The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) on Netflix
NR19671h 41mComedyFamilySci-Fi
Roy Fleming operates a kiddie-spaceship ride and is afraid of heights. His father signs him up with NASA, and Roy reaches Houston to discover the job is janitorial, not astronaut.
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- Netflix3.2/5
- IMDb6.3/102,981 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Plot summary
Roy Fleming, thirty-five, runs a kiddie-spaceship ride at a fairground in Sweetwater, Missouri, and still lives with his parents. Heights terrify him. Roy's father, Arbuckle "Buck" Fleming, is a World War I veteran who wants more for his son and files an application with NASA. His mother reports that NASA has taken him on as a WB-1074, a designation the family reads as astronaut. In Houston, the post turns out to be janitorial, and Roy accepts the disappointment while his family and friends at home believe he is training for space. Major Fred Gifford, a veteran astronaut, becomes his friend, and Ellie Jackson is the girlfriend he leaves behind. Roy works to keep up the impression his father has of him.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Two days before the Apollo 1 fire that killed three astronauts at Cape Canaveral, The Reluctant Astronaut premiered in Houston; per Don Knotts's 1998 autobiography, the tragedy made Universal Pictures skeptical about releasing a space-travel comedy so soon.
- NASA named Don Knotts an "Honorary Recruiter" for the publicity the film's portrayal of its programs brought, and Baskin-Robbins introduced a "Reluctant Astro-Nut" ice cream to promote the movie.
