Polite, well-groomed and exceedingly charming, Monk Johnson (James Whitmore) is the most popular man in town. Employed as a handyman by Dr. Ned Trescott (Cameron Mitchell), Monk is respected by everyone who knows him. When the physician's home catches fire and Monk heroically rescues the doctor's young son, he is dragged from the flames with his face horribly disfigured and his mind reduced to a child's. Shunned by those who once loved him, Monk soon finds the townsfolk have all turned against him in this powerful tale about social injustice, based on Stephen Crane's classic short story The Monster.