The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Edward Montagne

Writers:

James Fritzell (writer)
Everett Greenbaum (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He's an ASTRO-KNOTT turned ASTRONAUT in the Maddest Mixup in Space History!!

Plot:

Don Knotts is Roy Fleming, a small town kiddie-ride operator who is deathly afraid of heights. After...

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Cowardice | Acrophobia

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Don Knotts	...	Roy Fleming
Leslie Nielsen	...	Major Fred Gifford
Joan Freeman	...	Ellie Jackson
Jesse White	...	Donelli
Jeanette Nolan	...	Mrs. Fleming
Frank McGrath	...	Plank
Arthur O'Connell	...	Buck Fleming
Joan Shawlee	...	Blonde in Bar
Guy Raymond	...	Bert
Nydia Westman	...	Aunt Zena
Paul Hartman	...	Rush
Robert F. Simon	...	Cervantes (as Robert Simon)
Robert Pickering	...	Moran
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pat Colby	...	Scientist

Runtime:

Canada:102 min | USA:101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Goofs:

Factual errors: Don Knott's astronaut suit displays an American flag with 48 stars, not the correct 50 stars.

Quotes:

Rush: [reading sign next to mock up] "Representation of Lunar Surface"
Buck Fleming: This here, is what your moon looks like.
Rush: Oh...
Plank: [steps up onto mock up] Take a picture of me standin' on the moon!
Rush: Aw, that ain't really the moon!
Plank: We don't have to tell anybody.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Great When I Was A Kid, But Now . . .

I LOVE Don Knotts, let me just say that up-front! He is an enormous talent and the best at what he does, which is portray a nervous, lovably befuddled loser thrown into a position of authority. He is fabulous in this role as Roy Fleming, the Reluctant Astronaut, but the film is pretty dull, really, even though as a kid my brother and I delighted in watching this and his other films. It's still worth watching but really it's a film that is best enjoyed by children. I'd categorize it as 100% family-friendly and something you could sit down and watch with your kids on a family night.

As with all of Knotts' films, there's a great cast of beloved character actors and you can't help but smile when Knotts gives one of his shaky, open-mouthed stares, no matter how old and jaded you are.

From an adult perspective, one thing I think that is great about this film is how it captures NASA in the 1960s -- all the new modern buildings, the hope, the optimism, the future! And I was surprised at how suave and studly Leslie Neilsen was back then. Only complaint about the story is Roy's love interest, a rather threadbare, unlikeable woman who can't give him the time of day until he becomes a big shot -- if you're like me, you'll be hoping that he gives her the shove-off at the end. Beware -- you'll be whistling the theme tune for days after watching, it's that catchy.