Don Knotts was a nervous wreck when The Ghost and Mr. Chicken premiered

Leaving the safety of a regular TV show for the silver screen was a gamble, and Knotts was well aware of the risk.

The Everett Collection

Don Knotts was associated with nervousness throughout his career. Heck, the proto-Barney Fife character that he created and became famous for on The Steve Allen Show was known as "The Nervous Man." Knotts knew exactly how to get a laugh by playing a wide-eyed, trembling guy in over his head.

The shakiness wasn't just for the act. Offscreen, Knotts was famously shy and soft-spoken. The move from the massively successful Andy Griffith Show to the big screen was a big leap for Knotts, and he knew it. 

The Associated Press went a step further, calling it "an expensive risk." They went on to add "[Knotts] enjoyed a safe and lucrative — $3,500 a week — berth on The Andy Griffith Show and could have remained at a raise to $5,000 weekly and a 10 percent interest in the series." That would be roughly $45,000 weekly in today's money, not counting the interest in the show. "But he chose the Universal contract instead."

The gamble of leaving TAGS got to Knotts during the lead-up to the release of his first movie after departing the show, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. United Press International wrote that "Knotts... sweated it out in cold panic. He lost weight, which he could ill afford, chewed his fingernails and prayed a great deal. He developed a slight twitch."

"I went through so many reactions I didn't have any idea how the picture would be received," Knotts said, while the article notes that he was "picking at" his lunch in the Universal lunchroom. "I was proud of the picture, but worried."

Since The Andy Griffith Show performed so well in the South, the studio chose to have the debut of the movie in New Orleans. 

"We had a preview down in New Orleans, and I climbed up on cloud 9," Knotts said. "The audience laughed in all the right places. They even laughed in some unexpected spots. I was so excited I could hardly sit in my seat. For the first time in months I really relaxed."

Well, maybe not entirely. Even as the movie was performing well where it was released in the South, Knotts couldn't fully let his guard down. He was worried that people were only turning up out of hometown loyalty since he was from West Virginia himself. To put these fears at ease, Universal went North — far North. They opened the film in Toronto, and it was a smash hit. 

"That meant a lot to me," Knotts said. "I didn't want the movie just to be a hit in the South."

He didn't have much to worry about in the end. As the Associated Press noted, "Shot for a half-million dollars, it has already returned four million, which makes it a better investment than most of the studio's product in recent years. The movie is still playing hither and yon and hasn't even braved New York City as yet."

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72 Comments

George58 20 days ago
Well, I noticed a deleted scene where the judge said he discussed the house with "his missus" about the crazy goings on at the house. And, I always wondered as it was never explained how the record started playing on the gramophone when Luther fell into the basement? There was no electricity in the house & some of those gramophones back then you had to crank a handle to get it to play. There was no one to do that at that moment?
BRnPA 21 days ago
I find it interesting that in the diner scene, there were both whites and blacks eating together. This may have been very novel for 1966. Not sure if it was controversial, but certainly this is right in the middle of a lot of racial tension in the country.
JohnGrant 21 days ago
This is one of those movies that I'll watch over n over, any day, any time if I'm able
MichaelPowers 21 days ago
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken remains one of the all-time best comedy-scary films ever produced. I've watched it numerous times and never get tired of it. The hilarious elevator gag is like something out of the silent movie comedies of Keaton, Chaplin, and Lloyd.
vonstockhoff 17 months ago
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was really an extension of TAGS, as the plot had been hashed out in TAGS episode "The Haunted House" and even used quite a few TAGS regulars. Fun movie and I still watch it every time it's on Svengoolie.
MichaelVegas 17 months ago
One of my favorite of his movies along with Private eyes, and the incredible
LoveMETV22 17 months ago
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Deleted 17 months ago
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JJ614 17 months ago
And I loved those Matlock episodes he was in!
17 months ago
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17 months ago
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JHP 17 months ago
boy George?
George58 17 months ago
I love this movie. I never get tired of watching it. I was disappointed to see that they deleted some scenes from the movie tonight. Doesn't make sense since Svengoolie has been expanded to 2 and a half hours. You would think that the entire movie could be shown unedited.
JJ614 George58 17 months ago
EXACTLY! I thought THAT was the point of adding the extra 30 minutes!
BenSobeleone George58 16 months ago
I noticed the deleted scenes as well. Was wondering why?
BenSobeleone JJ614 16 months ago
I hear ya. Unfortunately, more commercials. Yikes!
pony George58 21 days ago
What scenes were deleted, if you can recall?
KirwoodDerby 17 months ago
I only hope that before he died, Don would know how much he was loved by all his fans.
JJ614 KirwoodDerby 17 months ago
If you ever watch the video of his acceptance speech when he won his 5th Emmy for TAGS, it's very sad. Watching the first 3, he was so happy and excited. But his demeanor and words accepting the 5th, I think are more telling of why he quit and took a chance on movies than anything else.
KirwoodDerby 17 months ago
When Andy originally set out to do his show he let it be known that he intended to do five seasons and then end the show. Don had assumed that Andy would stick to that and so after season five ,began to explore other options. Of course Universal snatched up the white hot star, who'd just won his fifth Emmy. Meanwhile Andy was convinced to continue TAGS but Don was now committed to Universal and couldn't stay with the show. It makes me wonder how many more great episodes with Barney Fife would exist had that communication failure not occurred. Hmmm, let's just think about that for a moment.
KirwoodDerby 17 months ago
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grimeyboy463 KirwoodDerby 17 months ago
I never understood the lack of communication between Andy & Don. I thought they were good friends.
Jerryfan grimeyboy463 15 months ago
My guess is that it probably had something to do with their agents. Not letting anyone know what they were going to do until the deals were signed.
Vivian 17 months ago
Don Knotts was truly a fine comedian! The Andy Griffith Show, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, etc. He is a long time favorite if mine since I was a child. I loved coming home from school to watch The Andy Griffith Show as well as Dark Shadows decades ago. Never the less, I am certainly looking forward to enjoying Svengoolie's "Big Broadcast" this evening! My TV is always set on MeTV, the only channel for me!
trogg888 17 months ago
Even though I really hated Barney leaving Mayberry I still never get tired of ghost and limpett so I guess it was a good trade off
Wiseguy70005 trogg888 17 months ago
He could have stayed with the show and filmed the movie during the summer break.
RobertK 17 months ago
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is kinda like movie "comfort food". You just relax and enjoy some small town, scary fun and be entertained for awhile. Grownups don't need to be concerned when the little ones watch the movie.
kmsscs 17 months ago
Saw this movie for the first time at an outdoor movie setup at Mactan AB, PI.
Funny movie but the funniest part is we had a Airman Second Class (E3) who's
last name was Luther. Every time we'd see him we'd say "Atta Boy, Luther".
JJ614 17 months ago
It's so hard to imagine him shy and soft spoken, knowing he was a MARINE! One of his official Marine portraits hung in my son's sergeant's office over his desk!
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