 When a soldier is asked if he knows how to use a flare gun, he  replies that hes seen _Sergeant York (1941)_ (qv), licks his thumb,  and pretends to wipe the scope of the gun, mimicking a famous scene  from the film. Howard Hawks (qv), the producer (and unofficially  credited as having a hand in direction) of  _Thing from Another World, The (1951)_ (qv), also directed  _Sergeant York (1941)_ (qv).