Sophie Bennett
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American comedy horror mystery film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The film was Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show. It was shot in Technicolor Corporation's Techniscope widescreen process, which yielded a grainy image. This film is not to be confused with a black-and-white film from the 1930s or 1940s with a similar name, such as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film Name | The Ghost and Mr. Chicken |
| Genre | Comedy, Horror, Mystery |
| Year of Release | 1966 |
| Colour | Not Black and White |
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![The Ghost and Mr. Chicken [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91bTLBCQQxL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Don Knotts' performance
Knotts' portrayal of the nervous and timid character, who is sometimes afraid of his own shadow, is described as a "nervous man" routine, with one viewer commenting that they thought his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. His performance is also described as his "hilarious best" and "genius", showcasing his talent for portraying the underdog who comes out on top.
Knotts' physical comedy is specifically mentioned by viewers, with one stating that he is "legendary and so funny". The film is considered a classic that stands the test of time, and Knotts' performance is deemed one of his best.
"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" was Don Knotts' first feature film after leaving the popular television show "The Andy Griffith Show". The success of the film paved the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films, including "The Reluctant Astronaut" and "The Shakiest Gun in the West".
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![Ghost & Mr Chicken [DVD] [1966] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+i2psx6CL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Don Knotts Reluctant Hero (The ghost and Mr. Chicken / The reluctant astronaut / The shakiest gun in the West / The love God?) [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71QbTKQ8g-L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The film's setting
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is set in the fictional community of Rachel, Kansas, in the United States. The film centres around the allegedly haunted Simmons Mansion, which is located on Colonial Street. The mansion is the site of a supposed murder-suicide, where Ephraigm Simmons is believed to have killed his wife and then leaped to his death from the organ loft.
The exterior of the Simmons Mansion was built on Colonial Street, on Universal's back lot. The house shares a similar tower feature with the facade of the house used in the film Psycho. The Munster House, featured in the film, is located next door to the Simmons Mansion on the new (relocated) Colonial Street. The old Colonial Street, where the original Munster House was located, was situated next to New York Street and Courthouse Square.
The film's protagonist, Luther Heggs, works as a typesetter for the Rachel Courier Express and lives at the Natalie Miller boarding house. He aspires to become a reporter and is presented with the opportunity to spend a night in the haunted Simmons Mansion and write about his experience.
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The Simmons Mansion
The exterior of the Simmons Mansion was not the same as the house built for "Psycho". The mansion has a distinctive tower that was used on the Bates House facade for "Psycho". The tower was removed from the Simmons House facade and, for a few years, the Colonial Street house was seen without it. The Munster House is located near the Simmons Mansion on Colonial Street.
In the film, Luther Heggs enters the Simmons Mansion through the basement, rather than the front door. The mansion is filled with haunted house scares, and one standout scene involves Luther being startled by a mannequin and knocking its head off. The organ music is a key element, with the film ending on a note of ambiguity as the organ in the Simmons Mansion appears to play by itself, suggesting that the ghost of Mr. Simmons may indeed exist.
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The film's cast
The 1966 comedy horror mystery film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a nervous typesetter for a small-town newspaper who spends a night in a haunted house. The film was Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, and it uses a similar small-town setting. It also involved several alumni from the sitcom, including director Alan Rafkin and writers Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.
Knotts played the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter who, in the hope of being promoted to reporter, agrees to spend a night in an allegedly haunted house, where 20 years earlier a husband had killed his wife and then himself. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it was a box office success, grossing $4 million in the first five months after its release on a $500,000 budget.
The film also stars Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Natalie Miller, Nydia Westman as Mrs. Cobb, Jesslyn Fax as Mrs. Hutchinson, Reta Shaw as Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell, and James Millhollin as Mr. Milo Maxwell. Burt Mustin (uncredited) played Mr. Deligondo, and J. Edward McKinley (also uncredited) played Mayor Carlyle Preston.
Several other players from The Andy Griffith Show also appear in the film, including Hal Smith and Hope Summers. Knotts personally called the Bon Ami company president to get permission to mention the cleaning product's name in one of the film's running gags.
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The film's release
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy horror mystery film released in 1966. It was directed by Alan Rafkin and starred Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The film is set in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas.
The film was Don Knotts' first major project after leaving the popular television program The Andy Griffith Show. Knotts played the nervous Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who, in the hope of being promoted to reporter, agrees to spend a night in an allegedly haunted house. The film also starred several other players from The Andy Griffith Show, including Lurene Tuttle, Burt Mustin, Reta Shaw, Hal Smith, and Hope Summers.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was a box office success, grossing $4 million in the first five months after its release on a $500,000 budget. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes based on six reviews, and an average score of 6.2 out of 10.
The film was released on VHS in 1996 and on DVD in 2003 and 2007. It was also released on Blu-ray in 2016. The soundtrack was released on compact disc in 2005.
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