The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

I remember watching this movie back in the 1960's with my twin sister Tammy and being frightened when Don Knott's character Luther was alone in the haunted Simmon's Mansion. Now that I am grown I realize the movie was not scary at all, but instead is just a lot of fun. This movie is very funny and by far the best film Don Knotts ever made. Whenever I watch this movie (I own the VHS tape) it takes me back to a more innocent time. I also own The Love God, The Relunctant Astronaut, The Shakiest Gun in the West, and How to Frame a Fig, all starring Don Knotts, but this is my favorite movie of his. This is a great family film, and brings back wonderful childhood memories.

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.

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.

After attaining stardom playing Barney Fife on TV, comedy actor Don Knotts made the jump to feature film vehicles with movies such as this one. He plays Luther Heggs, a typesetter for his small town newspaper. What he really wants to be, naturally, is a reporter, and gets his big chance for a scoop when his bosses suggest that he spend the night in a supposedly haunted house.

However, the unaware should know that he actually doesn't spend much of the movie in the house. The balance of the story has him trying to defend himself when the owner of the place, Nicholas Simmons (Philip Ober), sues him for libel. So he is obliged to prove that the supernatural phenomena that he saw in the house were not merely the product of his overworked imagination.

Knotts is priceless in this harmless bit of goofy entertainment. It has a pleasant feel of small town Americana as well as an amusingly decorated Old Dark House. (Whoever was in charge of the cobweb machine clearly went nuts.) The material runs a little hot and cold, though. Whenever Knotts is called upon to do his thing, things get very funny. Whether he's over reacting to the slightest thing, or performing his version of "karate", or awkwardly wooing the lovely young Alma (appealing Joan Staley), he's a riot. All of that jittery energy that was his trademark is in full force. The action is further enhanced by an entertainingly silly music score by Vic Mizzy.

Knotts is supported by an incredible array of top notch character players, most of whom play the straight man - or straight woman - to his antics. It's particularly delightful to see Charles Lane and Robert Cornthwaite as opposing attorneys. The only elements that got annoying quickly to this viewer were the kooky Psychic Occult Society ladies and that "attaboy" heckler (voiced by co-writer Everett Greenbaum).

"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" is not always terribly funny, but it's certainly got a great charm about it.

Seven out of 10.

When full time typesetter and wannabe reporter, Luther Heggs (Don Knotts) spends the night in the town "haunted" house, he finds far more than a ghost story to write about.

THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN is arguably the best movie Knotts ever appeared in. Featuring a supporting cast of characters that seem as though they actually hail from Mayberry, and blessed with incredible music by Vic "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" Mizzy, this is a comedic gem! A perfect Halloween film for the whole family!

Be sure to watch for Luther's "magic" flashlight that throws a 1000 watt spot on the walls! It also shines on his back at one point!

Also, do not miss the wedding scene!

P.S.- Check out Mizzy's brilliant, spooky organ music on YT!...