Harrison's Reports (1951)

HARRISON’S REPORTS April 7, 1951 54 “The Thing” with Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey and Robert Cornthwaite (RKO, no rel. date set; time, 89 min.) “The Thing” is another in the current cycle of science-fiction films, the kind that lends itself to exploitation in a big way. Although the story does have its shortcomings, it is, on the whole, an effective and imaginative thriller that should more than satisfy those who enjoy weird, horror-like tales. In this instance, the story deals with a strange invader from another planet, a weird Frankenstein-like man whose body is composed of vegetable matter and who lives on animal and human blood. Moreover, his mental and physical powers are much greater than those of human beings, and parts of his body, such as an arm that is torn from its socket, come to life on their own and multiply rapidly, thus posing a threat to the existence of mankind. The story, which takes place in the North Pole region, where “The Thing” lands in a saucer-like space ship, grips one’s interest from the start and sustains a mood of tense expectancy throughout. Some of the situations are terrifying, and others are charged with so much suspense that one is kept on the edge of his seat. The direction and acting are good, and the production values first-rate, with the bleak atmosphere of the frozen Arctic caught most effectively. The story opens at a U. S. scientific research station near the North Pole, manned by a small group of scientists. When a mysterious radio-active element disrupts delicate scientific instruments and affects radio communications, a U. S. Air Force unit, led by Kenneth Tobey, is dispatched to the station to investigate. There, with the aid of the scientists and by means of a Geiger counter, the airmen trace the disturbance to an icy area nearby, where they find the space ship embedded in the ice. Their attempt to melt the ice results in an explosion of the space ship, and shortly thereafter they discover a strange looking body under the surface of the ice. All return to the station with the strange body encased in ice, and Tobey, despite the protests of the scientists, who insist upon examining the invader, orders that it be kept in the ice pending instructions from headquarters. Complications arise when a sleepy guard inadvertently permits the ice to melt and “The Thing” comes to life. It escapes through an open window and is attacked by sled dogs, who tear off one of its arms before two of them are killed. The scientists, while examining the arm, are shocked when they see it come to life. They soon establish that “The Thing” is composed of vegetable mat' ter, that it subsisted on blood, and that parts of its body had great reproductive powers. Now realizing that “The Thing” must have blood to live and that it could obtain it only from those in the station, Tobey sets up defense measures and keeps tabs on the invader’s approach by means of the Geiger counter. “The Thing,” however, smashes through the barriers in several attacks and kills two of the men, despite efforts to keep it at bay with fire, axes and guns. In the end, however, the human beings emerge victorious by luring “The Thing” into a high-voltage electrical current, which burns it down to ashes. It is a Winchester Pictures Corporation presentation, produced by Howard Hawks and directed by Christian Nyby from a screen play by Charles Lederer, based on the story, “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, Jr. Some of the scenes may prove to be too horrific for young children. “Katie Did It” with Ann Blyth, Mark Stevens and Cecil Kellaway (Univ.'Int’l, May; time, 81 min.) A mildly entertaining romantic comedy, “Katie Did It” is handicapped by a featherweight story that is none too original and that is given more to talk than to action. Although the picture lacks some really funny lines and situations, it does have several amusing moments and should get by with undiscriminating audiences in small-town and neighborhood theatres, but those who are inclined to be a bit fussy about story values will probably find much of the proceedings rather tedious. Good performances by Ann Blyth, Mark Stevens and Cecil Kellaway give the picture a decided lift, but their acting talents are deserving of better stuff than this. The productions values are good and the photography bright and clear: — Vacationing in a staid New England village, Mark Stevens, a top New York commercial artist, incurs the wrath of Ann Blyth, the town’s librarian, when he accidentally spills paint on her hat. He soon learns that Ann belonged to the town’s leading family, who came from a long line of Puritanical ancestors, and that Cecil Kellaway, her uncle, who enjoyed taking a drink, was the one black sheep of the family. He becomes friendly with Kellaway, and one day takes him to a horse breeding farm, where he (Stevens) takes title to two colts. There, Kellaway meets a bookie and loses a $500 bet on a horse race. Lest Elizabeth Patterson, his stern sister, learn where he had been, Kellaway refers to the two colts as Stevens’ “children.” Stevens, being a bachelor, is looked upon as a scandalous character. Meanwhile Kellaway, pressed for payment by the bookie, approaches Harold Vermilyea, the town banker, for a loan. Vermilyea agrees, provided Kellaway induces Ann to marry his son, Craig Stevens, a stuffed shirt. Kellaway refuses, then tells Ann about his problem. To help him, she decides to go to New York to sell a song she had written. She meets Stevens on the train, and he deliberately embarrasses her by making the conductor believe that she is his “mentally ill” wife. In New York, Ann is unable to sell her song and, in desperation, she turns to Stevens for a modelling job. He eagerly agrees to hire her. She spends the week posing for him, during which time they fall deeply in love. Complications arise, however, when Stevens’ young nephew comes to visit him and she mistakes the boy for Stevens’ son. She returns home in a rage, sadly disillusioned. Shortly thereafter, the billboards around town blossom forth with a soap advertisement featuring a daring picture of Ann, and she and Kellaway, attempting to deface them, are arrested. This results in a scandal about Ann’s trip to New York, and when Craig offers to marry her despite the gossip, Ann accepts. Stevens turns up at the wedding rehearsal, convinces Ann that he had no children, and wins her away from Craig. Then, to still the town’s gossips, he presents documentary proof that none of their ancestors were legally married. It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by Frederick de Cordova from an original screenplay by Jack Henley. Suitable for the family.