The Thing from Another World (1951)

Robert Cornthwaite: Dr. Carrington

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Quotes 

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : There are no enemies in science, only phenomena to be studied.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : No pleasure, no pain... no emotion, no heart. Our superior in every way.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : You're doing more than breaking army orders. You're robbing science of the greatest secrets that ever come to it.

  Hendry : You'd better go back, Doctor.

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : Knowledge is more important than life, Captain. We've only one excuse for existing - to think, to find out, to learn.

  Ned "Scotty" Scott : What can we learn from that thing except a quicker way to die?

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : It doesn't matter what happens to us. Nothing counts except for our thinking. We thought our way into nature. We split the atom.

  Eddie : Yes, and that sure made the world happy, didn't it?

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : [about the carrot]  Its development was not handicapped by emotional or sexual factors.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : We owe it to the brain of our species to stand here and die... without destroying a source of wisdom.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : Knowledge is more important than life.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : You're acting like frightened children.

  Hendry : You're right, Doctor... I am frightened.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : Miss Nicholson.

  Nikki : Yes, Doctor?

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : At 12:10 AM the hand became alive. The temperature of the forearm showed a 20-degree rise. Because of this rise in temperature I believe it was able to ingest the canine blood with which it was covered. I believe...

  Ned "Scotty" Scott : You mean... You mean it lives on blood.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : [Addressing Captain Hendry, arguing against the plan to destroy the alien creature]  You're doing more than breaking Army orders, you're robbing science of the greatest secret that's ever come to it. Knowledge is more important than life, captain. We've only one excuse for existence: to think, to find out, to learn! It doesn't matter what happens to us. Nothing matters except our thinking. We've fought our way into Nature, we've split the atom... We owe it to the brain of our species to stay here and die, without destroying a source of wisdom. Civilization has given us orders!

  Hendry : [Annoyed]  Get him out of here!

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : Captain, when you find what you're looking for, remember it's a stranger in a strange land. The only crimes involved were those committed against it. It awoke from a block of ice, was attacked by dogs, shot by frightened man. All I want is a chance to communicate with it.

  Hendry : Doctor you can do anything you want with it provided it's locked up in a safe place.

  Ned "Scotty" Scott : Captain, we catch up with our pal give me a chance to get a picture before somebody makes a salad of 'em eh?

  Hendry : Sure scotty.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : I doubt that it *can* die... as we understand dying.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : Well Captain, can we start now?

  Hendry : You mind telling me where we're going, Doctor?

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : Forty-eight miles due east from here.

  Hendry : Your message said an airplane had crashed. Is that what we're looking for?

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : I don't know, Captain.

  Hendry : I think you'd better explain, Doctor.

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : Oh, I'm sorry. Miss Nicholson, would you mind reading Captain Hendry my first notes?

  Nikki : Surely.

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : I was thinking only of the vagueness of my information. I dislike being vague.

• Dr. Vorhees : 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. Arthur 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.

• Dr. Arthur Carrington : I'm your friend! I have no weapons! I'm your friend! You're wiser than I! You must understand what I'm trying to tell you! Don't go farther! They'll kill you! They think you'll harm us! But I want to know you, to help you! Believe that! You're wiser than anything on earth! Use that intelligence! Look and know what I'm telling you! I'm not your enemy! I'm a scientist who's trying...!

• Hendry : Dr. Carrington, we just learned you found a dog in there bled white by our visitor. You didn't report it. Why?

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : I didn't consider it necessary.

  Hendry : But it was necessary to leave two of your friends in there to be killed.

  Dr. Arthur Carrington : I posted them as a guard. I was in there myself...

  Hendry : Dr. Stern was right. I looked through that door. They're hanging in there upside down like in a slaughterhouse. I wish you'd seen it.

  Dr. Stern : Isn't there something we can do about it?

  Hendry : They're dead now and it's our job to see that nobody else joins them.