John W. Campbell's Frozen Hell

Few science fiction tales have left as lasting an imprint as the 1938 novella that later inspired the films collectively known as The Thing. Though the original title may not be familiar to everyone, the story’s cinematic legacy has endured through three major adaptations: the 1951 The Thing from Another World directed by Howard Hawks with James Arness, John Carpenter’s 1982 version starring Kurt Russell, and the 2011 prequel directed by Matthijs van Heijningen.

The tale originated from one of early sci-fi’s most influential figures, a writer-turned-editor who, after 1938, shifted from authorship to shaping the future of the genre through his magazine Astounding Stories—later retitled Astounding Science Fiction and finally Analog. Under his guidance, rising talents such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Rey, and Theodore Sturgeon found their voices. They say a magazine is only as good as the editor and Campbell was among the best of the editors for science-fiction magazines.

For decades, readers assumed they knew the complete story—until a longer, forgotten version surfaced in the archives of Harvard University. This expanded manuscript, running nearly forty-five pages beyond the published novella, was finally released in 2019 under its original name, Frozen Hell, by Wildside Press. The edition features a preface by Alec Nevala-Lee, an introduction by Robert Silverberg, illustrations by Bob Eggleton, and editing by John Gregory Betancourt. Nevala-Lee and Silverberg recount the discovery of the manuscript, its relation to an earlier tale titled “The Brain-Stealers of Mars,” and the editorial decisions that streamlined the shorter version for faster pacing.

In Frozen Hell, the isolation and tension unfold more gradually. A team of scientists working in the Antarctic unearths a buried spacecraft composed of an unknown alloy. Within the wreckage lies a grotesque life form locked in ice—an ancient being unlike anything on Earth. When the researchers bring the specimen back to camp, intending to thaw and examine it, the situation spirals into horror. The creature revives—and worse, it possesses the terrifying ability to imitate any living organism it touches.

At its core, Frozen Hell is a cautionary meditation on curiosity and consequence: a stark reminder that some discoveries are better left entombed beneath the ice. If you are a fan of the story, this extended version is worth reading.

THE WITCH'S TALE (1933 - 1938) Clipping File

One of my favorite radio programs is The Witch’s Tale, a weekly horror program that aired from May 21, 1931, to June 13, 1938. The program was created, written, and directed by Alonzo Deen Cole, who also wrote for such programs as The Shadow and Casey, Crime Photographer. Cole's spooky show was hosted by Old Nancy, the Witch of Salem, who introduced a different terror tale each week. She was among the earliest of radio horror hosts and, ironically, for a time played by a 13-year-old actress names Miriam Wolfe.

 

The majority of the scripts were original stories, but there were literary adaptations as well, such as adaptations of Dracula and Frankenstein. But the best of them are some of Cole’s originals such as “The Devil’s Mask,” which featured a flaming skeleton running around screaming maniacally, and “The Entomologist,” about a mad scientist who planned to rule the world with giant vampire spiders. What I enjoy even more are the productions -- even the music is similar to the type you hear on Universal Studios monster movies.

 

In November 1936, Alonzo Deen Cole edited The Witch’s Tales (plural, not singular), a pulp magazine with short stories which were adaptations of his radio scripts. There were a total of two issues published. Those two issues go for huge prices when available for sale.

 

In the ongoing process of scanning newspaper clippings and magazine articles, enclosed is a clipping file in PDF for The Witch’s Tale, with a surprise included.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i3z1964q112qd6d/Witch%27s%20Tale%20%28clipping%20file%29%20%231.pdf?dl=0

More TV Guide Trivia from 1959

During the 1950s and 1960s, TV Guide featured a minimum of two pages of news blurbs related to television programming and television personalities. Many of these blurbs were word through the Hollywood grapevine, some reprinted from Variety and Broadcasting magazine. While these items are of historical note, sometimes providing the reasoning for programming changes or unusual casting, a number of blurbs provide us with fascinating trivia.

Reprinted below are a number of those news blurbs from 1959, for programming decisions that never happened. Information in Italics is from me, clarifying what did happen during the course of events.

 

July 4, 1959

Sherry Jackson will be in Japan making the test film for an around-the-world series, ADVENTURES OF SHERRY.

 

June 13, 1959

MGM and Peter Lawford are planning a feature picture, The Thin Man, based on Lawford’s television series of the same name, which is based on the old MGM feature, The Thin Man.

 

June 6, 1959

CBS Films still trying to sell the Clare Boothe Luce series, THE DIPLOMAT, even though Mrs. Luce has resigned as ambassador to Brazil. (April 11) Clare Boothe Luce set as hostess and narrator for THE DIPLOMAT, new CBS Films adventure series about foreign service officers. If Mrs. Luce is confirmed as ambassador to Brazil, her introductions will be filmed there. Sponsor must be approved by her and the State Department.

 

May 9, 1959

Actors Arthur Kennedy and Nick Adams have plans to produce, but not appear in, an anthology series, Conquerors on Horseback, with a theme: horsemen.

 

October 3, 1959

Andy Devine, long-time Jingles in the WILD BILL HICKOK series, has plans for a new show of his own, BIG JAKE.

 

April 4, 1959

Series based on the Beetle Bailey comic strip being submitted to comedian Mort Sahl.

 

October 3, 1959

NBC has financed the test tape for a planned hour-long series, THE WITNESS, based on characters brought before various investigating committees in these and other times.

 

October 3, 1959

Another hour-long series, based on the 1947 British movie, GREEN FOR DANGER, is in preparation.

Assorted Trivia from TV GUIDE

While cleaning out digital files this week, I came across a bunch I snapped with my digital camera from the pages of TV Guide. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, there were yellow pages for Dan Jenkins's TV Teletype column, which provided the inside scoop on television programs and television personalities. Today, many of those nuggets of trivia are gold for historians. I am sure you will find some of these fascinating, too. But unlike similar postings I have shared in the past, these come from pages that I failed to note the date. These could be from 1957, 1958, 1959, or other years. Please excuse my oversight. I doubt the unknown date for these nuggets will take away from your pleasure in reading these.

(circa November 1957) Claudette Colbert has incorporated herself, now plans to produce TV films.    

(circa November 1957) A ghost-story series, One Step Beyond, is in preparation at Screen Gems, with Boris Karloff, one of Hollywood's kindlier ghosts, pencilled in as the ghost-host.

(circa November 1957) Following her something-less-than sensational appearance on the opening Frank Sinatra Show, Kim Novak has been banned from further TV appearances by her studio.

(circa early 1959) Brigitte Bardot is coming to the United States for television guest appearances. The Steve Allen Show is one that wants her. 

(MG Trivia: Dave Garroway at The Today Show was able to secure her instead) 

(summer 1961) The long-time radio show, Johnny Dollar, is to be turned into an hour TV film series by producer Blake Edwards. 

(early 1958) Dragnet will use an actual case witness in an upcoming episode, a Los Angeles nurse's aide who identified a killer by the appearance of his eyes. She will play herself.

(early 1958) Still another new Western series, this one to star Michael Rennie, is not in the test-film stage. Title is The Tall Man. 

(early 1958) Warner Brothers has a new Western series in mind for John Russell, will have him test the character in an upcoming Cheyenne episode. Probable series title: Lone Star.

(early 1958) Cy Howard may produce and write a series for MGM based on the studio's 1950 hit, Father of the Bride. 

(early 1958) Orson Welles will receive $7,500 for tomorrow's Steve Allen Show, but Gale Storm keeps her asking price at $15,000 per guest shot.

(early 1958) Bette Davis, whose Suspicion show was postponed when she suffered a fall in her home, is now set for April 21 in "Fraction of a Second."

(early 1958) There will be no private-eye series for Mickey Rooney at CBS, as previously thought, and the network show is looking around for a new format for him. 

(early 1958) The new Warner Brothers Western series for star John Russell will be titled Laramie. Peter Brown will be co-star.

(early 1958) Charles Bronson and Angie Dickinson will be regulars in a planned new series, Man with a Camera, based on the experiences of newsreel cameramen. 

(MG Trivia: Angie Dickinson co-starred with Bronson on the pilot episode, which was sold to the network, but she was never a series regular and never appeared on the program beyond the pilot, which consequently aired as the fourth episode of the series.)

(early 1958) Plans fell through for June Lockhart to become the permanent romantic interest on Have Gun-Will Travel, but she'll do one more episode, now scheduled for May.

(early 1958) Tales of Frankenstein, new series of telefilms, takes on ABC's Saturday night ay 10 period in the fall. The show, produced by Screen Gems, has no permanent cast.

(early 1958) Frankie Laine has registered the title and format for a series called Dressing Room "A", a behind-the-scenes story of a singer. He would star.

(circa early 1959) Danny Thomas is trying to sell CBS a new program idea titled "Variety Workshop," to develop new comedians for television.

(autumn of 1957) Warner brothers next season will do a 39-episode, hour-long film series called The House of Wax, with a mystery-intrigue format. No star as yet selected.

(early 1961) The Defenders, written by Reginald Rose as a two-part Studio One presentation, is planned as a weekly hour-long series, with Lloyd Nolan penciled in for the role. 

(MG Trivia: E.G. Marshall was the lead for the series, not Lloyd Nolan.)

(early 1958) Marilyn Monroe, who has shrugged off television, now reportedly saying :maybe" to producer Robert Saudek for an Omnibus appearance in the fall. Perhaps in something written by her husband, Arthur Miller?

(early 1958) NBC already has scheduled Gunn for Hire, starring Craig Stevens, for Mondays at 9 p.m. next season. He plays Pete Gunn, a private eye. 

(early 1958) Jack Wrather (Lassie, Lone Ranger, Sergeant Preston) is making a test film for a series based on the files of "Tom Swift."

(early 1958) Nellie Lutcher has a featured role in Jack Webb's test film for Pete Kelly's Blues.

(early 1958) Helen Humes has replaced Nellie Lutcher in the Pete Kelly's Blues test film. Meanwhile, Jack webb is set to shoot a second test film this month, The D.A.'s Man, to be turned out by the Medic producer-writer team of Frank La Tourette and Jim Moser.

(early 1958) Jack Webb will soon start production on a test film for the Pete Kelly's Blues series he's been planning for four years, possible with Bob Crosby starred. Only hitch: Crosby is still under exclusive contract to CBS.

(early 1958) The Adventures of McGraw got a little too adventurous for Frank Lovejoy. The script called for him to dive through a window, but didn't say anything about breaking his leg -- which he did. The cast comes off next week.

(early 1958) One Man's Family may return to TV, turning up in its new format as an episode on The Loretta Young Show. If the audition is successful, a new series would probably be produced by Miss Young's Lewislor Productions.

(early 1958) Gerald Mohr, once of Foreign Intrigue, who has played the notorious "Doc Holiday" for the Maverick series, may now play the character in a projected Warner Brothers series to be titled Doc Holiday. 

(early 1958) Singer Frankie Laine will do a straight dramatic role in an upcoming Cheyenne episode.

(MG Trivia: He never appeared on the show.)

(summer 1958) Preston Foster of Waterfront has completed a test film for his planned new series, Iron Trail, a Western dealing with trains rather than horses. 

(summer 1958) Warner Brothers, adding a ninth series to its TV schedule, will make Public Enemy, based on the 1931 James Cagney movie.

(early 1958) All plans for a Tarzan TV film series, starring Gordon Scott, now have been dropped in favor of continuing the property as a once-a-year motion picture schedule. Scott will continued in the lead.