MST3K
Register
Advertisement

For the episode, see MST3K 805 - The Thing That Couldn't Die .
Cowards! Look at me!
- Gideon Drew


The Thing That Couldn't Die is a 1958 American horror-thriller movie directed by Will Cowan.

Plot[]

Thing that couldn't die

The Thing That Couldn't Die

On a secluded ranch in California, a young woman named Jessica searches for water with a divining rod. Jessica has a history of finding things, and the people close to her speculate that she may have some psychic ability. Jessica discovers a mysterious box buried on the property. Despite Jessica's objections, her aunt Flavia takes the box back to their house, believing that it may contain treasure.

Gordon, a guest of the ranch who has shown a romantic interest in Jessica, convinces Flavia that the box should be kept intact for appraisal and opening by an expert that he can bring to the ranch. During the night, Flavia's unscrupulous ranch foreman Boyd secretly convinces the slow-witted handyman Mike to break the box open, expecting to steal the treasure inside. The box contains the intact head of Gideon Drew, a man executed for sorcery 400 years earlier. The head awakens and telepathically takes control of Mike's mind.

The head forces Mike to murder Boyd, then hide the body. After Mike helps the head take control of Linda, a young woman staying at the ranch, the head drives Mike into a confrontation with police that results in Mike being shot and killed.

Thingcouldntdienecklace

Buy breasts where you work or bank!

Jessica dreams of Gideon Drew's trial and execution. Drew's head wants her to use her abilities to find the coffin containing his body, but she is protected from the head's influence by a pendant that she wears around her neck. When Gordon removes it to make a cast so its historical value could be appraised, the head is able to take control of her mind.

Jessica directs the occupants of the ranch to where the head's body can be found, then joins head to body and Gideon rises from his coffin, intent on murder and conquest. Gordon confronts Drew with the pendant, which repels him. This forces Gideon (now whole) back into the coffin. Gordon drops the pendant into the coffin with Drew, breaking the spell that kept him alive and Gideon Drew's body disintegrates to bones and dust.

Cast[]

  • Carolyn Kearney as Jessica Burns
  • William Reynolds as Gordon Hawthorne
  • Jeffrey Stone as Hank Huston
  • Andra Martin as Linda Madison
  • Forrest Lewis as Julian Ash
  • Robin Hughes as Gideon Drew
  • Peggy Converse as Flavia McIntyre
  • James Anderson as Boyd Abercrombie
  • Charles Horvath as Mike
  • Phil Harvey as Trooper Kennedy

Notes[]

  • The opening credits and several scenes reused the music from the opening credits of This Island Earth.
  • Of the 101 films made by director Will Cowan, this was the only feature - all of the rest were shorts. This was also the last film he directed.
  • British actor Robin Hughes played the warlock Gideon Drew, the titular "Thing That Couldn't Die". He also played the similar character of Satan in the iconic "Howling Man" episode of The Twilight Zone.
  • Was paired on a double bill with the Hammer film Horror of Dracula (written by Jimmy Sangster and starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing).
  • Gideon Drew appears to be very loosely inspired by Thomas Doughty, a member of Sir Francis Drake's crew who was tried and executed for mutiny and practicing witchcraft.
  • Actress Andra Martin (Linda) is not to be confused with the highly-regarded Canadian comic actress Andrea Martin.
  • James Anderson (Boyd) would later play the amoral Bob Ewell in the acclaimed film adaptation of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird starring Gregory Peck.

MST3K Connections[]

  • Writer David Duncan was also writer for The Black Scorpion and The Leech Woman.
  • Peggy Converse also portrayed Mrs. Obringer in The Brute Man.
  • Robin Hughes also portrayed the first officer in The Mole People.
  • Phil Harvey also portrayed Lou in The Deadly Mantis.
  • Thomas Browne Henry (Captain Fletcher) also portrayed Colonel Tom Sturgeon in Beginning of the End.
  • Composer Henry Mancini was also composer for This Island Earth as well as stock music composer for Kitten with a Whip, Revenge of the Creature, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Art director Alexander Golitzen was also art director for Kitten with a Whip, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Set decorator Russell A. Gausman was also set decorator for This Island Earth, The Brute Man, Revenge of the Creature, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Set decorator Julia Heron was also set decorator for This Island Earth and Revenge of the Creature.
  • Costume designer Bill Thomas was also costume designer for The Leech Woman.
  • Makeup artist Bud Westmore was also makeup artist for San Francisco International, Kitten with a Whip, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Sound technician Leslie I. Carey was also sound technician for This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Sound technician Frank H. Wilkinson also did sound for Kitten with a Whip and Riding with Death.
  • Visual effects technician Clifford Stine also did special photography for The Creeping Terror, This Island Earth (for which he was also cinematographer), The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Music supervisor Joseph Gershenson was also music supervisor for Kitten with a Whip, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, The Mole People, and The Deadly Mantis, as well as producer for The Leech Woman.
  • Stock music composer Irving Gertz was also composer for Jungle Goddess, The Leech Woman, and The Deadly Mantis.
  • Stock music composer Herman Stein was also stock music composer for Kitten with a Whip as well as score collaborator for This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, and The Mole People.
  • Script supervisor Luanna S. Poole was also script supervisor for Kitten with a Whip.
Advertisement