Monster On The Campus (1958)

A college professor (Arthur Franz) doing research cuts his hand on the tooth of a prehistoric fish and thus being exposed to its blood turns into a Neanderthal ape man and begins terrorizing the campus. This rather silly tossed off sci-fi effort doesn't seem to have engaged its film makers. The director Jack Arnold has given us some choice examples of noteworthy science fiction cinema in the past such as INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON but perhaps sensing that it just isn't worth it this time, he goes through the motions. Even Sirk's great cinematographer Russell Metty seems satisfied to just give us an adequate flat B&W look. The special effects are sub par with a giant dragonfly looking like a wind up toy and the monster "make up" looks like a rubber mask. There is one genuinely shocking moment in the film however, when a forest ranger gets an ax to his face. The always appealing Joanna Moore dutifully goes through the routine horror heroine chores such as screaming, running and fainting. With Troy Donahue, Helen Westcott, Nancy Walters, Whit Bissell and Phil Harvey.