The Reluctant Astronaut
05/09/1967
Roy Fleming is 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 as 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 layperson into space to prove the worthiness of a new automated spacecraft, Roy gets the chance to confront his fears.
Movie Information
Don Knotts
as Roy Fleming
Leslie Nielsen
as Major Fred Gifford
Joan Freeman
as Ellie Jackson
Jesse White
as Donelli
Jeanette Nolan
as Mrs. Fleming
Frank McGrath
as Plank
Arthur O'Connell
as Arbuckle "Buck" Fleming
Joan Shawlee
as Blonde in Bar
Guy Raymond
as Bert
Nydia Westman
as Aunt Zana
Paul Hartman
as Rush
Robert F. Simon
as Cervantes
Robert Pickering
as Moran
Bill Quinn
as Captain Ferguson
Melissa Gilbert
as Niece
Burt Mustin
as Ned
Marjorie Bennett
as Sweetwater Citizen at Mailbox
Herb Vigran
as NASA Doctor
Paul Bryar
as First Bus Driver (uncredited)
