''The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' is a 1966 American comedy horror film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. Don Knotts' first major project after leaving ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', ''The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' uses a similar small town setting and involved a number of alumni from the sitcom, including director

Alan Rafkin Alan Rafkin (born Alfred Irwin Rafkin; July 23, 1928 – August 6, 2001) was an American director, producer, and actor for television. Biography Rafkin was born in New York City to Til and Victor Rafin. He attended Admiral Farragut Acade ...

and writers

Jim Fritzell Jim Fritzell (February 19, 1920 – March 9, 1979) was an American television and film screenwriter. Personal background James Gustave Fritzell was born on February 19, 1920. He died on March 9, 1979 in Los Angeles, California. He i ...

and

Everett Greenbaum Everett Greenbaum (December 20, 1919 – July 11, 1999) was an American television and film writer and actor who contributed to such shows as ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (24 Episodes), ''M*A*S*H'' (35 Episodes), '' Love American Style'', ''Th ...

. It was a box office success, paving the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films. The

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

was ''Running Scared''. The title is presumably a humorous variation of the film ''

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' is a 1947 American romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. I ...

'' (1947).

Plot

Luther Heggs is a

typesetter Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or '' glyphs'' in digital systems representing '' characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random ...

for the ''Rachel Courier Express'' in Rachel City,

, who lives at the Natalie Miller boarding house and aspires to be a reporter. Luther is not taken seriously, and his peers mock him when his report of a murder near the supposedly

haunted Haunted or The Haunted may refer to: Books * ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004 * ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...

Simmons Mansion proves to be nothing more than a local drunk knocked unconscious by his irate wife. Full-time reporter Ollie Weaver ridicules Luther over his mistake. Ollie is dating Alma Parker, who Luther has a crush on. While at work, asked to add some filler to the paper, Luther learns from the newspaper's

janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simil ...

Mr. Kelsey, who was a gardener at the Simmons Mansion, that the mansion was the site of a

murder–suicide A murder-suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more persons either before or while killing themselves. The combination of murder and suicide can take various forms: * Murder linked with suicide of a person with a homicidal idea ...

. Mr. Simmons killed his wife with a bladed instrument before leaping to his death from the organ loft. Legend has it that the ghost of Mr. Simmons can still occasionally be heard playing the organ at midnight. Kelsey encourages Luther to write about the Simmons Mansion. When the editor, George Beckett, reads the article, Kelsey plants subtle hints resulting in Beckett assigning Luther to spend the night in the manor on the 20th anniversary of the murder-suicide and write about his experience. Fear makes Luther hesitant to take the job, but the realization that this is his big chance to become a reporter as well as an opportunity to impress Alma pushes him to accept. While staying at the mansion, he hurls a book at a bookshelf in an effort to silence eerie knocking and laughter which is keeping him from sleep, inadvertently opening a

hidden passage Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel, escape, or movement of people and goods. They are sometimes inside buildings leading to hidden compartment, secret rooms ...

to the organ loft. At midnight, the bloodstained organ begins to play by itself. Luther flees downstairs and finds

pruning shears Pruning shears, also called hand pruners (in American English), or secateurs (in British English), are a type of scissors for use on plants. They are strong enough to prune hard branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes up to two centimetres thic ...

stabbed in a painting of Mrs. Simmons, with blood gushing from her neck. Luther's story gets the town abuzz and makes him a local hero. He begins dating Alma, who tells Luther (and later Ollie himself) that her relationship with Ollie is not committed. Nicholas Simmons, the nephew of the deceased couple, had been planning to demolish the mansion, but his banker now refuses to close on the deal due to his spiritualist wife considering it a local landmark. Nicholas attempts to discredit Luther by taking him and the ''Rachel Courier Express'' to court for libel. Nicholas' attorney brings in Luther's grade school teacher as a character witness and accuses Luther of concocting the story in the Simmons Manor to win a job as a full-time reporter. The judge orders the jury and all interested parties to reconvene at the Simmons house before midnight to settle the issue. At the mansion, Luther is unable to make the hidden passage open again. Alma remains to continue searching for the passage, while everyone else leaves the mansion, convinced Luther fabricated the story. Luther starts to walk home but hears the old organ and finds it played by Kelsey. Kelsey confesses to staging the mysterious happenings Luther witnessed, unable to help Luther confirm his story as he was kept out of the mansion by officer Herkie. Kelsey explains that he needs Luther's help to expose the true cause of the Simmons' deaths. They hear a scream from the secret passage, and find Nicholas holding Alma captive. Kelsey accuses Nicholas of attempting to frame him for the murder of the Simmons couple by using Kelsey's shears as the murder weapon, and tearing down the Simmons Mansion to destroy the hidden passage he used as his

alibi An alibi (from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person, who is a possible perpetrator of a crime, of where they were at the time a particular offence was committed, which is somewhere other than where the crim ...

. Luther rescues Alma by knocking Nicholas over with a full body lunge from behind. Nicholas is arrested, and Kelsey explains everything. Alma and Luther marry. At the end of the wedding, the organ music segues to the theme played in the Simmons mansion. Everyone turns to see the small organ's keys moving by themselves, hinting that there really ''is'' a ghost after all.

Cast

* Don Knotts as Luther Heggs *

Joan Staley Joan Staley (born Joan Lynette McConchie; May 20, 1940 – November 24, 2019) was an American actress and model. Early life Staley was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of James and Jean McConchie. Her father was a minister, ...

as Alma Parker *

Liam Redmond Liam Redmond (27 July 1913 – 28 October 1989) was an Irish character actor known for his stage, film and television roles. Early life Redmond was one of four children born to cabinet-maker Thomas and Eileen Redmond. Educated at the Christ ...

as Kelsey *

Sandra Gould Sandra Gould (July 23, 1916 – July 20, 1999) was an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Gladys Kravitz on the sitcom '' Bewitched''. Gould was the second actress to portray the role, debuting at the start of the third season. L ...

as Loretta Pine *

Dick Sargent Richard Stanford Cox (April 19, 1930 – July 8, 1994), known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on ABC's fantasy situation comedy ''Bewitched''. He took the name ''Dick ...

as George Beckett *

Skip Homeier George Vincent Homeier (October 5, 1930 – June 25, 2017), known professionally as Skip Homeier, was an American actor who started his career at the age of eleven and became a child star. Career Child actor Homeier was born in Chicago, Illino ...

as Ollie Weaver *

Philip Ober Philip Nott Ober (March 23, 1902 – September 13, 1982) was an American screen and stage actor. He later retired from acting to work as a diplomat. Ober is best remembered for his roles in the films ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953) and ''North ...

as Nicholas Simmons * Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Natalie Miller * Harry Hickox as Police Chief Art Fuller * George Chandler as Judge Harley Nast * Charles Lane as Lawyer Whitlow *

Nydia Westman Nydia Eileen Westman (February 19, 1902 – May 23, 1970) was an American actress and singer of stage, screen, and television. Early years Westman's parents, Theodore and Lily (Wren) Westman were active in vaudeville in her native New Yo ...

as Mrs. Cobb *

Reta Shaw Reta Shaw (September 13, 1912 – January 8, 1982) was an American character actress known for playing strong, hard-edged, working women in film and on many of the most popular television programs of the 1960s and 1970s in the United Sta ...

as Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell *

James Millhollin Arthur James Millhollin (August 23, 1915 – May 23, 1993) was an American character actor. Early years Millhollin was born in Peoria, Illinois. He grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, performing in many school plays, graduated from Thomas Jeffers ...

as Mr. Milo Maxwell * Robert Cornthwaite as Springer *

Cliff Norton Clifford Charles Norton (March 21, 1918 – January 25, 2003) was an American character actor and radio announcer who appeared in various movies and television series over a career spanning four decades. Early years Norton was born in Chi ...

as Charlie, the Bailiff *

Jim Boles Jim Boles (February 28, 1914 – May 26, 1977) was an American actor. He appeared in the films ''The Tattooed Stranger'', '' The Man with My Face'', ''Naked in the Sun'', '' Fluffy'', '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'', '' The Trouble with Angels'', ...

as Billy Ray Fox * James Begg as Herky * Ceil Cabot as Bit/clubwoman * Ellen Corby as Miss Neva Tremaine, the grade school teacher *

Dick Wilson Dick Wilson (July 30, 1916 – November 18, 2007) was an American actor who was best known as grocery store manager Mr. George Whipple in more than 500 Charmin bathroom tissue television commercials (1965–89, 1999–2000). Biography Dick Wi ...

as Bandleader *

(''uncredited'') as male voice shouting "Attaboy, Luther!" *

June Foray June Foray (born June Lucille Forer; September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017) was an American voice actress. She was best known as the voice of such animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, Lucifer from Disney' ...

(''uncredited'') as female voice shouting "Attaboy, Luther!" * Burt Mustin (''uncredited'') as Mr. Deligondo * Hal Smith (''uncredited'') as Calver Weems *

Hope Summers Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American character actress known for her work on CBS's ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and ''Mayberry RFD'', portraying Clara Edwards. Early life Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illino ...

(''uncredited'') as Susanna Blush * J. Edward McKinley (''uncredited'') as Mayor Carlyle Preston

Production

This film was produced by

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

, which produced numerous classic horror films. Actor Don Knotts was best known at the time of the film's production for his Emmy Award-winning five seasons on the sitcom ''

'' as small town deputy sheriff

Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Car ...

. Knotts planned to leave the television series at the end of the 1964–65 season in order to pursue a film career. He had already starred in '' The Incredible Mr. Limpet'' (1964).

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his character ...

, Knotts' co-star on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', suggested expanding on an episode from the television series involving a deserted house (the old Rimshaw house in the episode "Haunted House" aired October 1963) in which Barney,

Gomer Gomer ( he, ''Gōmer'', ; el, Γαμὲρ, translit=Gamér) was the eldest son of Japheth (and of the Japhetic line), and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah, according to the "Table of Nations" in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10). The epo ...

, and Andy retrieve a baseball of Opie and his friend from the house. As ''The Andy Griffith Show'' approached the end of the 1964-65 season, Knotts asked two of the sitcom's writers,

and

, if they would be interested in working on a screenplay for him during the sitcom's hiatus. They agreed, and Universal put Fritzell and Greenbaum under contract. The story outline was worked out by Fritzell, Greenbaum, Knotts, Griffith, and producer

Edward Montagne Edward J. Montagne Jr. (May 20, 1912 – December 15, 2003) was a television series producer and film director who directed the films ''McHale's Navy'' (1964) starring Ernest Borgnine, its sequel '' McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force'' (1965) sta ...

in a series of meetings, with Griffith given a token compensation (and no screen credit) for his input, which included the idea of making the line "Attaboy, Luther!" a

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

. Knotts also claimed to have had a hand in writing the actual screenplay, though he acknowledged that Fritzell and Greenbaum did the lion's share of it. Greenbaum came up with the film's title, after the original title "Running Scared" turned out to be unavailable. After he learned that the film had a

shooting schedule A shooting schedule is a project plan of each day's shooting for a film production. It is normally created and managed by the assistant director, who reports to the production manager managing the production schedule The production schedule is a ...

of just 17 days, Knotts suggested

for the director's seat, since Rafkin had directed several episodes of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and impressed Knotts with his efficiency. Universal contract star Joan Staley was known by Rafkin from their work together on the sitcom '' Broadside''. Normally a blonde, she had to wear a dark wig because the producers felt she was "too sexy" as a blonde (she was actually ''Playboy''s "Miss November" 1958, but was photographed very modestly, being only partially nude) and the role called for a brunette. She wore the same wig previously worn by

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...

in ''

Blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindf ...

'' (1966).

Al Checco Al Checco (July 21, 1921 – July 19, 2015) was an American film, television and theatre actor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was known for playing the role of "Bernard Stein" in the 1968 film ''The Party (1968 film), The Party''. Checco ...

, Knotts' Army-days comedy partner, had an uncredited appearance in the film. The "Simmons Mansion", a three-story Second-Empire Victorian house, stands on

Colonial Street Colonial Street is one of the backlot street sets at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. The street set has a long history, spanning over 60 years of movies and television. From 2004 to 2012, it was used in the filming of the ...

on the

lot in California and was built for the film '' So Goes My Love'' (1946). It appeared as the Dowd house in the film ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

'' (1950), and, with several alterations to the architecture, served as the home of Gabrielle Solis in '' Desperate Housewives'' (2004-2012). The "Simmons Mansion" is not the Munster house, although they are next door to each other on the new (relocated) Colonial street, with the Munster house on the right. Originally, they were on the old Colonial street, which was located next to New York street and Courthouse Square, with the Munster house to the left of the "Simmons Mansion". The old Colonial Street is where The Ghost and Mr Chicken movie was filmed. Knotts personally called the

Bon Ami Bon Ami () is a brand of scouring powder sold by the Bon Ami Company of Kansas City, Missouri. Since its inception in the late 19th century, the brand's advertising campaigns have gained particular notice. History 19th century The original ...

company president to get permission to mention the cleaning product's name in one of the film's running gags. Throughout the movie, Knotts drove an

Edsel Corsair The Edsel Corsair is an automobile that was produced and sold by Edsel in 1958 and 1959. For 1958, the Corsair was built on the longer, wider Edsel platform shared with Mercury. For 1959, the Corsair shared the shorter, narrower Ranger platform ...

, which was considered a commercial failure, to bolster the character Luther Heggs' quirky reputation. The original cut of the film included a scene where the portrait stabbing was explained. Kelsey had printed a copy of the portrait and placed on the back side of the one on the landing of the staircase. When pressing a secret button, the portrait turned to reveal the shears stuck in the throat with red paint. This scene was cut from all other prints and has only been seen a few times in theaters and on some television showings. Knotts' popularity prompted a multiple-movie deal with Universal, starting with this movie, and followed by '' The Reluctant Astronaut'' (1967), ''

The Shakiest Gun in the West ''The Shakiest Gun in the West'' is a 1968 American comedy Western film starring Don Knotts. It was directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. The film is a remake of '' The Paleface'', a 1948 movie starring B ...

'' (1968), ''

The Love God? ''The Love God?'' is a 1969 American comedy film starring Don Knotts and Edmond O'Brien. It was written and directed by Nat Hiken, who died between the completion of shooting and the film's release. ''The Love God?'' marked a change of pace for Kn ...

'' (1969), and ''

How to Frame a Figg ''How to Frame a Figg'' is a 1971 comedy film about a bookkeeper's bungling assistant, Hollis Alexander Figg (played by Don Knotts), in the Dalton city hall, who finds himself framed for embezzlement. Plot Hollis Figg is an earnest if not too br ...

'' (1971). Several other players from ''The Andy Griffith Show'' appear in ''The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' including Lurene Tuttle, Burt Mustin,

, Hal Smith and

Home media

''The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' was released on VHS in 1996.

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

released the film on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

September 2, 2003, and again on January 9, 2007, and on Blu-ray on October 4, 2016. Shown on the

MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...

show

Svengoolie ''Svengoolie'' is an American hosted horror movie television program. The show features horror and science fiction films and is hosted by the eponymous character Svengoolie, who was originally played by Jerry G. Bishop from 1970 to 1973, before ...

on July 16, 2022.

Soundtrack

On July 12, 2005, Percepto released the soundtrack on

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...

. Composer

Vic Mizzy Victor Mizzy (January 9, 1916 – October 17, 2009) was an American composer for television and movies and musician whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms '' Green Acres'' and ''The Addams Family''. Mizzy also wrote ...

used the old tune ''Mr. Ghost Goes to Town'' as his main theme. Mizzy's haunted house organ theme also appeared in the film '' Games'' (1967). #Gaseous Globe (Universal logo intro) #Main Title #Luther Has a Scoop #Laugh's on Luther #Bashful One #Kelsey's Tale #Twenty Years Ago #Super S'Luther #Clock Watchers #Oh, Chute #Rickety Tik Phono #Creepy Jeepers #Haunted Organ #Hero to the #Hero's Picnic #Picnic Table #Speech Is Over #Alma Matters #Back to the Mansion #Chick-Napped #Plucky Chicken #Wedding & Finale #When in Southern California, Visit Universal City Studios (promotional tag)

References

External links

* * *
DVD review and production history

Adam Rifkin on ''The Ghost and Mr Chicken''
at

Trailers from Hell ''Trailers from Hell'' (branded as ''Trailers from Hell!'') is a web series in which filmmakers discuss and promote individual movies through commenting on their trailers. While the series emphasizes horror, science fiction, fantasy, cult, and expl ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The 1960s American films 1966 films 1960s comedy mystery films 1960s English-language films 1966 comedy-drama films 1960s comedy horror films American comedy-drama films American comedy horror films American comedy mystery films American haunted house films Fictional duos Films about photojournalists Films directed by Alan Rafkin Films scored by Vic Mizzy Films set in country houses Films set in Kansas Universal Pictures films