"Atta Boy Luther!"

May 18, 2013 6:55 PM

How one episode of a TV show, became a movie.

Take Barney Fife, Otis Campbell, Clara Edwards, Homer Bedloe, Grandma Walton, Darren Stevens 2.0, and the oldest motherfucker who ever lived. You know what you got there?

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

posted by timsteil (23 comments total)

My piano teacher had this in her rec room. I watched it while waiting for my sister's lesson to finish.

If I recall correctly, someone's wife owned 51% of the bank's stock.
posted by michaelh at 7:03 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

As a (junior) citizen of the sixties, and an avid online citizen these days, I beg of you kids to understand what it was like then. In Canada, the Andy Griffith show was what was probably on at 4:00, or whatever. When we came home from school, communication stopped, unless it was some other kid calling you on the phone that hung in the kitchen and for which, there was no privacy.

I'm all dialled in to the web. I'm a developer of web applications. In fact, I discovered the web in 1993, before all you kids were born, when I gophered into UMich to get a spaghetti sauce recipe.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, old guy.

I have no point, just like Abe.

(Onion firmly on my belt)
posted by Turtles all the way down at 7:20 PM on May 18, 2013 [6 favorites]

My mom and I were at the World Premier of his next film, The Reluctant Astronaut. It was at the Capitol Plaza Theater in Austin in 1967. We were the ones squished up against the glass by the crowd waiting for the doors to open...
posted by jim in austin at 7:24 PM on May 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Holy crap, I was watching this just today. One of my all time favorite movies from my childhood. Let us not forget the first Gladys Kravtiz, Aunt Hagatha and Mr. Vivian Vance.

Featuring a fabulous score by Vic Mizzy.
posted by jayb3369 at 7:28 PM on May 18, 2013 [5 favorites]

Dammit, the thread title beat me to my Atta boy Luther!
posted by Ber at 7:33 PM on May 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

I HATED the sixties.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:44 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

As a kid from that era, my favorite Don Knotts movie was "The Incredible Mister Limpet"* in which he turns into a cartoon character, a fish and a hero, all at the same time.

*SPOILER WARNING: talk about recent trailers giving away the whole movie... this one has a narrator pre-explaining it all to you
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:52 PM on May 18, 2013 [5 favorites]

Blessings upon you, timsteil. Whether you are or are not C.O.C, you're okay.
posted by Iridic at 7:52 PM on May 18, 2013

In fact, I discovered the web in 1993, before all you kids were born, when I gophered into UMich to get a spaghetti sauce recipe.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, old guy.

I have no point, just like Abe.

(Onion firmly on my belt)

Ahem. Guess what year that episode of The Simpsons aired.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:07 PM on May 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

You know what you got there ?

Claude Akins ?
posted by y2karl at 8:55 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

No, wait.

Take John Wayne and Fess Parker and...
posted by y2karl at 8:57 PM on May 18, 2013

The biggest pleasure of this film is the score by Vic Mizzy, the same fellow who did the score for the Addam's Family. Aside from the classic theme, the variety of atmospheric music on the show was exquisite and tango-based (he discusses it here.) His "Haunted Organ" theme from the Mr. Chicken is definitive.

That being said, nothing beats the unexpected naughtiness of The Love God.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:05 PM on May 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Holy fuck that Burt Mustin song is awesome!

I agree so much with this that I'm even going to favorite this comment.
posted by dobbs at 9:13 PM on May 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Don Knotts has great comedy timing. He's almost forgotten these days, but when I was a kid, he was a sign the movie would be funny. His films with Tim Conway are dated, but I remember them being staples of summer matinees for years. C'mon, Hot Lead and Cold Feet is a kids film about grown men trying to shoot each other! And it's a comedy!
posted by Catblack at 10:07 PM on May 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Don Knotts has great comedy timing. He's almost forgotten these days

Don Knotts forgotten? Say it ain't so.
posted by Mezentian at 12:06 AM on May 19, 2013

HELL YES DICK SARGENT! Fuck that Dick York. Fuck Dick York all to hell.

He knows what he did.
posted by sourwookie at 12:46 AM on May 19, 2013

Fuck that Dick York. Fuck Dick York all to hell.

He knows what he did.

Yes. He does.
posted by timsteil at 12:58 AM on May 19, 2013 [3 favorites]

When I was growing up, any really tough household stain would inevitably elicit a cry of "they even used Bon Ami!" followed by hilarity.
posted by kinnakeet at 2:10 AM on May 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

Moviegoers in Chicago recently (well, a year or two ago) had the chance to see this theatrically (projected from 35mm film!). It was also presented last summer by the Northwest Film Center in Portland as part of their Top Down film series (an outdoor film series presented on the top level of a parking garage).
posted by orthicon halo at 5:18 AM on May 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

@Orthicon?

The Portage Theater is right down the street from my house, and I was proud to work with my alderman to ensure it got landmark status, and will continue on as a theater and music venue, and not as a mega-church.
posted by timsteil at 9:35 AM on May 19, 2013 [2 favorites]

I thought the Burt Mustin song was going to be the one from the old Nick at Nite bumper.
posted by dr_dank at 11:41 AM on May 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

AND THEY USED BON AMI!!!
posted by stenseng at 4:23 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

tomsteil: Damn. I never would have guessed. I'm so sad now.
posted by sourwookie at 12:39 PM on May 24, 2013