The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
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| The Ghost and Mr. Chicken | |
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| Directed by | Alan Rafkin |
| Produced by | Edward J. Montagne Jr. |
| Written by | Jim Fritzell Everett Greenbaum |
| Starring | Don Knotts Joan Staley Liam Redmond Dick Sargent Skip Homeier |
| Music by | Vic Mizzy |
| Cinematography | William Margulies |
| Editing by | Sam E. Waxman |
| Distributed by | Universal films |
| Release date(s) | 1966 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 movie featuring comic actor Don Knotts as local newspaper typesetter, Luther Heggs, with high hopes of becoming a reporter. While walking past the creepy, reputedly haunted Simmons mansion one night, he witnesses what he believes is a murder and gives a frantic account of his experience at the police station. After it turns out that the murder victim, the town drunk, is quite alive, to avoid ridicule by townsfolk and help boost newspaper sales Heggs accepts a challenge by his editor to spend a night alone in the mansion.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was a perfect vehicle for Knotts to expand his portrayal of the bug-eyed, Nervous Man character he played so well in a cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World three years earlier.
The film was directed by Alan Rafkin, script was written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, and music was composed by Vic Mizzy.
[edit] Cast
- Charles Lane — Whitlow
- Don Knotts — Luther Heggs
- Liam Redmond — Kelsey
- Skip Homeier — Ollie Weaver
- Lurene Tuttle — Mrs. Natalie Miller
- Harry Hickox — Police Chief Art Fuller
- Nydia Westman — Mrs. Cobb
- Robert Cornthwaite — Springer
- Sandra Gould — Loretta Pine
- Cliff Norton — Charlie, the Bailiff
- Jim Boles — Billy Ray Fox
- Ceil Cabot — Bit/clubwoman
- Herbie Faye — Man in Diner
- Harry Hines — The Rotarian at picnic
- Florence Lake — Clubwoman
- J. Edward McKinley — Mayor Carl Preston
- Eddie Quillan — Elevator Operator
- Hal Smith — Calver Weems (the town drunk)
- Ruth Thom — Clubwoman
- Joan Staley — Alma Parker (Luther's love interest)
- Dick Sargent — George Beckett
- Reta Shaw — Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell
- Philip Ober — Nicholas Simmons
- Jesslyn Fax — Mrs. Hutchinson
- George Chandler — Judge Harley Nast
- Jim Begg — Herkie
- James Millhollin — Mr. Milo Maxwell
- Ellen Corby — Miss Neva Tremaine
- Phil Arnold — Juror
- Al Checco — Gaylord Patie
- Everett Greenbaum — Man in audience ('Attaboy, Luther')
- Bern Hoffman — Heavyset Man at Police Station
- Dorothy Love — Clubwoman
- Burt Mustin — Mr. Dellagondo (Old Man Boarder at Mrs. Miller's)
- Maxine Semon — Clubwoman
- Hope Summers — Suzanna Blush
- Dick Wilson — Bandmaster
[edit] Details
- The Simmons mansion is built in the Second Empire style and appears similar to the The Addams Family and The Munsters houses. The Universal backlot house standing in for the Simmons' mansion was once used as the Psycho house in 1960.
- Hal Smith who was known as Otis Campbell the drunk on The Andy Griffith Show had a cameo in the beginning of the film as a town drunk again
- Several guest stars from The Andy Griffith Show had key roles or cameos in the film.
1. Ellen Corby, who to Andy Griffith Show fans is known for playing the old lady who dupes Barney to buying a broken car in "Barney's First Car" had a small cameo in the courtroom scene as Luther's old grade school teacher Meva Traimane
2. Rita Shaw who played two roles on the show, one as a female convict and in another played Barney's music teacher played a supporting role as the sprit believing member of the town occult socity.
3. Al Checco who guest starred as a thief who tricked Barney and got him drunk in order to steal a quarter million dollars, and was also in real life Don Knotts' old comedy partner when they were in the Army had a uncredited appearance in the film.
