Sophie Bennett
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy-mystery film released in 1966. It stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a nervous typesetter for a small-town newspaper who aspires to be a reporter. In the film, Heggs spends a night in a haunted house and discovers more than just a ghost story. The film was a box office success and paved the way for several other Knotts-led comedy films.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of release | 1966 |
| Genre | Comedy, horror, mystery |
| Director | Alan Rafkin |
| Writers | Jim Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum |
| Starring | Don Knotts, Joan Staley, Skip Homeier, Philip Ober, Charles Lane, Robert Cornthwaite, Ellen Corby, Burt Mustin, Harry Hickox |
| Plot | Luther Heggs, a typesetter for a small-town newspaper, aspires to be a reporter. He gets his chance when he writes about a local "haunted house" and is sent to spend the night there. He discovers a hidden staircase, a bloodstained organ that plays by itself, and a portrait dripping blood. He eventually solves a 20-year-old murder. |
| Rating | 7.2/10 on IMDB, 67% on Rotten Tomatoes |
| Budget and Box Office Collection | Budget: $500,000; Box Office Collection: $4 million in the first five months |
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What You'll Learn
Plot
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy horror mystery film released in 1966. It stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a meek, timid, and jerky typesetter for the Rachel Courier Express in the town of Rachel, Kansas. Heggs lives at the Natalie Miller boarding house and dreams of becoming a reporter.
When Heggs learns that the Simmons Mansion was the site of a supposed murder-suicide, he writes an article about it for the newspaper. The editor, George Beckett, then assigns him to spend the night in the mansion on the 20th anniversary of the murder-suicide and write about his experience. Heggs is hesitant but realises this is his chance to become a reporter and impress Alma, so he accepts. During his stay, he discovers a hidden staircase, a bloodstained organ that plays by itself, and a portrait dripping blood. He also encounters the surly nephew of the murdered couple, Nicholas Simmons.
After his story is published, Heggs is celebrated at a town picnic for his courage. However, Nick Simmons, a descendant of the murdered couple and the current owner of the mansion, sues Heggs and the newspaper for libel. When the trial judge orders an investigation and no apparition appears, Heggs is branded a fraud. With the help of his girlfriend, Heggs uncovers the truth about the hauntings and the true identity of the murderer, becoming a town hero once again.
At the end of the film, Heggs and Alma marry. During the wedding, the organ music segues to the theme played in the Simmons mansion, and the keys of the organ are seen moving by themselves, hinting at the presence of a ghost.
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Cast
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy-horror-mystery film released in 1966. It was Don Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show. The film also features several other alumni from the sitcom, including director Alan Rafkin and writers Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.
The film stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The haunted house in question is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas.
Other cast members include:
- Philip Ober as Nicholas Simmons, the owner of the haunted mansion and the nephew of the murdered couple.
- Joan Staley as the girl Luther desires.
- Skip Homeier as Luther's rival.
- Charles Lane and Robert Cornthwaite as opposing attorneys.
- Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Natalie Miller, the owner of the boarding house where Luther lives.
- Nydia Westman as Mrs. Cobb.
- Jesslyn Fax as Mrs. Hutchinson.
- Reta Shaw as Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell.
- James Millhollin as Mr. Milo Maxwell.
- Al Checco, Knotts' comedy partner from his Army days, also made an uncredited appearance in the film.
Several other players from The Andy Griffith Show also appear in the film, including Burt Mustin, Hal Smith, and Hope Summers.
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Production
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy-mystery film released in 1966. It was produced by Universal Pictures and was Don Knotts's first feature film after leaving the TV show The Andy Griffith Show. The film was directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, both of whom were also alumni of The Andy Griffith Show. The music was composed by Vic Mizzy, who used the old tune "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town" as his main theme.
The film stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a nervous typesetter for a small-town newspaper who dreams of becoming a reporter. The supporting cast includes many actors familiar to TV viewers in the 1960s, such as Charles Lane, Ellen Corby, Burt Mustin, Harry Hickox, and Robert Cornthwaite. The film also features an appearance by Al Checco, Knotts's comedy partner from his Army days.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was filmed in just 17 days, which was typical for a low-budget feature produced by Universal during this period. The film was shot on the backlot and on standing sets from various TV shows, which were redressed for the occasion. The "Simmons Mansion," a three-story Second-Empire Victorian house, was built on the Universal Studios lot in California specifically for the film.
The film was a box office success, grossing $4 million in the first five months after its release on a $500,000 budget. It received mixed reviews from critics, with a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes based on six critics and an average score of 6.2 out of 10. The film has since been released on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray, and the soundtrack has been released on compact disc.
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Reception
The 1966 film 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. It received mixed reviews from critics, with a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb. It was Don Knotts' first major film project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, and it paved the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films.
The film is a comedy-mystery, with gentle satire of small-town sensibilities. It stars Knotts as Luther Heggs, a nervous typesetter for a small-town newspaper who dreams of becoming a reporter. He gets his big break when he writes an article about a local "haunted house" where a murder-suicide took place 20 years earlier, and his editor sends him to spend the night in the house and write a follow-up story. During his stay, he discovers a hidden staircase, a bloodstained organ that plays by itself, and a portrait dripping blood. The terrified Luther stands up to the surly nephew of the murdered couple, Nicholas Simmons. He eventually solves the 20-year-old murder, becoming a town hero in the process.
The supporting cast features many familiar faces from 1960s TV, including Charles Lane, Ellen Corby, Burt Mustin, Harry Hickox, and Robert Cornthwaite. The film has been praised for its comedic charm and incredible music by Vic Mizzy, making it a perfect Halloween film for the whole family.
The film was released on VHS in 1996 and has since been released multiple times on DVD and Blu-ray. The soundtrack was released on compact disc in 2005.
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Releases
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is an American comedy-horror-mystery film released in 1966. It 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.
The film stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a nervous typesetter for a small-town newspaper who dreams of becoming a reporter. To get his chance, he agrees to spend a night in a supposedly haunted house where a husband had killed his wife and then himself 20 years earlier. Despite his fear, Luther discovers a hidden staircase, a bloodstained organ that plays by itself, and a portrait dripping blood. He also inadvertently solves the mystery surrounding the "haunting" and uncovers the truth about the deaths, becoming a hero in the process.
The film was Knotts' first major project after leaving the popular television program The Andy Griffith Show. It was directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, all of whom had worked on The Andy Griffith Show. The film also featured a supporting cast of characters familiar to TV viewers in the 1960s, including Charles Lane, Ellen Corby, Burt Mustin, Harry Hickox, and Robert Cornthwaite.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was released on VHS in 1996. Universal released the film on DVD on September 2, 2003, and again on January 9, 2007. It was also released on Blu-ray on October 4, 2016. The soundtrack was released on compact disc on July 12, 2005.
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Frequently asked questions
The film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken came out in 1966.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a comedy-mystery film about a timid typesetter for a small-town newspaper who gets the chance to become a reporter when he writes an article about a local "haunted house".
Don Knotts stars in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken as Luther Heggs, the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter.
Don Knotts is known for his role as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show. He also appeared in The Incredible Mr. and Pleasantville.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was released on DVD in 2003 and 2007, and on Blu-ray in 2016.
