I suppose if I had to pick one movie from the Manka Bros. library I would choose "The Gastronaut" (1981) starring Joey Levitch. I wasn't born when it came out but my mom used to watch it on cable. It's not really very funny (I was told it was his comeback movie). In fact, it's pretty pathetic. But the story is a universal tale of one man's ability to overcome obstacles. He's an astronaut that has a really bad farting problem but he still manages to go into space (for whatever reason). Because of his gas, he actually ends up helping save the mission (though I'm not sure how).
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Produced as an attempt to capitalized on the national hysteria surrounding the Hindenburg disaster (May 7, 1937), this comedy was quickly written by Moss Hart (with an uncredited polish by Simeon Manka) and used actual film and sound footage from the Hindenburg explosion. America apparently didn't get the joke.
Immediately upon its release (May 28, 1937), the film prints were burned in bonfires by theater managers and moviegoers. Manka Bros. Studios was reprimanded by FDR in a national radio broadcast and ordered to destroy the film negative. The lead actors (Hugh Montgomery and Faye Lassiter) never worked again. Mr. Montgomery's house was blown up by relatives of two German victims of the Hindenburg tragedy.
Film Historian Abe Morris has worked on and off for years attempting to piece together the bits of remaining film to create a coherent version of this misunderstood movie.
