Movie Review: "The Thing from Another World"

Produced by Howard Hawkes, "The Thing from Another World" is that rare Science Fiction movie to rise above the usual hokey Si-Fi fare, and be classified among Hollywood's elite motion pictures.  At the time of production (1951), the nation was obsessed with a myriad of flying saucers sitings.  That said, "The Thing" has stood the test of time, and continues to find an audience.

The movie takes place on the North Pole, where a United States Air Force crew and a team of research scientists find something mysterious buried in the frozen Arctic wastes: a crashed flying saucer and a humanoid body nearby. They return to their remote Arctic research outpost with the body still frozen in a block of ice, intent on making a study of their finding.  It's then their troubles begin, as the humanoid body is a blood thirsty vegetable-like being (an "intellectual carrot", is how the alien is depicted) intent on colonizing earth with its vegetable offspring.  Finding a way to stop it, is the plot of the movie (if the story sounds familiar, it is; it's the plot of "Alien").

The star is Kenneth Tobey, a journeyman Hollywood actor, who spent much of his career playing second fiddle to a variety of Hollywood's leading men, including John Wayne and Cary Grant.  As Air Force Captain Patrick Henry, Tobey is charismatic as the leader of a talented ensemble cast. His love interest is the fetching Margret Sheridan as Nikki Nicholson. Much of the interaction between these two is reminiscent of Bogie and Bacall in "The Deep Sleep", which is not too surprising as "The Deep Sleep" was another of Howard Hawkes' productions, as was "Sargent York", which is referred to in one scene.

Crisp dialogue and fast-paced action are the hallmarks of this Sci-Fi thriller.  Its the story of a group of air force personnel and research scientists imperiled by a space alien (James Arness in his first movie role) that they can neither understand nor destroy.  Complicating Captain Henry's job of combating the alien is his renewed interest in former lover Nikki Nicholson, and dealing with Dr. Robert Carrington (Arthur Cornthwaite), who, like the android in "Alien" wants to keep the creature alive for further study. Eventually, one of Henry's subordinates devizes a method to kill the creature.  The movie ends with reporter Ned "Scotty" Scott's (Douglas Spencer) radio broadcast of what had taken place at the Arctic research outpost, and his warning for people everywhere to keep watching the skies for Alien space craft.

Personal note:  I had the privilege of meeting Kenneth Toby while working for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, in their Reseda, California retail store.  At the time, we employed a tire buster named named Jeff Stordahl.  As it turned out Jeff's father was the late Axel Stordahl (who had been the song arranger for Frank Sinatra, when he recorded for Columbia Records).  Kenneth Toby was Jeff's legal guardian.  The actor arrived one day in our store, in casual clothes and without any Hollywood pretensions.  That he was a star of TV shows and Hollywood movies, one would never have guessed (although I did, in fact, recognize him, from "The Thing").  A nice, easy man to know, who shared a natural relationship with Jeff.  When he turned 21, Jeff would receive his inheritance.  Until then, he was working in our tire store. Jeff was a good guy who, like his guardian, was friendly and personable.  Jeff drove a tricked-out VW beetle, that I admired. I, too, drove a VW beetle with a souped-up engine.  As quick as mine was, Jeff's was quicker, a fact Jeff never lorded over me.  When I was promoted, I lost touch with Jeff, and never leaned what became of him.

About Kenneth Toby: while a college student intent on going to law school, he discovered he had a talent for acting, and began appearing in various off-campus stage productions.  It wasn't long that a Hollywood agent discovered him, and arranged a small part for him in a movie.  From 1941 until his retirement in 1999, Kenneth Toby never lacked for work.  He appeared in a number of movies throughout the 1940s and 50s.  In the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, Toby guest-starred in several TV shows, including two episodes in "Perry Mason"; "Gunsmoke" (reuniting him with James Arness), "Daniel Boone", "Lawman", "The Rebel", "I Spy", "Adam 12", "Emergency", "The Rockford Files", and "Night Court." When he could get away from Hollywood,Toby would appear in a number of Broadway plays.

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