The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1966)

The Ghost and Mr Chicken (Dir: Alan Rafkin, 1966).

The Ghost and Mr Chicken is a family friendly comedy/horror from Universal Pictures, with the accent firmly on smiles rather than shocks. 

Something of a throwback to haunted house comedies of an earlier age - the Bob Hope vehicle The Cat and the Canary (Elliott Nugent, 1939) springs to mind - The Ghost and Mr Chicken finds nebbish newspaper typesetter Luther Heggs spend the night in a haunted house in an attempt to further his career as as a journalist. Becoming a local celebrity, he lands himself a subpoena when property owner Mr Simmons (Philip Ober) challenges Heggs' claims of ghostly goings on in the abandoned abode.

Don Knotts was best known for his role of Barney in TV’s The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68); The Ghost and Mr Chicken features several of the cast of that show and at least three cast members of Bewitched (1964-1972). Add to this studio locations familiar from The Munsters (1964-66) and you have the inescapable feel of a 1960's US TV sitcom. Some may feel the lack of big name movie stars and the obvious backlot locations detract from the cinematic authenticity of the piece. Yet, watching this on the small screen 55 years after it was made it gives the movie a kind of warm familiarity that I feel adds to its period charm.

I must admit, I am not Mr Knotts' biggest fan. I don’t dislike him and he does contribute to many movies I enjoy, but I do find his brand of broad comedy a little grating on occasions. However, he is well served here with an amusing screenplay by James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum and solid direction from Alan Rafkin which is neatly tailored to his slapstick sensibilities. All three were regular contributors to The Andy Griffith Show and it is clear that neither cast or crew of The Ghost and Mr Chicken have strayed far from their comfort zones here. Standouts among a large supporting cast are Joan Staley as love interest Alma and Skip Homeier as love rival Ollie. 2nd Darrin Dick Sargent also makes an appearance three years before he joined the cast of Bewitched. 

Big kids of my age and slightly older will be most familiar with Don Knotts from his many appearances in Walt Disney Productions' comedy movies of the 1970s, but this is the movie that provided his big screen breakthrough. In recent years it has become something of a cult favourite, yet outside fans of vintage US TV and Knotts fans in particular, its appeal may be a little limited.  

While The Ghost and Mr Chicken is not exactly laden down with big laughs, it is never less than amusing. It also has a kind of kooky charm that is easy to warm to. Low-key and a little lowbrow, it is likeable, harmless fun nonetheless.