"The Thing from Another World" is a good example a type of sci-fi film of the mid-20th century that engrossed audiences. The plot had some intrigue (the scientific wonder), interest in understanding a different life from outer space, and a conflict between study and survival. The latter most often was portrayed as science and the military or law being at odds.
As in this film, usually the scientists want to dig right into the discoveries and start examining them, while the military want to secure them first and then wait for orders. The scientists usually are on the losing side, but they or someone else are the means for the aliens to get loose and wreak havoc. The humans wind up winning, but only after a few of them have been eaten, groveled, drained of their blood or brains, or otherwise disposed of. Naturally, audiences of the time went with the strong arm group who would protect and defend civilization. In other words, wipe out the invaders.
But this type of sci-fi kept one's interest. And, it didn't require a great deal of expense for models and suits and makeup of freak creatures. The creatures were seen less often, but just enough to remind the audience that they are there. Modern sci-fi films, by contrast, are almost continuous mayhem of battles and encounters with the monsters.
One nice aspect of this film is that some of the ideas for tackling the monster came from minor characters – one of the Air Force sergeants. That was a little more common in movies of the past – someone other than the hero or lead roles could have good ideas that others would act upon. Nowadays, it seems always to have to be the lead character(s) who are the only thinking members of casts.
Kenneth Tobey, who plays Captain Hendry, was a regular lead character in these type of films in the mid-20th century. He and a few others were good actors who weren't able to break into major films in any lead roles. An interesting character here is Scotty, played by Douglas Spencer. He's a news reporters and a source of humor in this film, but his good-natured sarcasm bounces off the captain and others. Spencer was in more than 90 films with small roles but some very good ones. And, for many years he was Ray Miland's stand-in. He died at age 50 from diabetes. The female lead, Nikki, is played by Margaret Sheridan. She was good in just 11 movies she appeared in over 13 years, but she quite acting in 1964. She was just 55 years old when she died from cancer in 1982.
Dr. Carrington's character (played by Robert Cornthwaite) is a Nobel Prize winner in the film. He is overly Darwinian, reflecting the level of some thinking in science of that time – that man evolved from worms. Here's an exchange between two of the science team in the film. Dr. Vorhees (Paul Frees), "Arthur, what if that aircraft came here not just to visit the earth, but to conquer it? To start growing some kind of horrible army? Turn the human race into food for it?" Dr. Carrington, "There are many things threatening our world. New stars, comets shooting through space .There are no enemies in science, professor, only phenomena to study. We are studying one."
When the military team can't figure out how to defeat the alien, Nikki provides the answer. Scotty," The $64 question – what do you do with a vegetable?" Nikki, "Boil it!" Scotty, "What'd you say?" Nikki, "Boil it, Stew it. Bake it. Fry it."
Sergeants are supposed to be smarter than the dodo who puts the electric blanket over the block of ice. This should be a good lesson for Air Force sergeants of the future – don't ever put an electric blanket on a block of ice that contains a frozen creature from outer space.
As in this film, usually the scientists want to dig right into the discoveries and start examining them, while the military want to secure them first and then wait for orders. The scientists usually are on the losing side, but they or someone else are the means for the aliens to get loose and wreak havoc. The humans wind up winning, but only after a few of them have been eaten, groveled, drained of their blood or brains, or otherwise disposed of. Naturally, audiences of the time went with the strong arm group who would protect and defend civilization. In other words, wipe out the invaders.
But this type of sci-fi kept one's interest. And, it didn't require a great deal of expense for models and suits and makeup of freak creatures. The creatures were seen less often, but just enough to remind the audience that they are there. Modern sci-fi films, by contrast, are almost continuous mayhem of battles and encounters with the monsters.
One nice aspect of this film is that some of the ideas for tackling the monster came from minor characters – one of the Air Force sergeants. That was a little more common in movies of the past – someone other than the hero or lead roles could have good ideas that others would act upon. Nowadays, it seems always to have to be the lead character(s) who are the only thinking members of casts.
Kenneth Tobey, who plays Captain Hendry, was a regular lead character in these type of films in the mid-20th century. He and a few others were good actors who weren't able to break into major films in any lead roles. An interesting character here is Scotty, played by Douglas Spencer. He's a news reporters and a source of humor in this film, but his good-natured sarcasm bounces off the captain and others. Spencer was in more than 90 films with small roles but some very good ones. And, for many years he was Ray Miland's stand-in. He died at age 50 from diabetes. The female lead, Nikki, is played by Margaret Sheridan. She was good in just 11 movies she appeared in over 13 years, but she quite acting in 1964. She was just 55 years old when she died from cancer in 1982.
Dr. Carrington's character (played by Robert Cornthwaite) is a Nobel Prize winner in the film. He is overly Darwinian, reflecting the level of some thinking in science of that time – that man evolved from worms. Here's an exchange between two of the science team in the film. Dr. Vorhees (Paul Frees), "Arthur, what if that aircraft came here not just to visit the earth, but to conquer it? To start growing some kind of horrible army? Turn the human race into food for it?" Dr. Carrington, "There are many things threatening our world. New stars, comets shooting through space .There are no enemies in science, professor, only phenomena to study. We are studying one."
When the military team can't figure out how to defeat the alien, Nikki provides the answer. Scotty," The $64 question – what do you do with a vegetable?" Nikki, "Boil it!" Scotty, "What'd you say?" Nikki, "Boil it, Stew it. Bake it. Fry it."
Sergeants are supposed to be smarter than the dodo who puts the electric blanket over the block of ice. This should be a good lesson for Air Force sergeants of the future – don't ever put an electric blanket on a block of ice that contains a frozen creature from outer space.