The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

Director:

Alan Rafkin

Writers:

James Fritzell (writer)
Everett Greenbaum (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

G-G-GUARANTEED! YOU'LL BE SCARED UNTIL YOU LAUGH YOURSELF SILLY! (original theatrical poster - all caps)

Plot:

Luther Heggs aspires to being a reporter for his small town newspaper, the Rachel Courier Express. He...

Plot Keywords:

Newspaper | Reporter | Courtroom | Murder | Haunted House

Cast

Don Knotts	...	Luther Heggs
Joan Staley	...	Alma Parker
Liam Redmond	...	Kelsey
Dick Sargent	...	George Beckett
Skip Homeier	...	Ollie Weaver
Reta Shaw	...	Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell
Lurene Tuttle	...	Mrs. Natalie Miller
Philip Ober	...	Nicholas Simmons (as Phil Ober)
Harry Hickox	...	Police Chief Art Fuller
Charles Lane	...	Whitlow
Jesslyn Fax	...	Mrs. Hutchinson
Nydia Westman	...	Mrs. Cobb
George Chandler	...	Judge Harley Nast
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Springer
Jim Begg	...	Herkie (as James Begg)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (Certificate #21086) | UK:Uc | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Contrary to some belief, the exterior of the Simmons house was not the same one built for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). The Simmons house is a different facade located on what used to be named Colonial Street on Universal's back lot, and has been used in several other shows.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the newspaper detailing the account of Luther's night in the mansion there are duplicate columns on either side of his story. Also, several of the newspapers seem to be yellowed with age.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Man in audience: Atta boy, Luther!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cinemacabre TV Trailers (1993) (V)

An excellent and hilarious film

This film showcases comedy from start to finish. Don Knotts stars and his outstanding performance in this film demonstrates a gift for comedy that very few actors have, and which is never seen in today's films. This movie is family-friendly, does not include offensive language of any kind, and holds the viewer's interest consistently. Many talented character actors appear in this film in supporting roles, including Dick York and Joan Staley. Ms. Staley shines as Knott's love interest, helping him to solve a mystery in a haunted house. Small town American characters give the viewer a look at America as it was in 1963. If you like movies about haunted houses, and you like comedy, this one is a "must see". This is the first movie by Don Knotts after he left The Andy Griffith Show, a sitcom staple of the early 1960's.