Don Knotts is Roy Fleming, a small town kiddie-ride operator who is deathly afraid of heights. After learning that his father has signed him up for the space program, Roy reluctantly heads ...
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Title: The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
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1 nomination.
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited 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 Zana | |
| Paul Hartman | ... | Rush | |
| Robert F. Simon | ... | Cervantes (as Robert Simon) | |
 |
Robert Pickering | ... | Moran |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Don Knotts is Roy Fleming, a small town kiddie-ride operator who is deathly afraid of heights. After learning that his father has signed him up for the space program, Roy reluctantly heads for Houston, only to find out upon arriving that his job is a janitor, not an astronaut. Anxious to live up to the expectations of his domineering father, Roy manages to keep up a facade of being an astronaut to his family and friends. When NASA decides to launch a lay person into space to prove the worthiness of a new automated spacecraft, Roy gets the chance to confront his fears. Written by Teresa E Tutt <tuttt@rpi.edu>
Taglines:
He's an ASTRO-KNOTT turned ASTRONAUT in the Maddest Mixup in Space History!! See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 April 1968 (Denmark) See more »Also Known As:
Botcsinálta űrhajós See more »Filming Locations:
Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Roy Fleming: Excuse me sir, uh, is this all sorta like, uh, part of the training program?
Donelli: What training program?
Roy Fleming: You know...
[imitates rocket]
Roy Fleming: ... space.
Roy Fleming: THIS is your space: From there, to there, and I expect you to keep ...
[...]
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Joseph Gershenson
Lyrics by James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The house the Flemings live in is the same set in which James Stewart and his aunts lived in "Harvey" (1950). See more »Goofs
When Roy sees his Pa and friends from back home coming to visit the space center, he leaves the buffer and it's still running on its own. Buffers have a 'dead-man's switch' that turns it off when you aren't holding it. See more »Quotes
Donelli: [hands Roy a broom] Here you are. Now in the mornings you sweep all locker area and boiler room. In the afternoons, you wet down and mop. Now the top of the lockers should be kept... clean at all times. They'll be inspected by me personally daily at 1700 hours. Now in the morning when you...Roy Fleming: Excuse me sir, uh, is this all sorta like, uh, part of the training program?
Donelli: What training program?
Roy Fleming: You know...
[imitates rocket]
Roy Fleming: ... space.
Roy Fleming: THIS is your space: From there, to there, and I expect you to keep ...
[...]
See more »
Soundtracks
Space Song(uncredited)
Music by Joseph Gershenson
Lyrics by James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum
See more »
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Typically silly Don Knotts vehicle has Don as the small-town operator of a carnival kiddie spaceship ride. Even though he's deathly afraid of heights, Don wants to be an astronaut and gets a letter from NASA offering him a job, except that's it's to be part of the custodial staff. This being a Don Knotts picture, Don mistakenly ends up in the astronaut program and hilarity ensures, or at least mildly funny comic moments of hilarity ensure with nervous nelly Knotts being helped through the program by macho astronaut Leslie Nielsen (which is funny in itself since Nielsen would later be the comic center of "Police Squad"/"Naked Gun" as Lt. Frank Drebin). Overall, "The Reluctant Astronaut" is not a classic, but it is mildly diverting. The film also features the debut of Melissa "Little House on the Prairie" Gilbert.