Villain(s)  Caveman

Actor(s):  Arthur Franz, Joanna Cook Moore, Nancy Walters, Troy Donahue

Brief Description  Monster on the Campus (1958) is a classic Universal-International black-and-white B-movie science fiction-horror film directed by Jack Arnold. It follows paleontologist Professor Donald Blake (Arthur Franz), who acquires a rare, frozen coelacanth specimen from Madagascar. After accidentally exposing himself to its irradiated blood, Blake experiences horrific genetic regression, transforming into a bloodthirsty, primitive Neanderthal man who commits a series of violent attacks around the college campus.

Plot:
Professor Donald Blake (Arthur Franz) receives a freshly acquired, rare coelacanth specimen shipped from Madagascar to Dunsfield University. The fish is preserved in ice/water that has absorbed radiation, maintaining its "living fossil" properties. Water from the fish's container drips and is licked by a campus dog, which temporarily regresses into a vicious, ancient wolf-like creature. When examining the animal, Professor Blake accidentally cuts his hand on its teeth, exposing himself to the contaminated blood.

The exposure causes Blake to physically and mentally regress into a primitive, bloodthirsty caveman during blackouts. A series of violent attacks and murders occur around the campus and his home, leaving bizarre footprints that puzzle the police. After realizing that his own memory lapses coincide with the monster's appearance—and accidentally triggering another transformation via contaminated smoke from his pipe—Blake figures out the horrific truth. He works desperately to reverse the effect and stop the prehistoric menace before he destroys everything he loves.