bears all the hallmarks of producer Howard Hawks, who clearly influenced Nyby's direction. The script, with its pros and cons of a military and scientific society, is very much of its time, blending po-faced observations with straight backed joviality. But this all works in the film's favour and helps define it as one of the most important science fiction pictures ever made. Along with the other major sci-fi movie of 1951, "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "TTFAW" firmly brought the visitor from outer space idea into the p
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Cast
- Kenneth TobeyCaptain Patrick Hendry
- Margaret SheridanNikki
- Robert CornthwaiteDr. Arthur Carrington
- Douglas SpencerNed 'Scotty' Scott
- James YoungLt. Eddie Dykes
- Dewey MartinCrew Chief Bob
- Robert NicholsLt. Ken 'Mac' Erickson
- William SelfCorporal Barnes
- Nicholas ByronTex Richards
- Eduard FranzDr. Stern
Crew
- Christian NybyDirector
- Charles LedererScreenplay
- Howard HawksWriter
- Ben HechtWriter
- John W. Campbell Jr.Novel
- Russell HarlanDirector of Photography
- Dimitri TiomkinOriginal Music Composer
- Roland GrossEditor
- Howard HawksProducer
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