The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

G-G-GUARANTEED! YOU'LL BE SCARED UNTIL YOU LAUGH YOURSELF SILLY!

1966 • 90 min • Comedy · Family · Mystery · Romance

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Synopsis

Luther Heggs, a typesetter for the town newspaper, pitches an idea for a story about a local haunted house where a famous murder/suicide occurred 20 years earlier. After the editor assigns Luther to spend one night alone in the mansion, Heggs has a number of supernatural encounters and writes a front page story that makes him a hometown hero...until the nephew of the deceased sues him for libel.

Our family guide

Best from age 7

Movie Knight Score

103 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
67 Audience · 102 · 49%

Luther, a newspaper typesetter, gets his big break by spending a night in a supposedly haunted mansion. After a night of spooky encounters, his story makes him a local hero. However, a libel suit from the mansion owner's nephew threatens his newfound fame.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Some slapstick scares with loud noises
A few jump scares in the haunted house
Themes of a past murder/suicide are mentioned

What it models well

Courage in the face of fear
Integrity and truth-telling
Solving mysteries

Talk about it after

What makes something seem scary or mysterious?
Why is it important to tell the truth, even when it’s difficult?
How can rumors and misunderstandings affect people?

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Alan Rafkin • Crew: James Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum

Trailers & clips

Adam Rifkin on THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken 1966 TV trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Classic, cannot be replicated This Don Knotts vehicle made immediately after his days on the Andy Griffith show ended has now become a classic. Knotts’ plays the nervous typesetter who spends the night in a haunted mansion. He eventually wins the beautiful girl and solves a murder mystery, completely by accident of course. 9-10
moard, TMDB Community