The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

Director:

Alan Rafkin

Writers:

James Fritzell
Everett Greenbaum
(more)

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	...	Lawyer Whitlow
Jesslyn Fax	...	Mrs. Hutchinson
Nydia Westman	...	Mrs. Cobb
George Chandler	...	Judge Harley Nast
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Lawyer Springer
Jim Begg	...	Deputy Herkie (as James Begg)
Sandra Gould	...	Loretta Pine
James Millhollin	...	Mr. Milo Maxwell
Cliff Norton	...	Charlie, the Bailiff
Ellen Corby	...	Miss Neva Tremaine
Jim Boles	...	Billy Ray Fox
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Arnold	...	Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Rand Barker	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jimmy Bracken	...	Running Kid at Picnic (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man at Picnic (uncredited)
Ceil Cabot	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Jack Carol	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Al Checco	...	Gaylord Patie (uncredited)
Ella Edwards	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Herbie Faye	...	Man in Diner (uncredited)
Lillian Field	...	Edna June Weems (uncredited)
Joan Granville	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Everett Greenbaum	...	Man Saying 'Attaboy Luther' (voice) (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	The Rotarian at Picnic (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	J.T. Ballinger (uncredited)
Adair Jameson	...	Eileen (uncredited)
Roy Johnson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dorothy Keller	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Lee Krieger	...	Charlie - Process Server (uncredited)
Florence Lake	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Gerry Lock	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dorothy Love	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
J. Edward McKinley	...	Mayor Carlyle Preston (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Man at Mail Box (uncredited)
Burt Mustin	...	Mr. Deligondo (uncredited)
Ralph Neff	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Eddie Quillan	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Joe Quinn	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Teddy Quinn	...	Autograph Seeker (uncredited)
Florence Ravenel	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Maxine Semon	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Hal Smith	...	Calver Weems (uncredited)
Hope Summers	...	Susanna Blush (uncredited)
Ruth Thom	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Margaret Wheeler	...	Occult Clubwoman (uncredited)
Dick Wilson	...	Bandmaster (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Rafkin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Fritzell
Everett Greenbaum
Andy Griffith		uncredited

Produced by
Edward Montagne	....	producer (as Edward J. Mantagne)

Original Music by
Vic Mizzy

Cinematography by
William Margulies

Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
George C. Webb		(as George Webb)

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert
John McCarthy Jr.		(as John McCarthy)

Costume Design by
Rosemary Odell

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Wes Thompson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Bowles	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound (as Earl N. Crain)
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  titles
• Percepto Records  score album released by

Also Known As:

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:

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

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Charles Lane, another Andy Griffith alumni (Mr. Frisby), also makes an appearance as Lawyer Whitlow.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: when he runs downstairs from the attic, the light from the flashlight shining on the wall doesn't match where he is pointing the actual flashlight.

Quotes:

Milo Maxwell:Oh, I-I-I-I'm so sorry that I'm late, but we had a seance at the house last night and it ran on until all hours.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Magic Sword (#5.11)" (1992)

Attaboy Luther!

The first film Don Knotts made after leaving Mayberry to sign a multi-film contract with Universal, I first saw "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" as a tiny tot when it played in support of "Munsters, Go Home" at the drive-in, and it was so funny I forgot all about the severe sunburn I had acquired at the beach earlier in the day. And now, 37 years later, it's still hilarious. An adult, especially a college graduate who majored in English, isn't supposed to admit that "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" is one of his favorite films, at least not without embarrassment at his lack of "sophistication," but I admit it with pride. Knotts may not have had a film career on a par with Laurel and Hardy, but he's their equal in my book and this is his best film. It even manages to be genuinely spooky at times (that organ music-yikes!). This is a comedy classic, and a family film in the best sense of the word.