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 | ... | ||
| Leslie Nielsen | ... | ||
| Joan Freeman | ... |
Ellie Jackson
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| Jesse White | ... | ||
| Jeanette Nolan | ... | ||
| Frank McGrath | ... | ||
| Arthur O'Connell | ... | ||
| Joan Shawlee | ... |
Blonde in Bar
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| Guy Raymond | ... |
Bert
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| Nydia Westman | ... |
Aunt Zana
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| Paul Hartman | ... | ||
| 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:
Courthouse Square, Backlot, 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
[presses button making rocket sound]
Roy Fleming: We will be touching down in twenty minutes.
Mary: [whispering] I have to go to the bathroom.
Roy Fleming: We have just touched down!
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Joseph Gershenson
Lyrics by James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The film was set for release shortly after the Apollo 1 fire which took the lives of 3 astronauts, which raised questions about the appropriateness of releasing a space themed comedy film so close to the tragedy. See more »Goofs
When Roy is giving his father and his friends a tour of the space center, he becomes trapped in a capsule. While looking for a handle to help extricate Roy, his father brushes his arm against the capsule window, damaging it (it appears to be made out of crepe paper at this point). Immediately after, Roy punches the window out from the inside; a freeze-frame shows the damage is gone just before the window breaks. See more »Quotes
Roy Fleming: [as Mr. Spaceman, operating the Rocket Ride] We are now passing over the Hawaiian Islands. Our flight plan will carry us to the recovery area 100 miles southeast of the Bahamas. We are starting our retro-rocket countdown: five, four, three, two, one, firing retro rockets![presses button making rocket sound]
Roy Fleming: We will be touching down in twenty minutes.
Mary: [whispering] I have to go to the bathroom.
Roy Fleming: We have just touched down!
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.