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Monster on the Campus

Monster on the Campus
Monsteronthecampus.jpg
Monster on the Campus DVD cover artwork by Reynold Brown
Directed by Jack Arnold
Produced by Joseph Gershenson
Written by David Duncan
Starring Arthur Franz
Joanna Cook Moore
Nancy Walters
Troy Donohue
Whit Bissell
Cinematography Russell Metty
Edited by Ted J. Kent
Distributed by Universal-International
Release date
  • December 17, 1958 (1958-12-17) (United States)

  • May 1, 1959 (1959-05-01) (Finland)
Running time
77 min
Language English

Monster on the Campus (Monster in the Night and Stranger on the Campus) is a 1958 American science fiction/horror film, released by Universal-International. It was directed by Jack Arnold, from a script by David Duncan. It was theatrically released in 1958 on a double bill with the British Blood of the Vampire.

The film was the last of Universal's science fiction monster films released before Island of Terror (1966).


Professor Donald Blake (Arthur Franz) acquires a newly discovered coelacanth. He begins to examine the find and both he and his German Shepherd are exposed to its irradiated blood. This turns the dog into a rabid beast, and transforms Dr. Blake into a murderous Neanderthal monster that terrorizes the campus.

Production took place between April and May 1958.

The working title of the film was "Monster in the Night". Although Universal music director Joseph Gershenson had received executive producer credit on some films of the 1940s, Monster on the Campus marked the first film for which he received sole credit as producer. This was the film debut of Nancy Walters. Arthur Franz only played Prof. Donald Blake. Once the makeup transformation scenes were over, stuntman Eddie Parker did every scene as the Monster.

The film holds a 5.9/10 on the Internet Movie Database and a low 21% from 255 users on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critic Ken Hanke stated upon his review: Agreeably silly Jekyll and Hide with great hokey monster.

Universal released Monster on the Campus on DVD in a boxed set called The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, which features 4 other classics as well (The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Mole People, The Monolith Monsters and Tarantula).


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