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15. The Thing from Another World: Howard Hawks & the Cold War

Description

As always there are spoilers ahead!

 

We are finally in the 1950s! The Golden Era of science fiction cinema.

 

Although the 1950s are known for may B Movies The Thing from Another World was produced (and possibly directed) by the very famous Howard Hawks and came from RKO which was a big name studio at this time.

 

This film capitalised on the growing appetite for science fiction in the USA which was, up until the 1950s surge, largely in print (but also a little on television). Studios, however, were still wary of the science fiction label. Based on the John W Campbell novella Who Goes There? from 1938 there were a few significant changes made to the story.

 

The Experts

Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including the 2023 Selling Science Fiction Cinema.

 

Marc Longenecker is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Film Studies at Wesleyan University.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the show and guests

02:40 The 1950s sci-fi explosion

06:34 The studio aversion to science fiction and the paramount decree

09:55 Howard Hawks, Howard Hughes and who really directed this film?

16:20 If it walks like a Hawk: Hallmarks and the Hawksian woman

21:52 The Cold War, flying saucers and “the group”

34:05 Jay’s comparison to The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

36:26 The influence on John Carpenter and The Thing (1982)

44:21 The legacy of the film

48:56 Recommendations for listeners

 

Show notes

  • The novella Who Goes There? Was written by John W Campbell under the name Don A Stuart in 1938 and was first published in Astounding Science Fiction.

  • John W Campbell was an American science fiction writer born in 1910. He was editor of Astounding Science Fiction from 1937 till his death in 1971. He was a central figure in the golden era of science fiction but also a public advocate/apologist for slavery who held racist views. In 2019 the John W Campbell prize was renamed due to this. You can read more about it here.

  • “The Big Three” is a term that is often used to refer to Robert Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov.

  • Samson and Delilah was released in December 1949 in New York and January in Los Angeles.

  • IMDB pages for Samson and Delilah, All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard.

  • You can learn more about Captain Video (and His Video Rangers) here.

  • IMDB pages for Destination Moon and Rocketship X-M.

  • You can learn more about Hedda Hopper here and here.

  • Tokyo File 212’s Wikipedia page and IMDB page.

  • Jungle Headhunters' IMDB page.

  • You can learn a bit about the 1948 Paramount decision or the Paramount Decrees here.

  • Terry Turner worked for RKO as an “exploitation man” promoting films and film packages although information about him on the internet is very scarce. You can find his obituary from The New York Times here.

  • Howard Hughes was an American millionaire businessman born in 1905. He was an aerospace engineer and a pilot as well as a film producer. The Martin Scorsese film The Aviator is a biopic of Hughes’ life.

  • You can learn more about the history of RKO here.

  • Howard Hawks was an American filmmaker born in 1896. He is often considered one of the greatest directors of all time, especially in my house, albeit mainly by me.

  • Jay Telotte informs me it was actually Leigh Brackett, a science fiction writer and close friend of Howard Hawks, that drew his attention to the John W Campbell story. Leigh Brackett co-wrote the screenplays for Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep and Rio Bravo as well as an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back. She was born in 1915 and died before The Empire Strikes Back went into production.

  • Christian Nyby was an American editor and director born in 1913. He has the director’s credit for The Thing from Another World although even the film’s IMDB page has added Hawks as a co-director. Nyby did go on to direct but mainly TV series.

  • You can read a little about Hawksian Women here.

  • More about Bikini Atoll can be found here.

  • The Cold War developed quickly after World War II as Russia developed nuclear weapons within a few years of the USA. You can learn more about the Cold War here.

  • The DEW line and the NORAD system would take a few years to develop but the film indicated these were common concerns even in the early 50s.

  • Howard Hawks was in the military although his records burned in a fire.

  • The IMDB page for Air Force.

  • You can learn more about the Roswell incident here, flying saucers here and here and a Wikipedia page of reports from 1947 is here.

  • Talking of the Mad Scientist archetype you wouldn’t want to miss this episode now would you? People might ask you about the mad scientist and you might not know anything about it. Imagine that!

  • I mention The Day the Earth Stood Still because it’s released in the same year! I should have mentioned this but, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I had a few technical problems on the recording so you must use your wits to deduce such things. Or you can read these very show notes as you are.

  • John Carpenter is an American director born in 1948. He is known for a lot of films including The Thing (1982), Halloween (1978), Escape from New York (1981) and They Live (which I’ll definitely cover if and when I get to 1988). My favourite film of his is Big Trouble in Little China (1986). I will watch that film anywhere at any time (except after 10pm because I sleep early).

  • More about the full body fire suit stunt here.

  • The IMDB pages for Red River, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Blade Runner, Android, Strange Invaders, Starman, The Terminator, D.A.R.Y.L.

  • You may have missed the Alien (1979) crossover episode with The Lorehounds.

  • IMDB page for Attack of the B Movie Monsters.

  • This article from 2023 claims John Carpenter stated there “may” be a sequel of The Thing in development.

  • The song The Thing that Jay mentions can be heard on this YouTube video.

  • The theremin is a wonderful electronic instrument very commonly used in 1950s sci-fi. The theremin is played without being touched. You can see the inventor Leon Theremin demonstrate it here and another clip of it being demonstrated on the 1950s TV show You Asked For It can be found here.

  • Marc is one episode out on the X-Files episode. You can find more information about The Ice (Season 1, Episode 8) on its Wikipedia page here.

 

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be taking a closer look at The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). You can check Just Watch to find out where it can be found in your region and is available to buy or rent at many outlets including Apple TV.

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