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The Ghost and Mr.Chicken (1966)

 
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 12:44 pm    Post subject: The Ghost and Mr.Chicken (1966) Reply with quote



One of the funniest comedy/horror films ever produced.

From Universal Studio in 1966.

Don Knotts portrays nervous and high strung Barney Fif...uh,Luther Heggs of Rachel, KA.

A typesetter at the local newspaper,Luther dreams of becoming a reporter.

His wish is granted after he writes a story on the 20 year old unsolved murder & suicide in the old and unoccupied Simmons manor.

Luther sort of,volunteers to stay overnight and alone in the house on the very anniversary of the deaths that took place there in 1946.

This film is a true pleasure from start to finish with the wonderful Don Knotts doing his perfect nervous man character.

The film is as funny during the scenes that take place outside the haunted house as they are inside the haunted house. In some haunted house/castle films you can't wait until you reach the scary abodes, because what unfolds prior is a bore.

But not this movie,there are plenty of laughs from the opening "murder" to the town picnic, and the courtroom scenes. There truly isn't a dull moment.

It moves along briskly with a terrific and funny supporting cast reflecting all those quirks that small towns can have.

I never tire of watching Luther as he hilariously tackles life inside and outside the creepy ol' Simmons house.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Please forgive me, Pow, but I disagree. Sad

As an avid fan of Don Knots, I've always felt that Don's departure from The Andy Griffith Show doomed both that great series and effectively ended Don's career.

Mr. Knots was certainly talented enough to play something other than Barney Fife, but nothing he was given to portray after he left The Andy Griffith Show was well written enough to take full advantage of his talents.

In short, the movies like The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and (least of all), The Love God were worthy productions for Don Knots.

I'm sorry to say this, but I firmly believe that Don Knots career basically ended when he left The Andy Griffith Show.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Aug 20, 2023 1:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the movie, and it has a great music score by the great Vic Mizzy. He scored many comedies in the 60s, both movie, and TV.

A few years back there was a company, Percepto Records. They offered many Vic Mizzy soundtrack CD's, including one for this movie.

David.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don's career very definitely did not end, he was on prime time TV almost to the end of his life. I think what you mean to say is that YOU didn't enjoy his career after the AGS. Understandable, as his Barney Fife was his best character. I too didn't much care for him on THREE'S COMPANY.

However, in THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN his performance was very much a derivative of his Barney character.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
I think what you mean to say is that YOU didn't enjoy his career after the AGS.

However, in THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN his performance was very much a derivative of his Barney character.

Well, I was a little harsh, and you're right to say that my comment was just my own opinion, not an objective fact.

As for his performance in Chicken being "derivative of his Barney character", that was sort of the problem. Barney had a set of unique characteristics that worked beautifully with the well-written, well-directed, well-edited episodes on The Andy Griffith Show, and the fact that he worked with Andy as his straight man was the magic combination which made it all work beautiful.

Unfortunately Don's performances just didn't work as well (for me) when he didn't have all those other elements to heighten his effectiveness as a comedian.

As a matter of fact, I don't care very much for The Andy Griffith Show without Don Knots. Andy needed Don just as much as Don needed Andy. Sad

So, that's why I was so hard on Don when I (mistakenly) said his career ended after The Andy Griffith Show. The premise of the series, the great cast, the wonderful stories — they all combined to produce comedy magic.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Aug 20, 2023 6:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So no love or laughter for Don in TGAMC, Bud?

Well, yes he is essentially playing his famous Barney Fife character. I alluded to that in my plot synopsis.

I always enjoyed Don's performances in his films even if it was Barney as a ghost hunter, Barney as an astronaut, Barney out west.

Don was just that great inhabiting the nervous, high-strung, easily flattered, persona for TV and film.

If it is repetitive then so are the majority of comedians in their film careers.

Bob Hope was always the wisecracking coward, Danny Kaye was usually the meek fellow who finds courage within himself, Jerry Lewis (rarely a favorite of mine) was the nine-year old in the body of a man.

In the Marx Brothers (A favorite of mine) Groucho hurled the insults and put downs, Chico was a con man who mangled in misinterpretation any conversation he was in and Harpo would pantomime & do the wild sight gags.

Yes, the scripts had to be strong but all those actors developed their classic characters and then were placed in different settings for their movies doing their iconic characters.

Sure, Bob did step out and stretch himself by doing the bio-picture "Mayor of New York." Danny made an excellent bandleader in "Red Nichols and His Five Pennies" bio-film.

But mostly they were the comic characters they created along with writers in most of their films.

Generally comedians continue what works for them and what they have perfected.

Perhaps for some the routines can become stale as what happened to Abbott & Costello.

Bud & Lou eschewed, for the most part, learning fresh comedy bits and relied on what they knew was a tried-and-true laugh bits of business. Trouble being that their routines ended up being reused in so many of their movies that joke wasn't fresh anymore.

I felt that Don's talent, timing, expressions were so terrific that he made a hilarious and compelling character to view on screen. He did so without his having to dominate every scene unlike some comedians (I'm looking at you Uncle Miltie).

To say that Don only flourished on The Andy Griffith Show and nowhere else is really a disservice to Don's great talent.

Another aspect that makes TGAMC so wonderful is that the producers wisely surrounded Luther Heggs with a town of funny eccentrics just like Mayberry.

The supporting cast is as marvelous as Don is and they all shine in their own way.

Could Don have stretched himself as Hope & Kaye did in films by doing more dramatic roles? Possibly.

To me, Knott's talents were so marvelous that is is always watchable even if he is doing his eternal nervous man personality first developed on Steve Allen's show.

And the elevator scene in TGAMC is worthy of Chaplin, Keaton or Lloyd.

Humor is subjective Bud, but for me this is a hilarious film with a hilarious cast. I enjoy watching Don in and out of Mayberry anytime.


Last edited by Pow on Sun Sep 20, 2020 6:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'll give it another shot the next chance.. I don't remember disliking that one specifically, I just haven't found Don very funny when he's "out of uniform", so to speak.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Aug 20, 2023 6:21 pm; edited 2 times in total
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another aspect of the film that I very much enjoy is the courage of Luther Heggs in this movie.

While it is a comedy/horror film there are some very nice touches regarding the nervous, high-strung, easily frightened Luther.

For years I simply enjoyed the film for what it was in the comedy/horror genre.

However, as much as the audience laughs at Luther along the way, one has to take notice of his true grit.

Mr.Kelsey,the newspaper custodian, tell Luther that he (Luther) has spunk.

Then he tells Luther what a compelling story the death anniversary would make for the newspaper.

Heggs is a typesetter and not a reporter at the paper.

Yet, Luther (with the prodding & help of Kelsey) does write the article unsure if the public or his boss at the newspaper will really welcome it.

Luther does not relish staying alone in the mansion where the murders occurred but doggone if he doesn't go ahead and do it in order to capitalize on his article for the paper.

Later on we see him publicly speak at a town picnic in his honor. Clearly he is a wreck at having to make a speech before the public but he does just that.

Even when, in a hilarious scene the pages of his speech all blow away before he can begin his speech.

Public speaking is listed as the number one fear in adults.

Luther asks out the gorgeous Alma even though he believes she is seeing his rival & tormentor at the newspaper, Ollie.

Ollie is much that Luther is not. Ollie is a reporter, he is confident, and better looking than Luther.

And even if Alma was not seeing anyone, Luther doesn't really think he's got a snowball's chance in landing her.

Darn if he does ask her out and she accepts.

Later on after dinner he confesses how he really likes her.
Again, not easy & it takes guts.

We see Luther stand by his story and defend himself against a tough grilling from a seasoned lawyer.

In the film's finale we watch as Luther races back to the house when he hears the eerie music palying from the chior loft.

Later he tackles the villain of the story who is holding a knife at Alma's throat.

Luther weds Alma. Getting married is a big step that can be overwhelming.

Yeah, Don is a riot in the film.

But while you are laughing at his antics a part of us has to say that Luther does have spunk indeed.

How he approaches things are comedic but underlying it the man is a brave son-of-gun.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2023 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From Nitpicks.

When Luther Heggs falls through the trapdoor on the porch of the Simmons house he slides down the coal chute. You can tell it's a stuntman going down the chute by his straight hair, even though he manages to cover his face. Don Knotts, who portrays Luther, has curly hair.

After Luther gets up off the coal chute we see he isn't the least bit dirty.

As Luther walks through the mansion that hasn't been lived in since the murder 20 years ago, we see cobwebs throughout the place. Luther comes to a mirror where he accidentally frightens himself, and we see cobwebs around the mirror, yet, the mirror itself is very clean after two decades.

There are scenes where Luther is shining his flashlight in one direction but where the light beam itself is shining in different directions.

Luther has cobwebs on the left side of his sweater when he is inside the organ loft. When the organ begins to play we see him flee from the loft and run downstairs. His sweater is now clean of any cobwebs.

Mr. Kelsey admits that it was he that played the pipe organ remotely from a tuning keyboard under the pipes. The problem with that is that any pipe organ requires an air blower in order to operate --- the house hasn't had any electricity in two decades, so where did the electricity come from that would have been needed?

Keys in the organ console only operate the air valves to the organ pipes. So any tuning keyboard would be the same and not mechanically linked to operate the organ keys of the main console.
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I caught the straight hair versus curly hair mistake; and you can help but catch how the flashlight beam is shining all over the place and not exactly where the beam should be aimed at according to how Luther is holding it. I think I remember noticing the cobwebs errors. I know zilch about pipe organs, so I did not pick up on those mistakes, although I always wondered exactly where Mr. Kelsey was in order to make the organ play?

When Luther sees the painting of the murder victim Mrs. Kelsey it has a pair of garden shears in her neck and what appears to be blood running down from the neck.

Luther brings the judge, lawyers, jury into the Simmons mansion in order to recreate the events he experienced in the mansion previously. The painting is now its normal looking self without garden shears or blood on it. Why would Mr. Kelsey replace the painting he rigged up with the shears and blood? He was trying to reopen the decades old murder in order to capture the killer; and he was trying to give Luther's story validity. It made no sense that he would switch the paintings back, unless the killer went in, saw the rigged up painting, and then replaced it.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2023 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

Mike, I deeply regret posting the very negative reply to your original post that started this fine thread. Embarassed

To atone for my regrettable remarks, I added a very nice poster at the top of the thread. In addition to that, here's the opening and closing remarks by the late Robert Osborn when TCM aired The Ghost and Mr. Chicken several years ago.

I also found a good copy of the movie on Archive.org, and I'll uploaded it to WeTransfer as soon my downlpad is done. But it's progressing very slowly, which means I'll have to add the download link to this post later today.

So, just in case you don't have a DVD of the movie, I hope you'll download it when I finally activate the WeTransfer link below.

Perhaps we could watch the movie together in All Sci-Fi's Chatzy Room (< — LINK). Very Happy

Mike, I think it's definately time for me to correct my erroneous opinions about Don Knot's post-Mayberry performances. Rolling Eyes


___The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Robert Osborne Intro


___________



__ The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Robert Osborne Wrap-Up


___________


___________________________________________

The Ghost and Mr. ChickenLink is NOW active!

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2023 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As we've said before, Bruce, we can always agree to disagree. And as Winston Churchill said, "People can disagree without becoming disagreeable." Look, humor is subjective and what might tickle me won't tickle you, and vice versa. Live and let live and be courteous along the way.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wikipedia:

Edited scene from the movie involves the painting on the wall by the staircase landing of the murder victim Mrs. Simmons. Mr. Kelsey made an exact copy of the painting and placed it on the opposite side of the original. He then rigged a secret switch that would make the painting within the frame revolve so as to have the copy appear with the garden shears placed in the throat of the painting and some substance running downwards that looked like blood. This is the painting that Luther Heggs sees and then faints at the sight of it.

So if Mr. Kelsey was attempting to expose the murderer and lend credence to Luther's harrowing encounter in the Simmons Mansion when he stayed overnight, how come the original painting is in the frame when Luther and the townspeople come back to the house? Did the real killer return to the house, see the copied painting, and replace it with the normal, original one? If so, that means they'd have to realize that (a) the painting with the shears in the throat was indeed a copy, and (b) there was a secret switch which they were able to locate that made the painting revolve in the wall. Seems kind of a stretch that the killer could figure that all out.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
As we've said before, Bruce, we can always agree to disagree. And as Winston Churchill said, "People can disagree without becoming disagreeable."


Atta-boy, Pow! Laughing
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Pow
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"We all know that brave is short for brav-er-y."
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