The Reluctant Astronaut

In the 1960s, Disney was becoming the king of the family film. Up to this point in film history, the concept of the family film was more widespread, because of the strict censoring of content, seen in the first 50 years of the film industry. In the 1960s, those lines between family entertainment and mature entertainment started to pull away from each other. As you know, by the end of the 1960s, the MPAA movie rating system would be in effect and that helped to create different levels of content for different varieties of audience members. Disney was making all kinds of family entertainment in the 1960s. They were in the movies, on television and the two original Disney Parks were in full swing by 1965. There also was a lot of Disney copycats out there too. On top of that, television, which was heavily censored in the 1960s, was becoming more popular and many television actors were doing movies too. A lot of film comedies in the 1960s resembled their TV sitcom counterparts. Universal Pictures wanted to capture some of that family entertainment for the movie theaters, so they cast one of the most successful comedians on television of the time, Don Knotts, to star in a couple of movies, slated for theatrical release. This is when the term "children's comedy" replaced the "family comedy" term. It would be something that would become much more clearer once the MPAA was established.

Don Knotts fit into this era perfectly and became as popular in theaters, as he was on TV. When you look back at this era from a 21st century perspective, the Reluctant Astronaut (1967), is probably his most popular film, however it did have its growing pains when it was initially released. The same week this film was released, NASA experienced one of its worst tragedies in history, with the loss of the Apollo 1 crew. This made the film unpopular with older people, but did not deter the love and respect that the kids had for it. You then add in the syndication reruns, VHS releases and networks, like TV Land, running it all the time and over the decades, this film would lose that tragic connection. It would become, what most people would say, is a textbook example of what a fun Don Knotts film looks like. In a nutshell, a carnival-ride worker, Roy Fleming (Knotts), unwittingly lands a janitor job at NASA and through dumb luck, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to fly into space. The only drawback is, he hates heights and is a coward. He also has to hide his secrets from his family back home. He has to maintain this false "astronaut" persona, in order to make his father, Buck (Arthur O'Connell), proud of him and the woman of his desires, Ellie (Joan Freeman), respect him as a great man.

The film has a low-budget, television look to it, but that doesn't really effect the film too much. It actually helps the comedy work better. It helps draw an excellent contrast between the small town, Missouri lifestyle in Roy's hometown, with the high-tech (1960s style), future world of the space agency. Don Knotts is quite humorous, even from a 21st century perspective. He has a history with audiences, that allow grown-ups to enjoy his work as much as the kids do. Also on deck for this film is a young, Leslie Nielsen, as Major Fred Gifford, who is the real, respected astronaut, who befriends Roy at the space agency. It is interesting watching Nielsen's earlier films, because he had to play his roles much more straighter, than his famous Frank Drebin role in the Police Squad films. The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), is a film that "is" what it is supposed to be. It is a fun movie, that the whole family can enjoy. It also is a movie, that older people shouldn't be ashamed of watching alone either. Why should the audiences of the 1960s have all the fun? You should too.

6.9 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB.

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.

Small-time carnival operator Don Knotts gets enlisted to work for NASA by his father. Of course the job Knotts has gotten is to be a janitor in Houston. Now Knotts must lie to all his friends and relatives to make them think that he is a real astronaut. NASA is in need of funds though and they show their confidence in their program by coming up with an idea to send a non-astronaut into outer space. Get the picture? A funny little film that is once again an exhibition of Knotts' talents. Leslie Nielsen is priceless as the astronaut assigned to be Knotts' primary instructor. A film that plays more like a long television show rather than an actual motion picture. Fair in the end. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The Reluctant Astronaut stars Don Knotts as the owner and operator of kiddie ride in an amusement park somewhere in rural Missouri who has a fear of heights. He's something of a disappointment to his WW1 veteran father Arthur O'Connell, but he's mother Jeanette Nolan's darling little boy.

With a bit of pressure Knotts applies for a position with NASA. But after a big farewell blowout, he finds he's been hired as a janitor with Jesse White as a perpetually exasperated supervisor.

He does go into space, but quite accidentally and then because NASA is testing a most automatic space capsule one designed for idiots in space. That provides a lot of climatic laughs.

The film owes a lot of Preston Sturges's classic comedy Hail The Consquering Hero. And some of the astronaut sequences were tried out in the Road To Hong Kong with Bob and Bing.

A couple of other major roles are filled out well by Joan Freeman as Knotts's Missouri girlfriend and Leslie Nielsen as an astronaut who befriends him.

The comedy which is set in America's early days of space travel still holds up well for today's audience.

Typical Don Knotts humor though The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was by far a better film. Thin, dated, but clean comedy that might be enjoyed by younger kids, or adults who are nostalgic for that type of 60's genre. Very much reminiscent of the Disney comedies churned out in the 60's. Don Knotts plays a kiddieland "Astronaut" who applies to NASA. He is hired, not as an Astronaut as his family thinks, but a janitor.

To show up the Russians and show off American technology NASA decides to put someone in space who is totally unqualified. Naturally our hero gets the call with at first disastrous results. Not much action and storyline and as usual Knotts' love interest is mismatched. The film might seem like a breath of fresh air to parents considering what Hollywood often exposes us to these days. But contemporary kids will probably have a hard time sitting through The Reluctant Astronaut since there is no chase scenes, violence, sex, and foul language.