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The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

Play trailer Poster for The Ghost and Mr. Chicken 1966 1h 30m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Looking to score a break as a newspaper reporter and impress beautiful Alma Parker (Joan Staley), milquetoast typesetter Luther Heggs (Don Knotts) pitches a story about his small town's haunted house. When his editor (Dick Sargent) insists Luther spend a night alone in the spooky mansion, where a grisly murder-suicide had taken place decades earlier, the timid reporter learns that the house contains a supernatural resident who doesn't like visitors.
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The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

Critics Reviews

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Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com Jun 25, 2005
3/5
Prime Don Knotts with Barney Fife patented laughs. Go to Full Review
Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Jan 7, 2005
2/5
Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Mar 29, 2004
4/5
Unusually good Knotts vehicle with atmosphere and a great creepy organ piece. Go to Full Review
Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal Feb 27, 2004
2/5
John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) Sep 15, 2003
For youngsters who hadn't experienced anything stronger than the attack of the ping-pong balls on 'Captain Kangaroo,' 'Mr. Chicken' -- with its spooky organ music, blood-dripping portrait and haunted 'murder house' -- was deliciously traumatic... Go to Full Review
Matt Bailey Not Coming to a Theater Near You Apr 3, 2003
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is, overall, a very sweet-natured comedy. It's just the thing to watch when you are sick of foul-mouthed puppets [and] flatulent grade-schoolers... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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The M @TheMillers Aug 29, 2026 Have loved this movie sense I was a child. It is still just as funny as it was then. See more Adam N @RT93209334 Jan 15, 2026 This is easily Don Knotts' best film. "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" stars a colorful, entertaining cast of characters, many of which are extremely quotable. A most amusing protagonist is found in Luther Heggs, who demonstrates Knotts' expertise in comedic timing, perfectly channeling the high-strung nervous energy his characters are known for. It has a great soundtrack, and perfectly strikes the balance between a mystery and a comedy, the latter of which many films nowadays fail to do. See more Ted B @Movieaddicted Oct 14, 2024 3.5 stars; Don Knotts pulls off his "Barney Fife" shtick and gets plenty of laughs. This is an all-time favorite comedy-scary movie you can watch with the whole family. See more CodyZamboni Z @CodyZamboni Oct 13, 2024 Amusing mystery comedy, Don Knotts is the whole show, Supported by some spooky elements, and a slew of famous actors / actresses from TV and movies, I just wished there was more time spent in the haunted house, Also nice is Don's sweet romance with the hot brunette. See more Dallas H @RT53171010 Oct 13, 2024 I must have watched this movie fifteen or twenty times throughout my life. It is an absolute perfection! Dear god, please make the entertainment executives avoid this movie with a money-grubbing remake or reboot. See more Andrew M @RT11481881 Oct 11, 2024 Fun film with all the best people giving a fantastic performance. A masterful work when Don Knotts demonstrates our fear of public speaking, marvelous. See more Read all reviews
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

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Movie Info

Synopsis Looking to score a break as a newspaper reporter and impress beautiful Alma Parker (Joan Staley), milquetoast typesetter Luther Heggs (Don Knotts) pitches a story about his small town's haunted house. When his editor (Dick Sargent) insists Luther spend a night alone in the spooky mansion, where a grisly murder-suicide had taken place decades earlier, the timid reporter learns that the house contains a supernatural resident who doesn't like visitors.
Director
Alan Rafkin
Producer
Edward Montagne
Screenwriter
James Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 1, 1966, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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