From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Reluctant Astronaut is a 1967 film starring comedian Don Knotts. It is the second film Knotts did for Universal following his big hit The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. The film also stars Leslie Nielsen, Arthur O'Connell, Jeanette Nolan, and Jesse White. Future Andy Griffith Show star Paul Hartman also appears in a small part, and writers Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum return to help write this story

Roy Fleming (Knotts) works at a fairground as the captain of a spaceship ride in the small Missouri town of Sweetwater. His father Arbuckle Fleming (O'Connell) a former World War I corporal wants better things for his son, so he writes an application to NASA for Roy to be an astronaut, and when Roy comes home from work that day, his mother tells that they have accepted him as a "WB-1074", giving everyone the belief that NASA has accepted Roy as an astronaut, but there is one problem, Roy is afraid of heights (when he is done with the ride, he has to get help down from the ladder on the rocket). Unfortunately, his father never listens to him, and does not give him the chance to explain. To make matters worse for Roy, a date he had planned for himself and the concession stand girl Ellie Jackson was cancelled when her uncle comes down with the flu, and unfortunately, she too does not listen to him when he tries to explain that he is going to be an astronaut.

The next day, he is led to the airfield by his family and his father's two friends Plank, and Rush. There he desperately tries one last time to escape leaving, by pretending to lose his ticket which his mom eventually finds in her purse. Before he leaves, Ellie arrives to tell Roy that she found out the news, and she apologizes. After Roy says his goodbyes, the family and friends see the plane take off and assume that Roy is on the plane. What they do not know is that Roy did not get on. After the plane takes off. We see Roy hiding in the field and heading for the bus station.