Mia Patel
The 1966 comedy horror mystery film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The line Attaboy, Luther! was suggested by Andy Griffith as a running gag throughout the movie. The off-screen voice yelling the line belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the film | The Ghost and Mr. Chicken |
| Year of release | 1966 |
| Person who said "Attaboy, Luther" | Screenwriter Everett Greenbaum |
| Role of the person who said "Attaboy, Luther" | Man in audience |
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What You'll Learn
- The line Attaboy, Luther was a running gag in the film
- The line was only written into one scene
- Andy Griffith suggested it be used as a running gag
- The off-screen voice yelling the line belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum
- The line inspired a short-lived craze for yelling Attaboy, [name]! during speeches
The line Attaboy, Luther was a running gag in the film
The 1966 comedy-horror film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The line "Attaboy, Luther!" was suggested by Andy Griffith, Knotts' co-star on The Andy Griffith Show, to be used as a running gag throughout the film. The line was delivered by Everett Greenbaum, one of the writers of the film.
In the film, Luther Heggs is a typesetter for the Rachel Courier Express in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas, who aspires to be a reporter. He is the town dunce and is not taken seriously by his peers. When Luther learns about a supposed murder-suicide at the Simmons Mansion from the newspaper's janitor, Mr. Kelsey, he writes about it. However, his peers mock him when his report turns out to be false.
Despite his fear, Luther accepts an assignment to spend the night in the mansion to impress his crush, Alma Parker, who is dating full-time reporter Ollie Weaver. While staying at the mansion, Luther inadvertently opens a hidden passage to the organ loft, where he discovers pruning shears stabbed in a painting of Mrs. Simmons. Luther's story gets him local acclaim, and he begins dating Alma.
The line "Attaboy, Luther!" is used as a running gag in the film, with people yelling it at Don Knotts on the street after the film's release. The film was a box office success, showcasing Knotts' incredible comic timing and paving the way for several other comedy films fronted by him.
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The line was only written into one scene
The line "Attaboy, Luther!" became a running gag in the 1966 comedy horror mystery film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. The line was only written into one scene, where Luther, played by Don Knotts, gives a speech in the park. However, according to Knotts' autobiography, the off-screen voice yelling the line belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum.
Greenbaum co-wrote the screenplay with Jim Fritzell, who were both writers on The Andy Griffith Show, which starred Knotts. Andy Griffith himself also reviewed the script and suggested using the line as a running gag throughout the film. The line inspired a short-lived craze for yelling out "Attaboy, [name]!" during speeches and other situations.
The film follows Luther Heggs, a meek typesetter for his local newspaper in the small town of Rachel, Kansas. He is something of the town laughing stock, bullied by the paper's ace reporter Ollie, his rival for the affections of Alma. When Luther learns of a supposed murder-suicide at the Simmons Mansion, he writes about it for the paper and is assigned to spend the night in the manor. Despite his fear, he accepts, hoping to become a full-time reporter and impress Alma.
The film was Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, and it featured several alumni from the sitcom, including director Alan Rafkin. It was a box office success, paving the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films.
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Andy Griffith suggested it be used as a running gag
The 1966 comedy horror mystery film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. The film is a showcase of Knotts' incredible comic timing and became a box office success.
Knotts' co-star on The Andy Griffith Show, Andy Griffith, suggested expanding on an episode from the television series involving a deserted house. As The Andy Griffith Show approached the end of its 1964-65 season, Knotts asked two of the sitcom's writers, Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, to work on a screenplay for him during the break. Griffith was given token compensation (and no screen credit) for his input, which included the idea of making the line "Attaboy, Luther!" a running gag.
Don Knotts asked Andy Griffith to look over the script, and he suggested using the line as a running gag throughout the movie. The line was only written into one scene, where Luther is giving a speech in the park. Everett Greenbaum, one of the writers, delivered the line offscreen. Knotts said that for years after the movie was released, people would yell the line when they saw him on the street.
Andy Griffith was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) and No Time for Sergeants (1958) before becoming better known for his television roles. Griffith was born in 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and grew up listening to music. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. He began his career as a monologist, assuming the character of an affable country parson and delivering long stories in a rural dialect. Griffith made appearances on television variety shows, where he would perform his monologues. He also had a lifelong association with Don Knotts, who co-starred with him on The Andy Griffith Show.
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The off-screen voice yelling the line belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum
The 1966 comedy-horror-mystery film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken stars 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 directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.
The line "Attaboy, Luther!" was suggested by Andy Griffith, Knotts' co-star on The Andy Griffith Show, to be used as a running gag throughout the film. The off-screen voice yelling the line belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum.
Greenbaum and Fritzell were writers on The Andy Griffith Show. They were asked by Knotts to work on the screenplay for The Ghost and Mr. Chicken during the sitcom's hiatus. The story outline was worked out by Fritzell, Greenbaum, Knotts, Griffith, and producer Edward Montagne in a series of meetings. Griffith was given token compensation (and no screen credit) for his input, which included the idea of making "Attaboy, Luther!" a running gag.
The film was a box office success, grossing $4 million in the first five months after its release on a $500,000 budget. It paved the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films.
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The line inspired a short-lived craze for yelling Attaboy, [name]! during speeches
The 1966 American comedy horror mystery film "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" inspired a short-lived craze for yelling "Attaboy, [name]!" during speeches. The film stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter and the town dunce who spends a night in a haunted house.
The line "Attaboy, Luther!" was suggested by Andy Griffith, Knotts' co-star on "The Andy Griffith Show." Griffith proposed making the line a running gag throughout the film. The line was written into a scene where Luther gives a speech in the park and is uttered by Everett Greenbaum, one of the writers of the film.
After the film's release, people would yell the line at Don Knotts when they saw him on the street, indicating the impact the line had on popular culture. The line even made its way into the background of the bowling scene in the film "Kingpin" as a random homage to "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken," showcasing its lasting impression.
While the exact duration of the craze is unclear, it likely peaked shortly after the film's release and gradually faded. However, it left a memorable impression, with some individuals still recalling it years later and incorporating it into their own lighthearted traditions during dull moments or speeches.
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Frequently asked questions
The off-screen voice yelling, "Attaboy, Luther!" belongs to screenwriter Everett Greenbaum.
Yes, the line was used as a running gag throughout the film.
Yes, Everett Greenbaum was also a Man in the audience in the film.
