The next morning, fire-crews extinguished the flames.One rescue/fire worker (cameo by director John Carl Buechler) found the two halves of the hockey-mask." (A few moments earlier, a man of that description, soon introduced as ""hoodlum"" Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden in his first major starring role), ducked behind a pillar as the car passed.Both Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur would again work for Capra in more films:You Can""t Take It With You (1938)Mr.Secrets that might""ve given us a new science.Gone."Scotty added an epitaph: "The greatest discovery in history up in flames.Turning a new civilization into a 4th of July piece."The strange metal alloy used in the ship""s construction had reacted negatively to the thermite.However, just a few moments later, hopes were raised when Cpl.Barnes (William Self), with a Geiger counter, detected a second object with residual radioactivity: "I""m getting something over here.