Universal Pictures released The Ghost and Mr Chicken on 20 January 1966.
Universal, of course, pretty much defined horror throughout the 1930s and 1940s. They produced many horror films throughout the 1950s. But few were especially good. Creature from the Black Lagoon (along with its two sequels) was the end of the classic creature features. By the 1960s, they produced very little horror. Instead, they depended on other studios (eg, Hammer) to produce and they simply distributed in the US.
And then came The Ghost and Mr Chicken. I’m not sure how Universal got involved. Warner Bros produced The Incredible Mr Limpet, Don Knotts’ previous feature film. And Desilu produced The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts’ current TV gig (and what made him a star).
Even stranger, the idea for the film came from one of the show’s episodes, “Haunted House.” Plus, the writers and director worked on the show. Regardless, the film is not only a Universal picture, it is also arguably Universal’s best of the decade. And it showed that Universal could make a good film withoutt a lot of money. It could have produced Hammer-quality films instead of just distributing them.
I don’t have a lot to say about Mr Chicken. When I was a kid, I watched it whenever it was on TV. It’s a great horror film for kids! But it also has a lot of atmosphere and genuinely scary moments. It’s also just as sweet as can be. I think we all want to live in a world where Don Knotts beats out Skip Homeier and marries Joan Staley.
The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1966) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
