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IMDbPro

The Thing from Another World

  • 19511951
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
30K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,963
398
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer1:35
2 Videos
95 Photos
HorrorSci-Fi
Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
30K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,963
398
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Christian Nyby
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Charles Lederer(screenplay)
      • John W. Campbell Jr.(based on the story "Who Goes There?" by)
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Kenneth Tobey
      • Margaret Sheridan
      • James Arness
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Christian Nyby
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Charles Lederer(screenplay)
      • John W. Campbell Jr.(based on the story "Who Goes There?" by)
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Kenneth Tobey
      • Margaret Sheridan
      • James Arness
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 338User reviews
    • 122Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:35
    Trailer
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Clip 4:54
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary

    Photos95

    Lisa Emery at an event for The Thing from Another World (1951)
    Margaret Sheridan and Kenneth Tobey in The Thing from Another World (1951)
    Margaret Sheridan and Kenneth Tobey in The Thing from Another World (1951)
    Margaret Sheridan and Kenneth Tobey in The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    The Thing from Another World (1951)
    Nicholas Byron in The Thing from Another World (1951)
    George Fenneman and Paul Frees in The Thing from Another World (1951)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kenneth Tobey
    Kenneth Tobey
    • Capt. Patrick Hendry
    Margaret Sheridan
    Margaret Sheridan
    • Nikki Nicholson
    James Arness
    James Arness
    • 'The Thing'
    Robert Cornthwaite
    Robert Cornthwaite
    • Dr. Arthur Carrington
    Douglas Spencer
    Douglas Spencer
    • Ned Scott
    James Young
    James Young
    • Lt. Eddie Dykes
    Dewey Martin
    Dewey Martin
    • Crew Chief Bob
    Robert Nichols
    Robert Nichols
    • Lt. Ken Erickson…
    William Self
    • Cpl. Barnes
    Eduard Franz
    Eduard Franz
    • Dr. Stern
    Sally Creighton
    • Mrs. Chapman
    Edmund Breon
    Edmund Breon
    • Dr. Ambrose
    • (uncredited)
    Nicholas Byron
    • Tex Richards
    • (uncredited)
    John Dierkes
    John Dierkes
    • Dr. Chapman
    • (uncredited)
    George Fenneman
    George Fenneman
    • Dr. Redding
    • (uncredited)
    Lee Tong Foo
    Lee Tong Foo
    • Lee - a Cook
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Frees
    Paul Frees
    • Dr. Vorhees
    • (uncredited)
    Everett Glass
    Everett Glass
    • Dr. Wilson
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Christian Nyby
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Charles Lederer(screenplay)
      • John W. Campbell Jr.(based on the story "Who Goes There?" by)
      • Howard Hawks(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The skeleton crew at the South Pole Telescope station have a tradition every winter-over of watching this movie, and the other two adaptations on the very first night after the departure of the final plane of the season.
    • Goofs
      As the flying saucer explodes, the camera tilts up to follow the blast, revealing the top of the Arctic backdrop built around the set.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Ned "Scotty" Scott: Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!

    • Crazy credits
      Only technical and production credits precede the film, no acting credits.
    • Alternate versions
      There is a version which shows Dr. Carrington wandering through his "nursery" of baby "things" on his way to the generator to shut it down as the others prepare to fry the creature. The "things" have grown to a height of over 12 inches.
    • Connections
      Featured in House of Horror: The Thing (1957)
    • Soundtracks
      Can't Get Out of This Mood
      (uncredited)

      Music by Jimmy McHugh

    User reviews338

    Review
    Top review
    a must-see for fans of sci-fi and horror
    The Thing, released in 1951, is the original hostile alien movie, a must-see for fans of sci-fi and horror.

    Major director Howard Hawks (Sergeant York, The Big Sleep, Red River, Rio Bravo) produced it but some sources (Leonard Maltin) credit him as co-director. Christian Nyby, a film editor for Hawks, is officially credited as the director. Whoever directed it, The Thing is an impeccably crafted movie. It's considered as a Grade B movie, probably because of its subject matter, but it's one of the best Grade B's along with Them and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

    A group of scientists at the North Pole discover something buried in the ice. Unknowingly they bring back part of it to the camp for study.

    The acting is solid and the characters are given great dialog. Kenneth Tobey is the take charge Captain Patrick Hendry. Robert Cornthwaite is great as the slightly nutty Dr. Carrington. Douglas Spencer as Scotty is fun as the wisecracking reporter always looking for a photo. Margaret Sheridan is Nikki the shapely love interest. James Arness plays The Thing monster. With an ensemble cast of supporting actors. Be sure to rent the DVD version because it has a few scenes between Tobey and Sheridan that were always cut for TV and VHS probably because they were considered a little too racy for the time although now they are just cute.

    The film has held up well for over fifty years. The film's contributors were seasoned professionals who had worked on major films. The screenplay by Charles Lederer (Mutiny on the Bounty, Ocean's Eleven, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, His Girl Friday) is full of crisp dialog. The black and white cinematography by Russell Harlan (Red River, Witness for the Prosecution, To Kill A Mockingbird, Run Silent Run Deep) makes everything look right. The prolific film composer Dmitri Tiompkin provides a very eerie, theremin-based score.

    After 50 years this movie rightly earns the label of classic.
    helpful•24
    5
    • StanleyStrangelove
    • Aug 4, 2005

    FAQ4

    • What is 'The Thing from Another World' about?
    • Is 'The Thing from Another World' based on a book?
    • How does the movie end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 7, 1951 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Howard Hawks' Production The Thing from Another World
    • Filming locations
      • Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
    • Production company
      • Winchester Pictures Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,600,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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