The horror creeps through the night

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title The horror creeps through the night
Original title Monster on the campus
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1958
length 77 minutes
Age rating FSK 12 (after re-exam; previously 16)
Rod
Director Jack Arnold
script David Duncan
production Joseph Gershenson
music Joseph Gershenson
camera Russell Metty
cut Ted J. Kent
occupation

The horror creeps through the night is an American science fiction / horror film from 1958. The black and white film was directed by Jack Arnold and was released in German cinemas on January 22, 1960. The ARD first broadcast the film on television on September 26, 1970 .

action

Professor Blake, who teaches anthropology at Dunfield College, receives a coelacanth from Madagascar to study and support his theories. The coelacanth is a prehistoric fish that has barely evolved for millions of years. The fish, which is supposed to be extinct, only occurs in the sea off Madagascar. When the fish is unloaded, some condensation runs out, which is licked up by Samson, a student's dog. Within a short time, the German Shepherd transforms itself back into a primeval wolf and attacks everything that moves. With the help of his student, Professor Blake can lock the dog in a cage. A few hours later, Blake injured himself when he brought the fish back into the refrigerator. Without knowing it, he became infected with bacteria from the fish. Assistant Molly Riordan bandages the wound and brings Blake, who suddenly feels unwell, home. In the meantime, Blake's girlfriend is looking for the professor, since both are invited to a party. When she comes to Blake's house, she finds the rooms devastated. She hears noises from the garden, rushes over there and finds the unconscious Blake and the dead Molly Riordan. The police initially suspect Blake as a murderer, but from the fingerprints and huge footprints found near the crime scene, it quickly becomes clear that someone else was present who first ravaged the apartment and then killed Riordan. Blake, who can't remember anything, is exonerated. The dog Samson has turned back into a German shepherd in the meantime and nobody believes Blake that the dog looked different the day before. When the police investigation comes to nothing, Blake gets police protection.

Despite Molly Riordan's murder, Blake continues to work on the fish to prove his theories about evolution. A dragonfly that feasts on the fish will soon be more than 60 cm tall. Professor Blake kills the dragonfly and some of its blood drips into his pipe. After smoking his pipe, he turns into a kind of Neanderthal man and kills the policeman who was assigned to protect him. Again, the police believe in a third party because of the clues, while Blake cannot remember what happened. Blake works like a man possessed and discovers that the fish is responsible for transforming the dragonfly and the dog. Although the cells of the coelacanth can defend themselves against the "power of evolution", they do not transform other living beings back into a preliminary stage of existence. This could only happen because the fish was preserved using a new method of atomic radiation.

Since nobody believes Blake, he makes a self-experiment during a vacation leave recommended by his dean. Blake starts his attempt in a hut in the mountains. Since he can never remember what happened, he takes precautions. He runs his tape and installs several cameras in the hut. After scaring his girlfriend, who wants to visit him, almost to death by his transformed self, he kills a ranger who rushes to help Madeleine Howard. Blake - transformed back and back in his hut - has all the evidence in hand: he himself is the murderous monster. He promises to present the wanted murderer to the police who have now rushed up. Blake wants his evil, uncivilized self to be destroyed. So he injects himself with the coelacanthene serum that he has now made. Sergeant Powell shoots Blake when he turns back into the monster and staggers toward him. The cops surround the dead monster and while they are still wondering where Professor Blake has gone, the monster transforms back into Blake.

Remarks

The film also ran under Stranger on Campus and Monster in the Night .

Reviews

  • "Scary film about the re-transformation of a contemporary into a prehistoric person, full of horror effects, nothing more than a nerve-tickling conversation." - Protestant film observer

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The horror creeps through the night. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ Ev. Munich Press Association, Review No. 113/1960