THE MILLION DOLLAR DUCK.

US, 1973, 89 minutes, Colour.
Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan, Joe Flynn, Tony Roberts, James Gregory, Lee Harcourt Montgomery, Jack Kruschen, Arthur Hunnicut.
Directed by Vincent Mc Eveety.

The Million Dollar Duck is a slight live action Disney film from the 70s when this kind of feature was popular. Dean Jones appeared in quite a number of them including The Shaggy DA, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. His co-star is Sandy Duncan, somewhat offputting because of her screechy voice. Tony Roberts does a familiar role as a friend who also helps himself to the gold.

Dean Jones plays a scientist whose project includes a duck. The duck is rejected as unsuitable but wanders into the radiation lab and is transformed. In the meantime, he has eaten the applesauce which the professor’s wife has made, making a mistake with the recipe! Their son wants a dog and is crestfallen when they can’t afford it because of the number of bills. However that duck makes friends with the son. And, later provoked by a dog, lays eggs which have gold instead of yolk.

This leads to some humorous adventures, the lawyer friend helping with all kinds of schemes to conceal the discovery, the next door neighbour (Federal investigator) who dislikes his neighbours because of their noise and car fumes, becomes curious as the government officials start an investigation, thinking that the criminals were Mafia. The wife takes the gold to various companies for smelting but they report to the government – which leads to officers arriving, the little boy getting away with the duck in two young men’s reckless car driving, some chases, some crashes – and the radiation effect wearing off, with the prospect of the family getting some profit (after they have paid their taxes on it!).

Direction is by Vincent Mc Aveety, a regular Disney director.

1. A family entertainment, for younger audiences?

2. The Disney treatment, characters, imaginative plot, complications, dangers, chasers, happy ending?

3. The basic plotline, the Professor and his work at the laboratories, the rejection of the duck, the duck wandering into the radiation, having eaten the apple sauce, the professor taking it home, selling it to the old farmer and buying it back with all the ducks wandering out of the enclosure, the dogs barking, the laying of the eggs, the discovery of the gold, keeping it secret, the lawyer friend and his help, buying clothes and cars, the banks refusing the gold, the companies buying it and melting down, phone calls to the government, the government meeting, international problems, the intervention of the President, the neighbour and his discovering the truth, the son running away, the chase, the capture, the radiation wearing off?

4. The family characters, the Professor, bills, love for his family, upset about the duck, bringing it home, his son wanting the dog, his refusal, the duck going to the little boy, the eggs, the gold, his caution, telling his friend, the legal aspects, the inspectors from the government, the search, the chase, and realising that the radiation was wearing off?

5. The mother, her manner, more than a touch ignorant, especially of words? Making apple sauce, the page turning? The issue of her husband’s lunch? The duck eating the apple sauce? Concerned about her son wanting the dog? Realising the duck liked the son? Buying some clothes, going to the bank, the information, going to the companies, telling them that the gold came from the duck and their laughing? The finale and the resolution?

6. Jimmy, wanting the dog, upset, the duck being fond of him, the pet, the eggs, hearing that the duck had to go back? Taking it away, in the car with the reckless drivers, the chase, the duck going to him?

7. The neighbour, his complaints, his wife and her reaction to his looking at the professor’s wife? In the meeting? Spying on the family? Going to court? Ordinary egg?

8. The government officials, the expert and his anguish he received phone calls from Wall Street and other centres, playing down the rumours?

9. The lawyer, friendly, exploitative, buying clothes the car, his smooth talking?

10. The court sequence, the prospects, the ordinary egg?

11. Not untypical Disney live-action film, for an undiscriminating audience?