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There's still debate about who directed The Thing From Another World, Christian Nyby (listed as the director) or Howard Hawks (listed as producer). I like to think that Nyby directed it, but he took his marching orders from the Shadow King (Hawks). As many have said and I'm repeating, Hawks' fingerprints (boy's club, overlapping dialogue, etc...) were all over the film. Regardless of who directed it, The Thing From Another World is a fine example of Fifties sci-fi/horror.
All the tropes of the genre during the era are on display, you got your military men (Kenneth Tobey), civilian (egghead) scientists (Robert Cornthwaite), the monster (James Arness), isolated location (the artic) and the love interest (Margaret Sheridan, the only woman in the cast). You'll see these over and over again in the sci-fi/horror movies of the Fifties. As far as faithfulness to the source material, John W. Campbell's great novella, 'Who Goes There', the movie only takes the skeleton of the plot; you'll have to wait about 30 years for John Carpenter's version The Thing to get a movie that's more or less a faithful adaption.
The movie itself is a crackling affair full of snapping dialogue. Wisely, Nyby (and/or Hawks) keeps the monster mostly out of view until the final confrontation. James Arness as the Thing, does a fine job with what's essentially a one note role. Still, sometimes I get the feeling they could have substituted a killer ape and ended up with almost the same movie (the idea of blood sucking carrots is a nice touch though). A classic.
9/10
