MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS

Eddie Parker in full make up

MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS (1958). Director: Jack Arnold. Colorized version.

Professor Donald Blake (Arthur Franz of The Flame Barrier) of Dunsford University is excited to receive the expensive acquisition of a coelacanth, a fish that dates back to the prehistoric era. Unfortunately, its blood has very negative effects on animals, including humans, with a dog temporarily going berserk, a dragonfly growing to giant size, and the professor himself turning into a grotesque, homicidal monster. His fiancee Madeline (Joanna Moore) is having trouble wrapping her head around the fact that her boyfriend is not exactly himself ... 

Walters, Franz, and Donahue

Since they have somewhat similar plots -- minus the coelacanth -- one might think that The Neanderthal Man is a shoddy imitation of the far superior Monster on the Campus, but the latter film actually came out five years later. Franz, who could be a reliable actor, is often quite perfunctory in this, merely walking through sequences in which he should have been much more emotional. Moore is fine, and we also have appearances by Troy Donahue as a science student and Nancy Walters as his gal pal Sylvia. Others in the cast include Ross Elliott as a cop, Richard H. Cutting as a forest ranger, Whit Bissell as a doctor, Phil Harvey as a sergeant, Hank Patterson as a night watchman, and Helen Westcott as the ill-fated nurse, Molly. When Franz transforms (via time lapse photography as well as a mask) into a monster, Eddie Parker takes over the role. Monster on the Campus is absorbing, well-directed by genre specialist Jack Arnold, and quite entertaining. Arnold, of course, directed Incredible Shrinking Man, Tarantula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and many others. 

Verdict: Imperfect but satisfying fifties sci-fi horror with the usual jangling stock Universal score. ***.