In an earlier version of the script, the "Thing" does kill Dr. Carrington when he confronts him and after the Thing's destruction we get this dialog:
At this moment there comes the sound of a scuffling
from the generator room. A figure bursts out into the
tunnel, as we hear a chorus of "Grab him," "Shut the
door," "Hold him - he's crazy," etc. The figure is
Carrington. He pushes by Henry, Dykes and the rest of
the Army group, and runs the length of the corridor.
He comes to a halt at the far end of the corridor,
facing the Creature. Carrington, only a few feet away
from the unearthly visitor, extends his arms in a
pleading gesture.
HENRY
(during this)
Grab him! Eddie! Stop him!
DYKES
Too late. Shall I go get him?
HENRY
(after a split
second)
No. No, Eddie, don't. Fall
back.
The army group continues to retreat.
CARRINGTON
(his face dimly
visible in the
refracted light
of the Creature's
phosphoresence)
Listen to me - I'm your friend!
Look, my hands are in the air -
I have no weapons - I'm your
friend - you must understand
that. You're wiser than I -
you must understand I'm trying
to help you - Don't come any
further. They'll kill you!!
Look at me, I'm defenseless -
you must see that I don't mean
to hurt you - I want to know
you - to help you -
Believe me! You have a greater
intelligence than anything on
Earth - Use it - use it - look
at me and know what I'm trying
to tell you - I'm not your
enemy - I'm a scientist - a
scientist!
The Creature has paused before Carrington's tirade as
if studying him. Now, without haste, it lifts one arm,
and flicks its hand at Carrington's throat. Carrington
falls to the floor almost decapitated, his last words
still gurgling in his throat. The Creature steps over
Carrington's corpse and enters the tunnel. It advances
five or six steps.
HENRY
(crying sharply)
Watch out! Here we go!
He presses the switch in his hand. A bombardment of
huge sparks leaps from ceiling to floor. The Creature
is caught in the lightning flashes. It stands
motionless as the thousand volt bolts crack through it
from head to foot. In front of it stand the five men -
axes ready, and weirdly visible in the spitting light.
The Creature begins to glow like a filament, then
bursts into flame. It sinks to the ground.
HENRY
Don't move anybody!
SKEELY
(pointing a small
camera)
Keep that light going! I got
him! I got him!
The Creature's form melts in the flames. As it dwindles
away, Henry ends the spark bombardment. The lights of
the passage come up full. The men move toward the heap
of ashes remaining of the Creature.
HENRY
(to Mac)
Go tell them it's over - and to
get the furnace going.
As MacAuliff moves to obey, Chapman, Nikki and a number
of the refugees come out of the generator room.
NIKKI
Dr. Carrington - what happened to him.
HENRY
(quietly)
He's dead.
SKEELY
(to Henry. Kneeling
over Carrington's
remains)
A clean sweep, Captain. Both
monsters are dead.
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raphael65
9 years ago
Thanks for furnishing fans with this earlier version of the script! I much prefer it, and must say that I absolutely LOVE the line spoken by Skeely: "A clean sweep, Captain. Both monsters are dead." LOL
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nycmale99
9 years ago
Though you probably could guess it "Skeely's" name was changed in the end to Ned Scott who was the reporter. I find some things in the copy of the script I have to be better then what was actually filmed and some of it which I can see why it was changed. In the script I have (Which may have been the draft before the final "Shooting script") the tension between the Scientist and the Military is much more antagonistic,and comes across almost like a western with the Good guys i.e. the Military v.s. the Bad Guys i.e. the Scientists. In the end though the final script toned down that aspect and the only real shall we say "tension" you see is when Barnes tells Carrington to "Move along Doctor" while showing his rifle. I think that Hawks or Charles Lederer who wrote the script felt that this was too "Black and White" which made science itself look like the "Enemy" along with the "Thing" and decided on a much more "Grey" tone which was less clear cut. This is probably why in the end Carrington lives and Scotty's description of the fight with the "Thing" gives the allusion that Carrington helped to destroy it instead of trying to prevent its destruction. I personally think this was a change for the better. The eariler script is a bit more violent and bloody Here is the Scene where the "Thing" bursts in:
NIKKI
I'm in Captain Henry's room.
His Geiger counter is counting
Geigers like mad. He wants to
know if it might be picking up
anything that you're doing.
CARRINGTON'S VOICE
No. What's the reading?
MACAULIFF
Eight point six. And going up.
NIKKI
(repeating into
intercom)
Eight point six. And going up.
CARRINGTON'S VOICE
I'll be right down.
The intercom snaps off. Suddenly the Geiger counter
starts purring like a rattlesnake.
HENRY
(his voice rising)
Eddie! Barnes! Get up!
(Dykes and Barnes
sit up in alarm)
Grab your guns -- axes are
better -- Nikki, take this!
(he seizes the
mattress on
his cot and
pushes it at
Nikki)
Sit in the corner -- hold that
over you!
(to MacAuliff)
Where's your tommy-gun?
MACAULIFF
Here!
He pulls tommy-gun from under his bed and brandishes it.
DYKES AND BARNES
What's up?
Where is it?
A CRASH from the window is their answer.
HENRY
Pillows! Get those pillows in
front of your faces!
A second CRASH sends the entire window hurtling into
the room. The Creature springs into their midst.
GUNS ROAR. The Creature moves toward MacAuliff. His
tommy-gun chatters at it point-blank. It strikes at
the tommy-gun, knocking it out of MacAuliff's hands,
and sending MacAuliff sprawling.
The Creature jumps after MacAuliff. It is balked for a
moment by Henry who strikes it with his ice axe.
A bullet hits the light. Only the dim light of the
kerosene lamp remains.
The Creature whips its knifed hand at Henry's face.
Henry partially blocks the blow with his pillow which
shreds in the air. Henry staggers back against the
wall. He almost knocks over the hurricane lamp. He
picks it up and dashes it at the Creature. Flaming
kerosene spatters over it. As it stands burning torch-
like in the middle of the room Barnes moves forward
and strikes a mighty blow with his axe. The blow
misses. Instantly the Creature wheels and seizes Barnes
by the throat. Barnes screams once. His scream gurgles
away. Dykes, holding his entire cot in front of him
as a shield, rushes forward followed by Henry. They
smash at the monster which, still holding Barnes with
one tentacle, retreats to a corner of the room.
It is the corner in which Nikki has been crouching.
She screams. The Creature whips its free talon at her
and secures her by the arm. Still afire, it starts
dragging its two victims toward the window. Nikki's
screams fill the room. Once more Henry charges forward
with his ice axe and sinks its pointed end into the
Creature's head.
The Creature stops, drops Nikki and lashes at Henry.
This time its arced knife-fingers slash Henry's wrist.
Henry drops the axe and falls back. Dykes, still
shielded by his cot, has at the same time grabbed
Nikki's ankle and pulled her away. MacAuliff has
picked up the can containing the remainder of the
kerosene. He throws it on the Creature. The blaze
surges up.
Parts of the room have caught fire.
The Creature picks up Barnes and
springs out the window into the
storm.
For a moment its motion through
the night is etched in fire. Then
the wind and snow extinguish the
flames. The Creature disappears.
Dykes moves quickly from Nikki to
bend over Henry who is kneeling in
silent agony, clutching his
lacerated forearm.
Dykes snaps on a flashlight.
DYKES
(panting)
You all right, Pat?
HENRY
(with difficulty)
Yeh.
(he nods toward Nikki)
How about her?
DYKES
Fainted. Her arms cut. I think
she's all right, though.
MACAULIFF
(his fingers on Nikki's pulse)
Yes, she's all right.
HENRY
Barnes - he died quick, I think.
DYKES
So do I.
(he points his flashlight
at the floor)
That thing won't make much of a meal
of the poor guy. Most of his blood's
in here.
There is a knock on the door.
CARRINGTON'S VOICE
It's Dr. Carrington.
HENRY
Come in.
Dr. Carrington enters. Dykes'
flashlight focuses on his face.
CARRINGTON
(blinking at the beam)
I heard shots - what happened?
HENRY
Dr. Carrington, I want everyone in
this camp to assemble in the radio
room immediately. Fully dressed.
Bring medical supplies, provisions,
and every weapon we've got.
CARRINGTON
Your window - is it - was it the - ?
HENRY
It was. I'll give you all a full
report in the radio room. Get going
Doctor - you, too, Eddie. Round
everybody up. Get 'em barricaded
before it comes back!
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raphael65
9 years ago
Hello again, and thanks for the added information. I am surprised at what would have been shockingly gratuitous violence in 1951; I am glad they toned it down. Less is more. Also, I don't see how it could even have made it past the censors. Indeed, I think it was for the best that they decided that it would be better and more subtle to go for what you described as the "grey" tone, which is present in the finished film. However, I would still like to have seen Carrington killed.
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