IMDb RATING
7.2/10
7.6K
YOUR RATING
A timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter - until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.A timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter - until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.A timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter - until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Philip Ober
- Nicholas Simmons
- (as Phil Ober)
Jim Begg
- Deputy Herkie
- (as James Begg)
- Director
- Writers
- James Fritzell
- Everett Greenbaum
- Andy Griffith(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Don Knotts's autobiography, the off-screen voice yelling, "Attaboy, Luther!" belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum.
- GoofsWhen Luther is setting up his sleeping bag, it is obvious that the light from the flashlight is coming from off set. The light shines on his back when he is in front of the flashlight even though the flashlight is on level with his knees.
- Quotes
[repeated line]
Man in audience: Atta boy, Luther!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Games (1967)
- SoundtracksFor He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional
Featured review
Don't demolish that haunted house
Don Knotts must have carefully chosen the script and story that would be his first starring film role. He certainly was taking a chance after leaving the Andy Griffith Show. Fortunately he chose well and in addition to a character that suited him perfectly he was surrounded by a cast of familiar and tried and true character players, including a few familiar faces from the Andy Griffith Show.
The Ghost And Mr. Chicken finds Knotts as a typesetter on his local small town paper with aspirations to be a reporter. But his first attempt at a big scoop which I won't go into make him a laughingstock not unlike Barney Fife at times. The girl he desires Joan Staley is disappointed and his rival Skip Homeier is having a great old time at Don's expense.
Another opportunity presents itself however. The owner of an old abandoned mansion Philip Ober returns to town wanting to demolish said mansion just take the wrecking ball and bulldozer to it. There's a lot of opposition because it is reputed to be haunted primarily by the ghost of Ober's wife who was murdered there 20 years earlier.
But it's a town landmark of sorts and Knotts goes to investigate and comes up short the first time, but eventually solves a 20 year old murder.
Which is more than Barney Fife ever did. The part that Don plays here set a pattern for his film career playing the lovable, bumbling schlep who gets it right in the end and gets the girl besides. Of course that was while he was a lead. Later on played various character roles, partnered with Tim Conway and those two were hilarious and is best known to today's audience as the mysterious TV repairman in Pleasantville.
The Ghost And Mr. Chicken was a fine beginning for Don Knotts as a big screen leading movie comedian.
The Ghost And Mr. Chicken finds Knotts as a typesetter on his local small town paper with aspirations to be a reporter. But his first attempt at a big scoop which I won't go into make him a laughingstock not unlike Barney Fife at times. The girl he desires Joan Staley is disappointed and his rival Skip Homeier is having a great old time at Don's expense.
Another opportunity presents itself however. The owner of an old abandoned mansion Philip Ober returns to town wanting to demolish said mansion just take the wrecking ball and bulldozer to it. There's a lot of opposition because it is reputed to be haunted primarily by the ghost of Ober's wife who was murdered there 20 years earlier.
But it's a town landmark of sorts and Knotts goes to investigate and comes up short the first time, but eventually solves a 20 year old murder.
Which is more than Barney Fife ever did. The part that Don plays here set a pattern for his film career playing the lovable, bumbling schlep who gets it right in the end and gets the girl besides. Of course that was while he was a lead. Later on played various character roles, partnered with Tim Conway and those two were hilarious and is best known to today's audience as the mysterious TV repairman in Pleasantville.
The Ghost And Mr. Chicken was a fine beginning for Don Knotts as a big screen leading movie comedian.
helpful•81
- bkoganbing
- Nov 21, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Running Scared
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $700,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) officially released in India in English?
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