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 ...
See full summary »
"Jett" star Carla Gugino's Watchlist is filled with some big-time Emmy contenders. Find out what she's watching!
Related News
-
Super-8 Children’S Cancer Fundraiser Movie Madness December 3rd at The Way Out Club
22 November 2013 | WeAreMovieGeeks.com -
Leslie Nielsen obituary
29 November 2010 | The Guardian - Film News -
Super-8 Movie Madness with Live Music!
26 February 2010 | WeAreMovieGeeks.com
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
1 nomination.
See more awards »
Learn more
More Like This
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
(1966)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Mystery
Director:
Alan Rafkin
Stars:
Don Knotts,
Joan Staley,
Liam Redmond
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
(1964)
Animation
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Arthur Lubin
Stars:
Don Knotts,
Carole Cook,
Jack Weston
Comedy
|
Family
|
Western
Director:
Vincent McEveety
Stars:
Tim Conway,
Don Knotts,
Tim Matheson
The Apple Dumpling Gang
(1975)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Western
Director:
Norman Tokar
Stars:
Bill Bixby,
Susan Clark,
Don Knotts
Gus
(1976)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Sport
Director:
Vincent McEveety
Stars:
Edward Asner,
Don Knotts,
Gary Grimes
Hot Lead and Cold Feet
(1978)
Action
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Robert Butler
Stars:
Jim Dale,
Darren McGavin,
Karen Valentine
No Deposit, No Return
(1976)
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Norman Tokar
Stars:
David Niven,
Darren McGavin,
Don Knotts
Son of Flubber
(1963)
Comedy
|
Sci-Fi
|
Family
Director:
Robert Stevenson
Stars:
Fred MacMurray,
Nancy Olson,
Keenan Wynn
The Absent Minded Professor
(1961)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Robert Stevenson
Stars:
Fred MacMurray,
Nancy Olson,
Keenan Wynn
Comedy
|
Family
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Vincent McEveety
Stars:
Kurt Russell,
Joe Flynn,
Eve Arden
Comedy
|
Family
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Robert Butler
Stars:
Kurt Russell,
Cesar Romero,
Joe Flynn
The Andy Griffith Show
(1960–1968)
Comedy
|
Family
Stars:
Andy Griffith,
Ron Howard,
Don Knotts
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:
Boldly going where no coward has gone before. See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
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
[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
While the film makes a big deal about the United States launching the first person into space with no military experience, the feat had already been done, in real life, by the Russians. Not only was she the first woman in space, but Valentina Tereshkova was the first person with no military experience, and only person until the 1980s. See more »Goofs
When Roy is in space, he's shown doing somersaults while weightless. One of NASA's ground personnel who is monitoring him reports that "he's rotating at a rate of 360 degrees per second", which means that he'd be making a complete rotation every second. His true speed of rotation is nowhere near that fast. 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 »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
A lovable - adorable - cute - funny flick - great for very young kids - wonderful - i loved it when i was a kid and its still better than all the violent bad mouth pictures parents let their kids watch to day! how could you not like it? anyone who says different is a grumpy olé fart!
(After learning that his father has signed him up for the space program)- already a classic! the best is yet to come!
(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) now the fun really hits the mark!
this is even better for all of us who grew up with a space programs http://www.spaceimages.com/gemini.html http://www.spaceimages.com/more-classic-oldies-mercury-gemini.html http://www.spaceimages.com/apollo810.html