Tractor-Beam

[stoo_pid]

Anyone know which was the first sci-fi movie (or book?) that came up with the concept of a tractor- beam?

[dafyd]

I'm 99% sure that it's Arthur C Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey

[tonymclark]

I believe that 2001 was written in 1968.

Star Trek started in 1965, though I don't know when they first featured a Tractor-beam.

[LeMarchand]

E.E. "Doc" Smith has them in 1942's Grey Lensman: http://technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=695

[Dagman]

What about old Flash Gordon or Dan Dare films, any there?

[sddsddean]

I was going to say E E 'Doc' Smith, but cite the 'Skylark' series which was first published in '46. Don't remember them in Lensman (but it must be 25 years since I read them!!), so I'd agree with LeMarchand.