Rent The Thing from Another World (1951)

Sci-fi classic. - The Thing from Another World review by Steve

After editing Red River for Howard Hawks, Christian Nyby got the job of directing this proto-alien invasion classic. But  Hawks produced, and this is typical of his work. The military scientists camped in the Arctic Circle express themselves in tough guy crosstalk. There's even a fast talking dame, Margaret Sheridan, doing a fabulous impression of Lauren Bacall.

The long introduction is fine, but the film only really comes to life when the alien (played by the imposing James Arness) defrosts and reanimates. The last half hour is thrilling. The intruder is nominally humanoid, but analysis proves that it is actually intelligent vegetation which feeds on the blood of mammals. It is more intelligent than us and reproduces with frightening rapidity...

It is tremendous to watch the laws of fifties sci-fi being created before our eyes: the alien that is brought back to life through human error; the attempt to confront the invasion with science; and the megalomaniac boffin who foolishly aids the creature because of its value to science. Arness has a fine presence as the first alien monster of the '50s, with its strange luminous aura and thorny skin.

There's a witty script from screwball specialist Charles Lederer, and an all time great action score from Dimitri Tiomkin. The fifties science fiction wave starts here at the North Pole. At the end of the film, the dome headed newspaper reporter (Douglas Spencer) shouts his article down the phone line to his editor: 'Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!'.