Don Knotts at his best!

Don Knotts was at his best in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. So many people complain that all Don Knotts did was to play Barney Fife in his movies and just have his name changed. But that is the beauty of it. Knotts was Fife and Fife was Knotts. It would be like complaining that Lou Costello was always the same charecter. That is the way with comedians. It is also what the public wants. Why do you think they made so many Vacation movies? Because everyone loves Chevy Chases' Clark Grisswold. People love Jerry Lewis' "Oh Laaaady!" schtick. Comedians are different than so called straight actors. Arnold gets boring just blowing up people and saying some pun about what he just did. With Don Knotts on the other hand, it is another story. He won five Emmys playing Barney on The Andy Griffith Show. Why? Because people couldn't get enough of his mugging for the camera. In The Ghost and Mr. Chicken he takes his act to a higher level. He is suroounded by some of the great character actors of the day. Vic Mizzy provides the hummable tune. Mizzy's music was wonderful. Everyone loves the Addams Family and the Munsters themes which he also did. They are light and fun and easy to hum. They stick around in your head long after the shows are over. Don Knotts is best when playing scared. In this movie he gets lots of moments to be scred. I remeber when I first saw it. I must have been about eight and the movie scared me. It was a fun scared not the type of scare I got from Jaws. I didn't have nightmares about it. So if you are eight or eighty, I think you will enjoy this littel diddy. It is not Cassablanca but what else is? Not every movie has to have a message or be of some deep importance. It is enjoyable fluff. Just as one needs their meat and potatos to grow strong they also need a little sweet to feel good. You will not find out the meaning of life in this picture but you will find comfort in a make believe world where everything ends happily.