The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American comedydrama film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas. The working title was Running Scared. The actual title is presumably a humorous variation of the 1947 film, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

This film was produced by Universal Studios, which produced countless classic horror films. Knotts was best known at the time of the films production for his Emmy Awardwinning five seasons on the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show as small town deputy sheriff Barney Fife. Andy Griffith, Knotts costar on The Andy Griffith Show, suggested expanding on an episode from the television show involving a deserted house the old Rimshaw house in the episode Haunted House aired Oct. 1963 in which Barney, Gomer, and Andy retrieve a baseball of Opie and his friend from the house. Another Andy Griffith Show connection is a small role played by Hal Smith, who had a recurring role on the show. Knotts left the television show at the end of the 196465 season in order to pursue a film career. He had already starred in The Incredible Mr. Limpet 1964. Knotts popularity prompted a multiplemovie deal with Universal, starting with this movie, and followed by The Reluctant Astronaut 1967, The Shakiest Gun in the West 1968, and The Love God 1970 as well as several others, including The Apple Dumpling Gang. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was directed by Alan Rafkin with a screenplay by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum all three men had been associated with the success of The Andy Griffith Show. Several players from the television show also appear in the film including Lurene Tuttle, Burt Mustin, Hal Smith, and Hope Summers. Viewers will also recognize several actors and actresses who had appeared or were then appearing on other sitcoms of the time. The movie boasts one of the largest collection of character actorsactresses assembled in a single movie.Universal contract star Joan Staley was known by Alan Rafkin from their work together in Broadside. Normally a blond, she had to wear a dark wig because the producers felt she was too sexy as a blonde she was actually Playboys Miss November 1958, but was photographed very modestly, being only partially nude and the part called for a brunette. She wore t

Source: Wikipedia