The Thing from Another World (film)
"The Thing from Another World" is a 1951 science fiction horror film directed by Christian Nyby, with significant contributions from producer Howard Hawks. The screenplay, written by Charles Lederer and loosely based on John W. Campbell, Jr.'s short story "Who Goes There?", centers around a group of researchers in the Arctic who discover a crashed spaceship and an alien life form. The alien, depicted by actor James Arness, is a dangerous entity that poses a threat to the scientists, who must confront not only the creature but also their own fears and the consequences of unchecked scientific exploration.
The film serves as a cautionary tale, reflecting the anxieties of the Cold War era, particularly regarding the potential dangers of nuclear power and scientific advancement. The presence of a strong female character and the use of overlapping dialogue showcase Hawks’s influence, adding depth to the narrative. The film's iconic ending encourages vigilance against potential threats, resonating with the themes of vigilance and paranoia prevalent during its release. A later remake by John Carpenter in 1982 attempted to remain faithful to the original story but received criticism for its execution. Overall, "The Thing from Another World" remains a significant work in the science fiction genre, offering insights into the ethical dilemmas of science and humanity’s relationship with the unknown.
The Thing from Another World (film)
Identification First science-fiction film to depict an alien invader
Date Released in 1951
Director Howard Hawks (formerly credited to Christian Nyby)
The film’s premise, that a space alien menaces a military-scientific outpost near the North Pole, conveyed a metaphor of atomic-age paranoia.
Key Figures
Howard Hawks (1896-1977), film director
Although credited onscreen to director Christian Nyby, The Thing contains many elements distinctive to Howard Hawks’s films, including Hawks’s rapid-fire overlapping dialogue and a strong female supporting character, thus confirming that Hawks had more than a producer’s role in the direction of the film. The screenplay by Charles Lederer (with Ben Hecht , uncredited) is based loosely on the opening episode of John W. Campbell, Jr.’s short story “Who Goes There?” (1938). In Campbell’s original story, the menace is a three-eyed alien “shapeshifter,” whose crashed spacecraft is discovered buried beneath a glacial ice sheet. Upon reawakening, the alien runs amok, murdering the research scientists who attempt to foil its escape and trying to further the propagation of its kind.
In the film version, actor James Arness (of later Gunsmoke fame) portrayed the dome-skulled, thorn-fingered Thing. A later remake by John Carpenter (1982), although closer to Campbell’s short story, was marred by an unaffecting cast, crude dialogue, and excessive gore.
Impact
The Thing acts as a parable, warning of the consequences that follow when unbridled scientific curiosity is allowed to outpace rational judgment. As such, the film speaks most directly to the dangers of misused atomic power; indeed, the creature itself is highly radioactive and its eminent approach is always foreshadowed in the film by a sudden, rapid increase of the Geiger counter’s tick-tick-tick. The admonition at the film’s conclusion, for everyone everywhere to “keep watching the skies!,” similarly echoes the Cold War paranoia of the pre-Sputnik era.
Bibliography
McCarthy, Todd. Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood. New York: Grove Press, 1997. Comprehensive and very readable biography of the great filmmaker, concentrating on his work in Hollywood.
Peary, Danny. Cult Movies 3. New York: Fireside Books, 1988. Catalog of cult films containing valuable background and production information on The Thing.
Skal, David J. The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror. New York: W. W. Norton, 1993. A survey of the horror film genre and its impact on popular culture. Especially notable for its treatment of “splatter” film special effects, as used in Carpenter’s 1982 remake of The Thing.
Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1997. Reference work that takes its title from the final line of The Thing and provides an alphabetical list of films, each entry of which includes synopses, quotations, cast and director information, and special effects listings.