The Thing 1951
The Thing ★★★½ The Thing from Another World 1951
One of the best of the Cold War allegories and a potent lesson to those who won't eat their vegetables. Sci fi classic about an alien craft and creature (Arness in monster drag), discovered by an Arctic research team. The critter is accidentally thawed and then wreaks havoc, sucking the blood from sled dog and scientist alike. It's a giant seed-dispersing vegetable run amuck, unaffected by missing body parts, bullets, or cold. In other words, Big Trouble. Excellent direction, assisted substantially by producer Hawks, and supported by strong performances. Available colorized; remade in 1982. Loosely based on “Who Goes There?” by John Campbell. 87m/B VHS, DVD . James Arness, Kenneth Tobey, Margaret Sheridan, Dewey Martin, Robert Cornthwaite, Douglas Spencer, James L. Young, Robert Nichols, William (Bill) Self, Eduard Franz, Sally Creighton, John Dierkes, George Fenneman; D: Christian Nyby, Howard Hawks; W: Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht; C: Russell Harlan; M: Dimitri Tiomkin. Natl. Film Reg. ‘01.