Atta Boy, Luther: A Review of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a classic movie from 1966. It stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a small-town typesetter who dreams of being a reporter. In his town, there is a spooky-looking house with a bad reputation; people refer to it as a "murder house," and many of the townsfolk believe it's haunted. With the anniversary of the murder/suicide approaching, Luther reluctantly agrees to spend the night there. He's terrified but hopes the resulting story will give him his big break at the newspaper. Everyone seems to have a stake in what happens next. Luther's boss wants a good story, his rival wants to make him look like an idiot, and several people just want to prove that ghosts really do exist. Many more onlookers are anxious to see how it turns out, and some people are even willing to manipulate the outcome.

When challenged to review my favorite movie, I really had to think. In fact, I wondered whether I even had a favorite. Suddenly, it hit me. My favorite movie had to be The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. No other answer made sense. I have been watching this classic movie since I was a child, and even now, it never fails to make me laugh. Don Knotts is perfect in his role, but he isn't the only one. Every character in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is memorable, thanks to wonderful casting, acting, and writing. This classic has many terrific quotes, but the best and most memorable line of all is spoken by an unseen character, who simply likes to say, "Atta boy, Luther!"

On one level, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken depicts life in a small Kansas town in the 1960s. Like movies today, it shows romance, rivalry, greed, and manipulation. The difference is that it shows them in simpler terms and simpler times; that is the foundation of this classic. Try to imagine the same story in a big city or in a more modern era, and the result will be quite different. It might still work, but it will have fundamentally changed.

I think of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken as an atmospheric comedy because the atmosphere is so important in this classic film. Don Knotts plays scaredy-cat Luther to the hilt in what I consider to be his best work. Luther's nervousness is contagious, making viewers at least a little bit on edge and sometimes even jumpy. The "murder house" looks quite scary from the outside, and the interior isn't any more comforting. The score is suitably creepy, especially the harpsichord music, which is eerie and unforgettable.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken may be a bit intense for small children, but older kids will get a kick out of it, and it's good, clean fun. With that in mind, break out the popcorn and soft drinks. It's time to spend movie night with a true classic comedy.

Here are a few links to help you find a copy:

http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=7256044

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6016062

http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=D44711&loc=actor

http://www.hotmoviesale.com/p54347/The-Ghost-And-Mr-Chicken.html

http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Mr-Chicken-Don-Knotts/dp/B00009VU01