I guess this is more comedy than it is horror, but I still like to think of this as an early horror/comedy film. Possibly one of the first horror comedy films ever made. Featuring Don Knotts in on of his first rolls after leaving The Andy Griffin Show as Luther, a typesetter who works at the local newspaper. Luther dreams of being an investigative reporter and thinks he catches his big break when he is the only person to report a death. Turns out the "dead" victim was just drunk and knocked out by his wife.
Also starring as Ollie, a newspaper reporter, is Skip Homeier who before this had starred in western films including The Tall T and Comanche Station. Ollie is dating the beautiful Alma who is played by Joan Staley (Valley of the Dragon and Roustabout) and who Luther also has a crush on. The newspapers janitor Mr. Kelsey, played by Liam Redmond (Curse of the Demon and Yield to the Night) tells Luther that it is the 20th anniversary of the murder-suicide that took place at the old Simmons mansion which is supposedly haunted.
Luther and the editor of the paper George Beckett played by Dick York (the second Darrin on Bewitched and The Beast with A Thousand Eyes) decide it would be a good idea for Luther to stay the night in the Simmons place to see if it really is haunted. Haunted comedy/horror ensues. Knotts is hysterical in parts but also a bit pathetic at other times, but it was a good effort after leaving the safety net that was Mayberry. The Simmon’s place is adequately both spooky and humorously exaggerated.
The story starts strong, begins to break apart right after Luther spends the night in the house and then struggles to recollect itself. Which it does just in time to give us a satisfying ending. Wanna hear something that might surprise some of you? The house that was used (on the Universal lot) as the Simmon’s mansion was used nearly 40 years later as the Solis house on Desperate Housewives. I KNOW!
Doing the directing here is Alan Rafkin who Knotts knew well from Rafkin having directed several Andy Griffith Show episodes. Rafkin would also go on to direct Knots in two more comedies; The Shakiest Gun in the West and How to Frame a Fig. From my earliest memories I loved Don Knotts. Everything from The Incredible Mr. Limpet, which came out before Mr. Chicken, to when he playred Mr. Furley on Three’s Company, which was one of the last things I saw him in. Don Knotts was one of the funniest people I ever saw.
Now he was not a lead actor, for sure, but as a supporting actor he has five Emmy Awards as proof that he was one of the best. And that was all we really needed here because Knott’s fear was our fear. Just over the top enough to be humorous but still close to how most of us would deal with the haunts Luther encountered. The child me would have given this something between four and five stars. But the adult me at least gets his feet back down firmly on the ground and STILL gives this four pipe organs out of five. C’mon it’s funny, it’s spooky, and it’s a got a little mystery thrown in there as well. I highly recommend it. Side note: I'm still experimenting with some of the layout of my posts. So I did something different with it this time. Not sure if I like it or am "Meh" about it.
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