Product Details

• Actors: Don Knotts, Joan Staley, Liam Redmond, Dick Sargent, Skip Homeier
• Directors: Alan Rafkin
• Writers: Andy Griffith, Everett Greenbaum, James Fritzell
• Producers: Edward Montagne
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: April 30, 1996
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304005512
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,846 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Remember watching this silly little comedy from your childhood? It may not have aged all that well, but is still goofy, good fun. Okay, so you can spot the stunt double, and Don Knotts's twitches are a little more obvious. Still, fans of his familiar routines will be comforted in knowing they can again watch their skinny underdog hero solve the ghost story while winning the prettiest girl in town. Knotts plays a trembling typesetter hoping to become a reporter by cracking the mystery of the local haunted house. To do so, he must spend a night there. Good-hearted, non-threatening, and completely gooey, this is the equivalent of light-weight cinematic junk food. -- Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly fun and funny...now where's the DVD?, October 5, 2001

By 

Just Bill (Grand Rapids, MI United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I first saw this Don Knotts comedy back in the late Sixties...and it stuck with me. (Especially the tune the organ plays.) The scenes of nervous, bungling, bug-eyed Don Knotts made me laugh out loud then -- and they still do now. So I was really pleased when this movie was finally released on video a few years ago. My only gripe now is that I wish it were out on DVD because I'm sure I'll wear out my video before too long!

Of course, I'm a big fan of the Andy Griffith Show. So that probably explains why I like this movie so much. Don Knotts was largely responsible for making that show the huge hit that it was. And, if you like his schtick on Griffith, you'll like this movie.

In fact, there are about a half dozen or more actors who appear in the movie -- most just briefly -- who also worked with Knotts on the Andy Griffth Show. Hal Smith, Ellen Corby, Hope Summers, Burt Mustin and Rita Shaw to name just five. So it was fun to pick out the familiar faces. The movie was even written by two of the Andy Griffith Show's most prolific writers!

Knotts has the nervous man character down so well that some scenes in the film are almost painful to watch (like when he's giving his speech -- "I've been called brave. What is brave? Let me clarify this" -- before the picnic crowd gathered in his honor), but I can't help myself. He's funny.

I won't go into the plot because so many others have already reviewed it. I just wanted to add my two cents (and Five Stars) to the other reviews.

The bottom line: this is a fun movie, great for the whole family. If you haven't seen it, please do so. Sure it's corny. Sure it looks dated. But it's not supposed to be Citizen Kane. It's just a great popcorn movie to share with friends and family.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghost and Mr. Chicken, March 25, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (DVD)

Luther Heggs is a mild mannered typesetter just waiting to break out and show the world that he can be a reporter. When the nervous, shy, and loveable bug-eyed reporter wanna be is dared to spend the night in the old haunted Simmons mansion, he feels this is his chance. There are a lot of strange things that happen in this old house. People recount of hearing creepy organ music wondering if the unsolved murder victim is haunting the old house. The newspaper editor thinks it is a wonderful idea, and decides to give Luther the chance he has been dreaming about since the anniversary of the murder/suicide is approaching. When Luther spends the fated night, he barely makes it past midnight tearing from the house spouting tales of a ghost playing the organ, shears embedded in a portrait, and secret passage ways. When Luther tries to prove the events he experienced in the house, he ends up looking like a fool when they cannot be recreated. As he solves the mystery, he takes the whole audience along for the ride.

Don Knotts is superb in this movie! His physical comedic skills could not be done any better. The supporting cast brought together for this film was very well cast. Some of the cast members will also be familiar to those that have followed Knotts career with Andy Griffith.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Comedy! Don't Miss It!, March 17, 2002

By 

James R. Sell (Myrtle Beach, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I remember one Friday night when I was growing up in the 70's. They were going to show "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" on tv, and my sisters, my neighbor friend and I were settled in to watch it. I was scared to death, covering my eyes when Knott's character (Luther Heggs) came downstairs and saw the painting with the blood gushing out of it! The organ music was so creepy.

Now I own this movie and watch it often. It is a reminder of kinder, gentler days, of small town people that are very familiar from my childhood. Of course, I'm a huge Andy Griffith show fan, and this movie was based on an episode called "The Haunted House." The writers of that episode wrote this movie (one of them of the voice of the un-seen guy who keeps hollering
'Atta Boy Luther') and Andy Griffith Show fans will notice many familiar faces in the movie..Otis, Clara, and more. If you loved Don Knotts in that show, you'll love this movie. And if you aren't a big fan of Andy, I still think you'll like this movie. It truly is very funny, the scary scenes are still scary, and I think this is Don's finest work. Please issue this on DVD, I'll be the first in line to buy it.