The Thing from Another World (1951)
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A remote Arctic research outpost becomes a scene of terror when a crashed flying saucer releases a malevolent, plant-based alien.
The story
A United States Air Force crew and scientists discover a crashed flying saucer frozen in the Arctic ice, along with a humanoid body. They transport the body back to their remote research outpost in a block of ice. However, the creature inside is still alive. When the ice begins to thaw, the team is forced to defend themselves against the malevolent, plant-based alien that escapes into the base, creating a desperate struggle for survival in the frozen wilderness.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Journalist Ned Scott joins Captain Pat Hendry on a flight to a remote North Pole outpost to investigate a crashed aircraft. Upon arrival, they meet a team of scientists who discover a flying saucer buried in the ice. After a failed attempt to free the craft with thermite, they excavate a frozen body and bring it to the base. During a storm, the creature inside the ice thaws and escapes, killing two sled dogs. The scientists identify the creature as a plant-based life form that feeds on blood. While the airmen search for it, the scientists discover it is a vampire-like entity. The creature eventually attacks the base, sabotaging the oil supply and killing more people. The team manages to trap the creature in a greenhouse and later in a generator room, where it is eventually electrocuted and reduced to ash. The film ends with Ned Scott broadcasting a warning to the world to 'Watch the skies everywhere.'
- First release year
- 1951
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Christian Nyby
- Writers
- Charles Lederer · screenplay; Howard Hawks · Uncredited; Ben Hecht · Uncredited
- Genres
- science fiction; horror
- Themes
- skepticism about science; Arctic horror
- Tone and mood
- tense; chilling
- Premise and plot tags
- alien invasion; monster movie; science fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- Who Goes There? (1938 novella) by John W. Campbell Jr.
- Franchise connections
- The Thing
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success, becoming the 46th biggest earner of 1951 and beating all other science fiction films released that year. It is now considered one of the best films of 1951 and a great science fiction film of the 1950s, though it received mixed critical reviews upon release.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: Fresh · review count: 69
- Production trivia
- The film was partly shot in Glacier National Park with interior sets built at a Los Angeles ice storage plant.; The scene where the alien is set aflame was one of the first full-body fire stunts ever filmed.; No actors are named during the opening title sequence; cast credits appear at the end.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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