The Thing from Another World

**_Stuck at an isolated arctic station with some… Thing_** Scientists at a base in the frozen North discern the crash-landing of an unknown vessel 50 miles away, which they naturally investigate with the corresponding militarists. They bring a mysterious frozen specimen back to the station. Big mistake. “The Thing From Another World” (1951) was the first attempt to film John W. Campbell’s novella Who Goes There? Being shot in 1950, there’s a quaintness to the proceedings compared to the 1982 version with Kurt Russell or the 2011 prequel. This version lacks the grimness of those two future renditions and the extraterrestrial (played by towering James Arness) is lame by comparison. We know from “War of the Worlds” and “The Blob” that flicks from the 50s can feature effective alien creatures and be genuinely scary, but I can’t really say that about this B&W classic, although there’s of course SOME creepiness at the remote station. On the positive side, the elaboration on a mysterious plant-based lifeform from another planet is well-done and interesting. So is the contention between Capt. Hendry (Kenneth Tobey), who is intent on saving lives, and Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite), who believes scientific discovery is above all, even above all lives on Earth. Speaking of which, the idea about the possible global threat of the lifeform is later explored in the great “Species.” I suggest watching the 2011 and 1982 movies (in that order) and, if you want more, check out this classic for an alternative take on Campbell’s novella, assuming you don’t mind old-fashioned filmmaking and B&W photography. The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles (including at the Ice & Cold Storage Company in order to show condensed breath in the interiors); second unit work was done at Glacier National Park, Montana. GRADE: B-