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IMDbPro

The Thing That Couldn't Die

  • 19581958
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 9m
IMDb RATING
4.1/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Carolyn Kearney, Andra Martin, and William Reynolds in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
32 Photos
Horror
A psychically gifted young woman discovers a centuries-old crate buried on her aunt's ranch. Opening it, her family discovers the living head of Gideon Drew, a 16th century devil worshiper w... Read allA psychically gifted young woman discovers a centuries-old crate buried on her aunt's ranch. Opening it, her family discovers the living head of Gideon Drew, a 16th century devil worshiper who was beheaded by Sir Francis Drake.A psychically gifted young woman discovers a centuries-old crate buried on her aunt's ranch. Opening it, her family discovers the living head of Gideon Drew, a 16th century devil worshiper who was beheaded by Sir Francis Drake.
IMDb RATING
4.1/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
    • Will Cowan
    • David Duncan(story "The Water Witch")
  • Stars
    • William Reynolds
    • Andra Martin
    • Jeffrey Stone
    • Will Cowan
    • David Duncan(story "The Water Witch")
  • Stars
    • William Reynolds
    • Andra Martin
    • Jeffrey Stone
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 50User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos32

    Carolyn Kearney, Andra Martin, and William Reynolds in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Charles Horvath and Andra Martin in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Charles Horvath, Robin Hughes, and Andra Martin in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Peggy Converse and William Reynolds in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Robin Hughes in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    James Anderson, Peggy Converse, Charles Horvath, Carolyn Kearney, and William Reynolds in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Robin Hughes and Carolyn Kearney in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Robin Hughes in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Robin Hughes in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Robin Hughes in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
    Carolyn Kearney and Andra Martin in The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    William Reynolds
    William Reynolds
    • Gordon Hawthorne
    Andra Martin
    Andra Martin
    • Linda Madison
    Jeffrey Stone
    Jeffrey Stone
    • Hank Huston
    Carolyn Kearney
    Carolyn Kearney
    • Jessica Burns
    Peggy Converse
    • Flavia McIntyre
    Robin Hughes
    Robin Hughes
    • Gideon Drew
    James Anderson
    James Anderson
    • Boyd Abercrombie
    Charles Horvath
    Charles Horvath
    • Mike
    Forrest Lewis
    Forrest Lewis
    • Julian Ash
    George Alexander
    • Guard
    • (uncredited)
    Phil Harvey
    Phil Harvey
    • Trooper Kennedy
    • (uncredited)
    Thomas Browne Henry
    • Galleon Capt. Fletcher
    • (uncredited)
    Stuart Wade
    • Trooper Swanson
    • (uncredited)
      • Will Cowan
      • David Duncan(story "The Water Witch")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Co-star Robin Hughes would often perform Shakespeare monologues between shots. His horror makeup would enhance these moments all the more.
    • Goofs
      When Jessica drops the divining rod stick right before she faints and falls to the ground. She then dreams the vision of what happened in the past. Then she awakens and gets up without the stick. Then she is shown running while holding the stick. It never shows her pick up the stick.
    • Quotes

      Gordon Hawthorne: You're not the same girl you were yesterday.

      Jessica Burns: Yesterday I was trying to do what was right, I was afraid, but I'm not afraid anymore.

    • Connections
      Featured in Son of Svengoolie: The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958) (1981)

    User reviews50

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    "So this is what mankind has become..."
    Jessica Burns (lovely Carolyn Kearney) is a young woman with strong psychic ability, living with others on her Aunt Flavias' (Peggy Converse) farm. One day, her dowsing rod leads her to a buried treasure chest. Alas, what is in the chest is not treasure, but the still living decapitated head of Gideon Drew (Robin Hughes), a 16th Century Satan worshipper. Drew is able to malevolently control some of the characters, while enlisting them to search for the rest of his body, buried somewhere else on the property.

    You can really tell that this drive-in movie was done on the cheap, but that in itself is NOT a strike against it. Unfortunately, the story (written by David Duncan) is kind of dull, with too much emphasis placed on the melodrama between most of our cast. Produced and directed by Will Cowan (his final feature film), it's never as schlocky, creepy, or as much FUN as one might like it to be. That's not to say, of course, that it doesn't have its moments. The sight of Drews' head in the hand of gargantuan, simpleton farmhand Mike (Charles Horvath) is amusing, and the climactic confrontation (which is resolved awfully quickly) is a hoot, as Drew surveys with contempt his determined human opponents.

    The acting is not great, but it's appropriate for this sort of thing. Kearney is a little much when she's required to play the indignant, virtuous girl; she's more fun when her innocence is corrupted by Drews' influence. William Reynolds, Andra Martin, Jeffrey Stone, Ms. Converse, James Anderson, Mr. Horvath, and Forrest Lewis are all okay, but it's easily Hughes who gives the best performance as the "thing" within this movie.

    It does kill roughly 70 minutes in painless enough fashion.

    Six out of 10.
    helpful•7
    1
    • Hey_Sweden
    • Apr 14, 2017

    Details

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    • Release date
      • January 16, 1959 (Mexico)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal International Pictures (UI)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 9 minutes
      • Black and White

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