Corn, Wit Were the Thing and Monster Was a Vegetable

One of my favorite scenes in the original 1951 version of “The Thing”--before John Carpenter turned it into a gory freak show in 1982--is near the beginning, shortly after a team of soldiers and scientists is dispatched to Antarctica to check out a strange disturbance.

They see a large form under the ice and, almost linking hands, circle it from above. In a shared moment, the men realize they’ve discovered a flying saucer. Director Charles Nyby (with help from producer Howard Hawks, who is often credited with much of the directing) gives the scene cinematic scope and tension.

The investigators lose the saucer but bring back its pilot, a hulking monster played by a growling James Arness. This black and white movie is intentionally spare and direct, but there’s wit in the script. The alien, for instance, turns out to be a vegetable, of all things.

“The Thing” is said to have inspired many contemporary filmmakers and movies, most notably “Alien,” and was one of the first movies to kick off the spate of sci-fi films during the ‘50s. You can forgive the corny ending, which was typical of the times.

The Thing (1951), directed by Christian Nyby. 87 minutes. Unrated.