The Thing from Another World (1951)

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)
Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
La chose d'un autre monde (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
'Se' toisesta maailmasta (Finland) [fi]
Det från en annan värld (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
El enigma... de otro mundo (Spain) [es]
Fantomen från Mars (Sweden) [sv]
Het ding van een andere wereld (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
L'enigma d'un altre món (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La cosa (Venezuela) [es]
La cosa da un altro mondo (Italy) [it]
Manden fra Mars (Denmark) [da]

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:

It is believed that Ben Hecht and William Faulkner, both good friends of producer Howard Hawks, contributed to the script. However, long-standing rumors that Orson Welles contributed to the dialog are believed to be untrue.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the men arrive at the crash site and are looking it over, their shadows are always pointing away from us no matter whether we are looking at their faces or looking over their shoulders at the site.

Quotes:

Ned "Scotty" Scott: An intellectual carrot. The mind boggles.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Thing (1982)

Soundtrack:

Can't Get Out of This Mood

Superior Sci-fi

I first saw this film as a small child and it scared the *bleep* out of me. Since then, it's become one of my favorite films in any genre, and possibly my favorite sci-fi/horror film of all. Th production values are superior, the direction and acting are first rate, and the writing is a step above the typical sci-fi films of the period. The level of tension remains constant - and consistant - throughout the film, building to an awesome climax. Far, far superior to Carpenter's idiotic remake.