Another one of Don Knotts’ goofy hero films was the 1968 western-comedy, The Shakiest Gun in the West. The film stars Don Knotts as Jesse W. Haywood, a man who finds himself as a reluctant cowboy. It’s worth pointing out that many of Knotts films revolve around his characters landing up in the wrong place at the wrong time, such as a reporter unwillingly stuck in a haunted mansion, the reluctant astronaut, and now – a reluctant cowboy.
The poster again features his iconic surprised face, with the tagline reading “S-s-s-stick’em-u-u-u-p????” The film was a relative success and was mostly praised for its stronger comedic elements when compared to his previous two films. The Shakiest Gun in the West was also cited as one of the biggest influences for John Depp’s popular 2011 CGI action comedy film, Rango. This Don Knotts film definitely stands the test of time and is worth watching even today, especially if you like Western films.
The Andy Griffith Show
One of the most important acting opportunities in Don Knotts's life was his role as Barney Fife, the deputy and cousin of Sheriff Andy Taylor (portrayed by Andy Griffith). His role in the popular show landed him five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy. Don was initially disappointed for being put in the show as comedic relief rather than a serious character but was still happy to get a chance to work on the show.
Unfortunately, the popular actor signed a contract in 1965 with Universal Studios which made him unavailable for further appearances on the show, since he was under the impression that the show was over. The Andy Griffith show ended up running for a few more years, and Knotts later commented that he deeply regretted having to leave the show.
The Big Flop
One of the actor's more interesting films was The Reluctant Astronaut, a 1967 comedy film about a carnival ride operator who is sent into space as a result of an administrative oversight. This was his second Universal Film venture after The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and ended up flopping due to extremely bad luck, when an actual space mission, Apollo 1, was struck in a fire disaster that killed three astronauts just two days before the event.
Typical with many of Knotts films, the poster for the movie contained Knott's iconic wide-eyed surprised expression, the word "technicolor" signifying that it was made in color, and the tagline, which was "He's an Astro-Knott turned Astronaut in the Maddest Mixup in Space History!!" Despite the film’s mediocre performance, it received overall positive reviews and became a popular children's film and was frequently shown on weekend afternoons. Knotts was even nominated for a Male Comedy Performance Award but didn't end up taking the win.
"Don Juan"
Don Knotts' 1969 feature film, The Love God? was another one of his goofy comedies where his character ends up in a series of unplanned and unintended events that end up producing some hilarious results. The reason for the question mark in the film’s title is that Don Knotts wasn’t exactly known as one of Hollywood’s sexiest men. In fact, he was often portrayed as the exact opposite of that, starring as the butt of countless jokes. In The Love God? Knotts takes the role of a playboy who becomes an unwitting male celebrity that women all across the world chase after.
This was the star's fourth Universal Pictures feature film and was rated as a G-rated family comedy. It was the studio's attempt at integrating the actor into the more mature and adult-related films of the late '60s and early '70s. The film was called one of the funniest films in years by Kevin Thomas and was well received by many critiques for its parody of popular culture at the time, although some critics disagreed and called it a poorly made attempt at satirizing pornography.
How to Frame a Figg
In yet another Universal Pictures production, Don Knotts reprises his role as an unwitting goofball assistant in the 1971 comedy, How to Frame a Figg. In the movie, Knotts plays Hollis Alexander Figg, a bookkeeper's assistant in the Dalton city hall who is framed for embezzlement. This film is definitely a return to the odd and socially inept role he often plays, as opposed to the poor attempt at making him suave in "The Love God?". The film did moderately well with viewers and currently holds a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 743 user reviews. After all, it's another Don Knotts comedy mixed with some juvenile humor.
By this point, the actor's five-film contract with Universal Pictures was up, and he did not appear in any more slapstick comedy films for the next 4 years. This hiatus from comedies was probably a good decision since the goofy reluctant-hero comedy formula was starting to wear off and it was time go for something new.