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THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN Autographs

THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN is my favorite Don Knotts movie and one of my all-time favorites. There is something about horror and comedy that mix well together. When Don Knotts left TAGS, he had a movie contract with Universal Studios. Of the movies, he made THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN had a very Mayberry feel to it. There is little wonder since some 20 TAGS alums were in the movie. The movie has become a Halloween classic. It is a good, clean comedy that can be enjoyed by young and old.

When Don Knotts received the script, he knew there was a problem and called his old friend Andy Griffith. Andy read the script and agreed it needed rewriting even though it had been penned by TAGS writers James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. With the improvements made by Griffith, they were able to begin the film. Griffith did not take any writing credit and was helping his friend.  One of his suggestions was to have the "Attaboy Luther" become a catchphrase used more than once. The director was Alan Rafkin, who had directed over 25 TAGS episodes.

The main credited cast is given below, along with others.  I have not included every non-speaking extra IMDB says was in the movie. The uncredited ones I list below had a notable part in the film or a speaking role.  At the end are "extras" who also appeared on The Andy Griffith Show. There are 20 people in the credits of the movie. Of those, eight also appeared on TAGS. The first ten listed appear in both the opening and closing credits.  

In the comments below, you will find exemplars of every credited performer in the movie, with the exception of Jim Begg. Ones from Worthpoint are not mine and are cropped. Those are being shown for educational purposes. They are, for the most part, from the John Verzi collection.  

 When a ** appears after the name, that means an exemplar is requested.   

[CREDITED CAST]

Don Knotts  ...Luther Heggs
Joan Staley  ...Alma Parker
Liam Redmond  ...Kelsey
Dick Sargent  ...George Beckett
Skip Homeier  ...Ollie Weaver
Reta Shaw  ...Mrs. Halycon Maxwell
Lurene Tuttle  ... Mrs. Natalie Miller
Phil Ober  ... Nicholas Simmons
Harry Hickox... Police Chief Art Fuller
Charles Lane ...  Plaintiff's Attorney Whitlow
Jesslyn Fax ...  Mrs. Hutchinson
Nydia Westman ... Mrs. Cobb
George Chandler  ... Judge Harley Nast
Robert Cornthwaite ... Defense Attorney Springer
James Begg ... Police Officer Herkie  **
Sandra Gould ... Loretta Pine
James Millhollin  ... Mr. Milo Maxwell
Cliff Norton ... Charlie the Bailiff
Ellen Corby Miss Neva Tremaine
Jim Boles ... Billy Ray Fox

[UNCREDITED ROLES]

Hope Summers ... Susanna Blush
Hal Smith ... Calver Weems
J. Edward McKinley ... Mayor Preston
Burt Mustin ... Mr. Deligondo
Al Checco ... Gaylord Patie witness for the defense
Lee Krieger ... Lester the process server
Teddy Quinn ... Boy getting Luther's autograph
Eddie Quillan ... Elevator operator
Bern Hoffman ... Big man friend of Billy Ray Fox
Adair Jameson ... Eileen secretary to Mr. Maxwell.
Dick Wilson ... Band leader at picnic
Harry Hines ... Bum at the picnic "I'm Rotary."
Jimmie Horan ... Observer on the street
Herbie Faye ... Man sitting at Alma's table in Cafe
Lillian Field ... Edna June Weems **
Everett Greenbaum ... Voice yelling "Attaboy Luther"  **
Joan Granville ... Waitress  **
Ella Edwards [Ella Raino] ... Cafe Cashier  **
Ruth Thom ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Maxine Semon ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Dorothy Keller ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Florence Lake ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Margaret Wheeler ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Dorothy Love ... Psychic Occult Society Member **
Ceil Cabot ... Psychic Occult Society Member   **
Phil Arnold ... Jury Foreman **
Michael Jeffers ... Spectator at trial

Tags: Burt, Don, Joan, Knotts, Mustin, Ober, Phil, Staley

Views: 1110

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on November 22, 2022 at 4:58pm

My girlfriend is always amazed when we watch an old movie and I can name most of the actors/actresses no matter how small the part.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 23, 2022 at 7:51pm

I am not allowed to do that lol.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 23, 2022 at 6:15am

CLIFF NORTON (1918-2003) was a fixture on many television shows during the 1960s-1980s.  Norton was on The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, I Dream of Jeannie, The Beverly Hillbillies, Alice, Archie Bunker's Place, and Murphy Brown.   He appeared in six episodes of Bewitched. He played Wally in the TAGS episode "Goober's Replacement" in 1966.  He was given a co-starring role in one of my favorite forgotten comedies, It's About Time playing the corrupt caveman leader "boss."  This short-lived series was hilarious with Joe E. Ross, Imogene Coca, Frank Aletter, Jack Mullaney, and the great Mike Muzurkai.  As a boy, it was among my favorite shows.   Norton was in some great comedy movies like THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING. THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, MUNSTER GO HOME, and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD MAD WORLD.  Norton plays the court bailiff "Charlie" in THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN searching for the Bible for Judge Nast.   Norton's autograph is uncommon and this one is dated in the very good year 1959.

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on November 23, 2022 at 7:14pm

I'm going a bit off the rails here, but I wanted to post this photo with autographs from Don Adams and Barbara Feldon.  I love "Get Smart."

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 23, 2022 at 7:50pm

That is a great picture.  I loved that show too and almost did a collection of it, but I had so many going decided not to,   I know that besides Cliff Norton, Robert Corthwaite, James Millhollin, Charles Lane, Ellen Corby and, Burt Mustin  were all on Get Smart as well as being in THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN.  I remember Burt Mustin in his episode he played something like Agent 3 because he was so old lol.   Plus, the great William Schallert as the old Admiral.  I bet there were at least 30 or more TAGS people that did that show too.

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on November 23, 2022 at 7:52pm

William Schallert (who had a part in In The Heat Of The Night) was awesome as The Admiral.

He was also in a Twilight Zone episode with Orson Bean.  Orson Bean, of course, had a great part in The Equalizer 2.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 23, 2022 at 7:59pm

I loved Orson Bean on To Tell the Truth.  Orson was also on Murder She Wrote.  Sad to think of him being hit by a car.  

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on November 23, 2022 at 8:03pm

Yeah I know, Scott.  He had such a great life with so many memorable parts.  

I remember when I first watched The Equalizer 2 and I screamed to myself "That's Orson Bean!!!"

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on November 23, 2022 at 7:59pm

I believe Ellen Corby had a small part in the movie Vertigo.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 24, 2022 at 8:25am

ELLEN CORBY (1911-1999) is best known as Grandma Walton on The Waltons, but she appeared in many movies and television shows.  She played the little old lady car dealer "Myrt Lesh" in one of the funniest episodes of The Andy Griffith Show "Barney's First Car, in 1963.   She played Lurch's mother in an episode of The Addams Family.  Other television performances included Gomer Pyle USMC, Get Smart, Batman, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Odd Couple.  She appeared in the Clint Walker thriller NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY.  In THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN plays Don Knotts' sweet grade school teacher whose testimony in court is less than helpful.  Corby suffered a stroke during her run as "Grandma Walton," but then returned to the series.  This is a post-stroke signature from a Christmas card.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 26, 2022 at 3:56am

ELLEN CORBY as Miss Neva Tremaine in THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 26, 2022 at 6:00am

JIM BOLES (1914-1977) was a character actor appearing in The Trouble with Angels, A Big Hand for the Little Lady, Waterhole No. 3, With Six You Get Eggroll, Angel in My Pocket, The Love God?, Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls, Nightmare Honeymoon, and many more.  He was on television shows such as The Twilight Zone, The Odd Couple, Lost in Space, Night Gallery and Gunsmoke.  He played Billy Ray Fox one of the two jokers that teased Don Knotts at the police station.

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