Super-human intellectual carrot

I have to confesss that I didn't know there was Howard Hawk's The Thing (actually directed by Christian Nyby, but who's counting), I have always thought John Carpenter's movie was the original. Sure, this is 'old' thence not really as scary as the Carpenter picture, but not any less interesting. Done in the golden age of movie, it's also a peek into history, cinematic and otherwise.