The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

Infobox Film
name = The Ghost and Mr. Chicken


image_size =
caption = Original theatrical poster
director = Alan Rafkin
producer = Edward J. Montagne Jr.
writer = Jim Fritzell
Everett Greenbaum
narrator =
starring = Don Knotts
Joan Staley
Liam Redmond
Dick Sargent
Skip Homeier
music = Vic Mizzy
cinematography = William Margulies
editing = Sam E. Waxman
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = flagicon|USA 1966
runtime = 90 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:92905
imdb_id = 0059221

"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966) is a Universal Pictures feature film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house. Knotts was best known at the time of the film's production for his Emmy Award-winning five seasons on the sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" as small town deputy sheriff Barney Fife. Knotts left the television show at the end of the 1964-1965 season in order to pursue a film career with "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" and "The Apple Dumpling Gang" being two of the many films that followed his departure from the series. "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" was directed by Alan Rafkin with a screenplay by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum; all three men had been associated with the success of "The Andy Griffith Show". Several players from the television show also appear in the film including Burt Mustin, Hal Smith, and Hope Summers.

Plot

According to a legend noted in the film, the Simmons Mansion was a "murder house" 20 years earlier, when Mr. Simmons murdered his wife, then jumped from the tower to his death. Legend says that you can hear the ghost of Mr. Simmons playing the organ at night. To increase newspaper sales, Luther Heggs (Knotts) is assigned to spend the night in the house on the 20th anniversary of the murders. At midnight, Heggs sees the old organ begin to play by itself. His story gets the town abuzz and Nicholas Simmons (Philip Ober), nephew of the deceased couple, sues Heggs for libel. In the courtroom, Heggs is made into a fool, but the judge orders the courtroom to the Simmons House at midnight to allow Heggs to prove his story. Nothing happens, and after everyone else leaves, Heggs notices the old organ playing. Heggs sees Mr. Kelsey (Liam Redmond), the newspaper's janitor, tickling the keys (the organ has an additional keyboard under the pipes). The editor and janitor then confront Nicholas Simmons, who killed his aunt and uncle and has been trying to cover up the story all this time. Luther knocks out Nicholas Simmons with a body slam, and the case is closed.

Production notes

Andy Griffith, Knotts' costar on "The Andy Griffith Show", suggested expanding on an episode from the television show involving a spooky old house.

The Simmons Second Empire style mansion, located on the Universal Studios back lot, was the house in the Hitchcock film "Psycho" (1960).

Al Checco, Don Knotts' Army-days comedy partner, had an uncredited appearance in the film.

Cast

* Don Knotts — Luther Heggs
* Liam Redmond — Kelsey
* Skip Homeier — Ollie Weaver
* Lurene Tuttle — Mrs. Natalie Miller
* Harry Hickox — Police Chief Art Fuller
* Charles Lane — Whitlow
* 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

External links

* [http://www.kiddiematinee.com/g-gmchicken.html "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" at kiddiematinee.com]