The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
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Movie Reviews of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Movie Review: "And they used Bon Ami!"
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1966, Alan Rafkin directed one of the best Don Knott's comedies entitled "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken". Set in a fictional town in Kansas, Don Knotts plays the nervous and shy Luther Heggs, who works as a typesetter for the town's local newspaper. More than anything, Luther wants to become a full-fledged newspaper reporter, but his manager, George Beckett (Dick Sargent, who played the second Darrin Stevens in the 1964-1972 TV series "Bewitched"), won't promote him. Located in the town is the abandoned Simmon's house where several murders occurred 20 years earlier. The local townsfolk believe the house is haunted because eerie organ music can be heard coming from it every midnight. (The music was composed by Vic Mizzy, who composed music for many films, as well as TV series such as "The Addams Family", "Green Acres" and "Quincy" to name a few.)Luther is challenged to spend one night in the abandoned Simmon's house. With knees a-knocking and teeth a-chattering, Luther enters the Simmon's house with sleeping bag in hand. What ensues is some of the best Don Knotts acting and comedy ever seen as Luther is scared and runs from the house. He is quickly hailed as a town hero, especially by several older ladies, many of which live in the same boarding house as Luther: Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell (Reta Shaw, who played Mrs. Brill in the 1964 classic "Mary Poppins", as well as the occasional Aunt Hagatha in "Bewitched"), Mrs. Natalie Miller (Lurene Tuttle, who played Eliza Chambers in the 1960 classic "Psycho"), Mrs. Hutchinson (Jesslyn Fax), and Mrs. Cobb (Nydia Westman). Other notable characters in the film include Luther's girlfriend Alma Parker (Joan Staley), Kelsey (Liam Redmond), Ollie Weaver (Skip Homeier) and Nicholas Simmons (Philip Ober).
"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" is a classic comedy that is not dated and continues to entertain young and old alike. I rate the film with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend purchase of the film on widescreen DVD!
Movie Review: Atta Boy Luther! - A Don Knotts Classic!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I know that when most folks heard Vic Mizzy passed away last week, they immediately thought of "The Addams Family", and the wonderful iconic theme song Mizzy wrote for that show. While I love "The Addams Family" theme, Mizzy's finest work for me was his score of "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken". So in honor or Mr. Mizzy, and seeing as how Halloween is less than a week away, I watched this comedy classic again.
Where do you start with "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken"? It's such a great little movie. Don Knotts tapping into prime Barney Fife mode is simply hilarious. And why not? Quite a few of the regulars from "The Andy Griffith Show" had a hand in crafting "Mr. Chicken" too. Sitcom helmer Alan Rafkin directs, and the screenplay is written by two Mayberry contributors as well, Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell. So you have Don Knotts in the hands of writers and a director who knew how to make comedy gold. Even Otis the drunk shows up in a funny cameo as Calver Weems...the town drunk.
The basic storyline is that Luther Heggs works in a small Kansas town's newspaper as a typesetter, but he yearns to be a big time reporter. He gets his chance when his editor asks him to spend the night in a haunted house on the 20th anniversary of an infamous murder that occurred there.
Yes, I know, it even sounds like the plot of a TV sitcom instead of a feature length film. And in less capable hands, it might have come off that way. Instead, Don Knotts turns in a fantastically funny performance, his elastic face conveys an entire spectrum of emotions that will have you chuckling for 90 minutes!
If you are looking for a fun Halloween movie to watch with the kids, you can't go wrong "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken", you'll be laughing and the atmosphere of the haunted house is pitch perfect, almost like the Disneyland ride "The Haunted Mansion"...and to top it off you have Mizzy's wonderful score working it's magic the whole time.
Movie Review: Knotts So Funny!
Summary: 5 Stars
Spooky fun in the vein of Bob Hope's "Ghost Breakers", built around the considerable comic talents of Don Knotts. Knotts plays a timid would-be reporter in a small Kansas town who is given the challenge of spending the night in the local haunted house, site of a reported murder-suicide twenty years earlier. Teeth chattering and legs quaking, our hapless hero encounters screeching cats, sliding bookcases, secret staircases, an organ that plays by itself, a bleeding portrait ... all the classic features of any self-respecting "murder mansion". Lionized for his bravery, Knotts becomes the town hero, only to have the rug pulled out from under him when the ghosts later fail to reappear. Of course it all ends well, with Knotts solving an old mystery and yep! even winning The Girl. (Did you doubt it?!)Although Knotts' kinetic performance is the centerpiece of the film, he's helped along by a marvelous supporting cast, members of which will be delightfully familiar to fans of 1960's and 1970's TV sitcoms, including Dick Sergeant and Sandra Gould of "Bewitched", Reta Shaw from "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", Lurene Tuttle of "Julia", and many other beloved faces. Joan Staley makes an appealing leading lady, and director Alan Rafkin keeps the comedy moving right along, with one or two genuine shivers added to the proceedings. The end result is a well-loved cult comedy that holds up well under repeated viewings.
Universal's DVD release features an excellent film-to-video transfer with exceptional picture and sound. The colors are crisp and bright, just the way I remembered them being when I first saw the movie in a theatre as a kid. The Original Theatrical Trailer is included and adds to the fun. This DVD is definitely one to own, so that its many pleasures can be enjoyed again and again.
Movie Review: PURE FAMILY FUN !!
Summary: 5 Stars
What more can you say about the legendary Don Knotts. I don't think he has ever received the recognition he truly deserves for being a comedic genius. "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" is a cult comedy classic worthy of ownership for any Don Knotts fan. I give this hilarious movie 5 stars, because it's pure fun for the whole family.
Universal Studios have done a wonderful job with the digital transfer for this DVD release. The 2.35:1 Widescreen picture is pristine and looks better than any previous version I've ever seen before. In my opinion the 2.0 audio is excellent, too bad it isn't in 5.1 Dolby Digital. I can remember as a 10 year old boy running home for Don Knotts week on the after school movies. "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" was a treat to watch then and it's even a bigger treat to own it on DVD.
Luther Hegg wants to become an ace reporter but to do that he must solve the 20 year old murder mystery of the local haunted house. His boss at the local newspaper gives him a chance but In order to solve the mystery he must spend the night at the scene of the crime. What terror awaits Luther in the Haunted House? Will he solve the mystery and live to write about it? Only Don Knotts could create such a loveable and cowardly character like Luther Hegg and play him to perfection.
"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" surrounds itself with a great supporting cast made up of Joan Staley, Liam Redmond, Dick Sargent, Skip Homeier, Philip Ober and some eerie organ music from Vic Mizzy to set the mood. Whether you loved him as Barney Fife or Luther Hegg this is 90 minutes of fun everyone can enjoy. Attaboy Luther!
DVD Features:
Original theatrical trailer
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Movie Review: The ghost gets tied up in Knotts
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many of my generation, I grew up watching this movie many times, and becoming enamored of the comedic genius of Don Knotts. He's made a handful of enjoyable comedies along the way, but none can compare to "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken". Here, the writers & producers came up with an irresistible idea: Take the world's most jittery, nervous underdog (Knotts) and plop him in a story as a would-be reporter talked into staying overnight in the town's "haunted house" to solve a 20-year old murder/suicide mystery.
This movie has hardly a dull spot as it moves along at a nice clip, and is a harmless "scare comedy" in the same spirit as those old Bob Hope (another classic "coward") and Abbott & Costello capers. When Knotts isn't doing anything interesting (except reacting to others in typical bug-eyed manner), eccentric townfolk pop in & out of frame to contribute hilariously (remember the Occult Women's Club or the obnoxious guy who would shout off-screen, "Attaboy, Luther!").
Knotts took a familiar character (done in many variations by Harold Lloyd, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, etc.) and made it his own. He's the odd little man who just knows in his heart he can do something...but being a comedy, he has great difficulty doing it.
TGAMC is slightly dated now, but still retains its comic punch in Knotts' encounters with the supernatural. And if you're like me, you'll be forever haunted by that creepy organ music!