Monster on the Campus (1958)

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writer:

David Duncan (writer)

Release Date:

1 May 1959 (Finland)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Co-ed beauty captive of man-monster! Campus terror! Students victims of terror-beast!

Plot:

The blood of a primitive fish exposed to gamma rays causes a benign research professor to regress to an ape-like, bloodthirsty prehistoric hominid.

Plot Keywords:

Fish | Professor | Prehistoric | Gamma Rays | Neanderthal

Cast

Arthur Franz	...	Prof. Donald Blake
Joanna Moore	...	Madeline Howard
Judson Pratt	...	Lieutenant Mike Stevens
Nancy Walters	...	Sylvia Lockwood
Troy Donahue	...	Jimmy Flanders
Phil Harvey	...	Sergeant Powell
Helen Westcott	...	Nurse Molly Riordan
Alexander Lockwood	...	Professor Gilbert Howard
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Oliver Cole
Ross Elliott	...	Sergeant Eddie Daniels

Also Known As:

Monster in the Night
Stranger on the Campus

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Occidental College -1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Professor Donald Blake (Arthur Franz) has a collection of facial reconstructions depicting the ascent of man from the early hominids to modern man (or woman in this case, actress Joanna Moore). One of them is that of Piltdown Man, whose "discovery" in 1912 was exposed as a hoax in 1953, five years before the movie was released.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Just before sergeant Daniels encounters the monster, he is talking on a police phone box. He tells the person that he is at call box B-26. However, in very large letters, the box is identified as E-26.

Quotes:

Professor Donald Blake: Unless we learn to control the instincts we/ve inherited from our ape-like ancestors, the race is doomed.
Madeline Howard: Why don't you learn to control your instincts and stop being so pessimistic?
Professor Donald Blake: You know, you're right, and when I look at you, the future's very bright.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: Monster on the Campus (1958) (#1.80)" (1981)

Fascinating Fright Flick

Blood of an ancient fish transforms those infected with it into a vicious dog, giant dragonfly or monstrous Neanderthal entity. Arthur Franz is convincing as an archaeological college professor, teaching Troy Donahue and Nancy Walters, while romancing the lovely Joanna Moore. Jack Arnold ably directed this somewhat maligned film; it's actually creepy and well-shot, succeeding in delivering the shocks, especially in the last act, where we finally see the title creation and it's a startling effect. Helen Westcott is memorable in only two scenes, as the school nurse, conveying some romantic attraction to Franz, all with a dose of humor. It was recently released to DVD as part of the "Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection", which includes "Tarantula" (1955), "The Mole People" (1956), "The Monothith Monsters" (1957), and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957), all on par: great title sequence, fine musical score (some patchwork), beautiful monochrome photography, well-scripted, capably acted, always intriguing, with "Man" the jewel of the crown.