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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

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on December 8, 2022 at 4:04pm

Don't forget his All In The Family appearances.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on December 8, 2022 at 4:14pm

Also, his dating and later marrying "Mother Dexter" (Judith Lowry) on Phyllis. Sadly, both Lowry died before the episode aired, and Mustin just after it aired.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on May 22, 2024 at 9:36am

AL CHECCO (1921-2015) was a round-faced character actor who appeared in roles in movies and television. A friend of Don Knott's, he appeared in his films The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Reluctant Astronaut, How to Frame a Figg, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Checco also was in the Andy Griffith film Angel in My Pocket. He was in two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on May 22, 2024 at 2:05pm

LEE KRIEGER (1919-1967) was a character actor who appeared in movies such as Bachelor in Paradise (1961), Peter Loves Mary (1961), and the Don Knott's films The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Reluctant Astronaut. On television he was on three episodes of The Andy Griffith Show in "The Pickle Story" he was the unfortunate motorist from Oregon who Barney gives a jar of Aunt Bee's pickles. He was also on The Munsters, Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C, McHale's Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Gunsmoke. In The Ghost and Mr. Chicken he plays the process server who hand's Don Knotts a subpoena at the picnic. Krieger died at only 48 so his autograph is rare in any form. This is from a Theater World resume I bought from HSF.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on May 22, 2024 at 4:45pm

Lee Krieger being given Aunt Bee's pickles by Deputy Fife,

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on May 23, 2024 at 8:35am

TEDDY QUINN (1959- ) a child actor who appeared in lots of television and movies. He was in two Don Knotts movies The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Shakiest Gun in the West. He was on two episodes of Bewitched and one of I Dream of Jeannie. Teddy was the little boy at the picnic that asks Luther (Don Knotts) for his autograph stating it is really for his father. is from Worthpoint from a John Verzi card obtained in 1970 when Quinn was 11 years old. It is a very fine example.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on May 27, 2024 at 7:39am

EDDIE QUILLAN (1907-1990) was a prolific character actor who appeared in scores of movies and television shows during his career. He appeared on several episodes of The Addams Family. He appeared as the bellhop in the TAGS episode "The Taylor's go to Hollywood." Quillan plays the elevator operator in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. This is from an ALS in purple ink I acquired a few years ago.