Original 1967 US Release Insert Poster measuring 14 x 36 inches from the DON KNOTTS comedy classic, "THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT". Starring Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen, Joan Freeman, Jesses White & Arthur O'Connell. This insert features sensational artwork, with a superb illustration of Don Knotts. The poster is UNFOLDED, with minor surface wear, some tape residue in the white border and a small tear in the border. Color is bright and vibrant.
Boldly going where no coward has gone before, Don Knotts takes to the skies in "The Reluctant Astronaut," a typical star vehicle that gives its main attraction plenty of room (the whole of space, in fact) to do what he does best. Knotts is Roy Fleming, a kiddie funpark employee whose terror of heights keeps him grounded at all times. At age 35, he hasn't done much with himself: he still lives at home with his doting mother (Jeanette Nolan) and proud, domineering father (Arthur O'Connell), who recently put in an application for his son to join NASA's space program. His acceptance letter, however, fails to mention that Roy will be working in the janitorial department, a far cry from the lofty dreams of soaring to the stars. It's only after the Russians attempt to send a non-trained human into orbit that the Americans counter with their own experiment... and guess who the test subject is?
Call it "Mr. Chicken Goes into Orbit": the plot is pretty standard, with lots of goofy setups and illogical moments created for the sole purpose of allowing Don Knotts to make a complete fool of himself. But he has fun doing it, and boy, do we have fun watching him do it. His hijinks, no matter how calculated or contrived, are always enjoyable, and the final half hour of "The Reluctant Astronaut" showcases his fidgety, timid genius in a most comely fashion. That bit with the crackers and peanut butter, not to mention the talking baby doll, is very funny, and while the running gag of Roy's fear of heights is played out by the end, it's easy to stomach because Knotts has such a commanding comic presence.