Ceticultsot
Beautiful, moving film.
FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Justina
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Bella
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) is a Comedy/Family/Mystery/Romance starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs. It's about a man named Luther who wants so badly to be a reporter. Everyone just makes fun of him until finally, his moment has arrived! His editor has assigned him to spend the night at the Simmons Mansion which was the location of a murder-suicide 20 years earlier. The acting, plot, and dialogue are creative, hilarious, and unbelievably entertaining.I very much enjoyed the performance of the main actor Don Knotts and his authentic portrayal of an awkward man who is not like everybody else but wants to be seen as a success. I fell in love with his character. The plot was riveting and the dialogue suspenseful and comical both at the same time. Most viewers will be able to relate to this in some way as well all feel that we are not good enough.I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of either the comedy or mystery genre. You would also enjoy The Ghost and The Chicken if you are interested in the supernatural. This is a movie that adults will enjoy watching on their own. Since this movie is G rated and does not contain violence and profanity that would make it unsuitable for children, this is a feature film that the entire family will enjoy. The actors, the plot, and the dialogue are certainly the highlights of The Ghost and The Chicken. Even though the main actor is a marvel and steals the show, the entire cast is entertaining and hilarious. It's one of the rare times that you will see such a perfect cast...
SimonJack
Don Knotts, in any role he played, always was a likable guy. In "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" Knotts plays Luther Heggs, the small town newspaper's typographer who's ready to cover the big story. This is a fun and amusing story with a familiar haunted house plot. Luther takes a challenge to stay a night in the old house before it gets torn down, and the mayhem starts to happen.It's not terribly original, nor is it hard to guess what crime might be involved. As for fright – can anyone seriously be scared in a haunted house or "horror" film with Don Knotts, Abbott and Costello or the Three Stooges? Well, it's fun and entertaining, but nothing that induces lots of laughter.
Scarecrow-88
No one plays scaredy-cat and false bravery quite like Don Knotts. I love how he has this one scene in the movie where he stands at a podium with a microphone before him in such anxiety his voice quivers, the paper with his speech (that flies away before he can read it!) shakes in his hands, and the words that come out of his mouth cover nothing about why he was asked by the town's (of Rachel, Kansas) Chamber of Commerce to be the guest speaker. He claims that he knows karate and that his whole body is a weapon (he even imitates chops in the hopes of impressing folks; those that needle him damn near beg him to prove his skills). He eyes the babe of the town (played by the yummy Joan Staley, wearing her hair black), but feels inadequate (arch rival, Ollie (played by chisel-chinned hunk, Skip Homeier), had been wooing Staley as well), gingerly approaching her (shyly but doing so despite his nervousness). Knotts has been dying to get that big break at the local paper, but his efforts have been disregarded, with him stuck at the lower rung as a typesetter.We see as the movie starts, Luther Heggs (Knotts) is driving past a reputed "murder house", reputedly haunted, when the local drunk is clunked on the head with a block of wood. A neighbor yells "murder!" and Luther hears her, frantically turning his car around (knocking over trash cans in the process) to see what's up. He goes to the police claiming the drunk was murdered until he strolls into the police station alive with only a major headache. Of course Ollie can't help but poke fun at Luther any chance he gets which is probably why Staley's Alma brushes him aside…the guy never ceases to be a prick. A wager is placed against Luther to spend the night at the infamous mansion where the aunt and uncle of a New York businessman were killed twenty years back (Philip Ober, playing the character like an intense bulldozer willing to topple anyone who stands in his way) and get a big scoop for the paper. He does so and experiences knocks on walls, creepy organ music with bloody finger prints of a murder victim still on the keys, and a pair of garden shears stabbed in the throat of the murdered aunt's portrait. His story stirs up the town and he is celebrated as a hero.The film is the quintessential Knotts vehicle. His lovable loser persona is alive and well, as is his climb from the pit of nowhere in life to a recognized hero of his hometown. It is also the kind of film that allows his scrawny, unimposing nerd to get the girl (always a curvy stunner which just makes me grin with joy). He gets to earn sympathy when the town seems to think his story was false, facing scrutiny and unemployment. He gets to be the hero at the end, assisting the paper's janitor (Liam Redmond) in outing a killer and rescuing Alma from danger. And his trip to the haunted house is a thing of comic genius as he is literally afraid of his own reflection (and a phonograph that runs by itself; hell, I think a flashlight even rattles him!). The use of organ music, eerie as all get out, is splendid. The cast is a dream of 60s comedy; there are just too many to name, the cast is so loaded! The psychic society (led by a brilliant Reta Shaw) is a real hoot! If you know your 60s television (and the Andy Griffith Show), then this film will be especially a treat. Dick Sargent of Bewitched is Knott's boss at the paper...there's just a wealth of talent in this film! The house is also a key character...its cobwebs, secret passage behind the bookcase, creepy attic and basement, and referenced portrait on the wall give the house its character. The ending doesn't hold to close scrutiny, but it does allow Knotts to get back his credibility.
aadue-186-652060
My family used to rent the VHS all the time! We could never find it for sale. Thank God for DVDs.This has to be Don Knotts' best film. There are lots of good jokes (including several running gags), and the classic Don Knotts formula-- Small town nothing becomes a hero, reluctantly. Oh, and the actress Joan Staley is a BABE.Moving on.This film also scared the crap out of me as a kid. Particularly the organ stuff. However, this was the good kind of scared the crap out of me that all children should experience. Like Snow White, the end of Return of the Jedi, etc.If you have any sense of humor, you will like this movie. Get it, watch it, enjoy.P.S. Atta boy, Luther!
