Not even bad in a good way
good back-story, and good acting
Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
View MoreIt is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
View MoreWhen full-time type-setter and wannabe reporter, Luther Heggs (Don Knotts) spends the night in the town "haunted" house, he finds far more than a ghost story to write about. THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN is arguably the best movie Knotts ever appeared in. Featuring a supporting cast of characters that seem as though they actually hail from Mayberry, and blessed w/ incredible music by Vic "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" Mizzy, this is a comedic gem! A perfect Halloween film for the whole family! P.S.- Watch for Luther's magic flashlight that throws a 1000 watt spot on the walls! It also shines on his back at one point!... P.P.S.- Be sure to stick around for the wedding scene... P.P.P.S.- Check out the brilliant, spooky organ music on YT!...
View MoreThis is not a sophisticated movie and not intended for anything other than corny fun. If you love Don Knotts in Mayberry then you'll love this movie because he is at his character best. Don pulls off the clumsy hero better than anyone and despite the lack of any real scary modern cheap tricks, he makes you feel that something is seriously happening to him brought on only by an active imagination. The town folks are equally funny and necessary for the full effect. The trivia states that there are a few gags in the film that were invented and the town ladies are nothing short of hilarious. Enjoy the movie and forget about everything else.
View MoreNo 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.
View MoreDon Knotts stars as Luther Heggs, a typesetter for his local newspaper who dreams of being a reporter, and gets his chance when his editor(played by Dick Sergeant) assigns Luther the task of spending the night in the old Simmons mansion, where a murder-suicide occurred 20 years earlier. Luther spends an eventful night in the house, where he sees all kinds of ghostly activity, though after his story is published, and he hailed a hero, is dismayed to learn that he is being sued for slander by a Simmons heir, who wants to have the mansion torn down. During the trial, Luther leads the judge and jury to the mansion to prove his case, though events don't unfold according to plan... Amusing comedy makes effective use of Knott's patented humor, with a good cast of supporting actors. Silly and obvious of course, but great fun.
View More