Slideshow
THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD
U.S., 1951
Directed by Christian Nyby
Starring Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, James Arness (as The Thing)
Screenplay by Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer
Approx. 87 min. 35mm.
Landmark sci-fi thriller, actually directed by Howard Hawks. A snowbound Arctic Air Force base is the backdrop for action as a carrot-like visitor from space (played by Gunsmoke's James Arness!) launches its plan to propagate and conquer the Earth.
Reviews
“What's most remarkable about THE THING (which was remade in 1982 by John Carpenter) is its continued ability to function as both a taut science-fiction thriller and a telling snapshot of the Cold War paranoia beginning to sweep the country in post-WWII America. The story, about the battle between a group of stranded military personnel and an alien creature fueled by human blood, is a model of economic storytelling.”
– Nick Schager, Slant
“Set the template for a decade of alien invasions.”
– Richard Brody, The New Yorker