Thirty years before the arrival of John Carpenter's film adaptation of John W. Campbell's claustrophobic, creep-fest, Who Goes There?, producer Howard Hawks and director Christian Nyby brought The Thing From Another World to the big screen.
The 1951 chiller was adapted by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Hawks, who presented one of cinema's most memorable ensembles: Kenneth (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms/It Came From Beneath the Sea/The Vampire) Tobey; Margaret (I, the Jury) Sheridan; Paul (The War of the Worlds) Frees; Robert (The War of the Worlds) Cornthwaite; John (The Naked Jungle) Dierkes; Douglas (This Island Earth) Spencer; Robert (This Island Earth) Nichols; Eduard (The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake) Franz; Everett (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) Glass; Dewey (Land of the Pharaohs) Martin; George (You Bet Your Life) Fenneman; Sally (Has Anybody Seen My Gal?) Creighton; and as the regenerating, vegetable menace from beyond, a pre-Gunsmoke James Arness.
Authors/researchers Nige Burton and Jamie Jones now commemorate this jolting masterpiece with a deluxe, special edition for Classic Monsters of the Movies, inserting respectful and thorough bios for the aforementioned, while discussing the actors' snappy, intersecting dialogue; first-time director Nyby's admirable adherence to Hawks' filmmaking style; and a comparison of Campbell's work to the adaptation's non-shapeshifting elements. That's right, folks, it's all contained for your edification, from startling start to forbidding finish.
As with other Classic Monsters Ultimate Guides, The Thing is sweetened by eye-opening trivia, "Quotable Quotes" and quality, promotional pieces, angled to please fans of this nail-biting, speculative staple.
This one seems destined to deplete, so be wise and order before The Thing evades your grasp.
https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/the-thing-from-another-world-1951-ultimate-guide-magazine/
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