Die Millionen-Dollar-Ente

And it turns out that a few years later two University of Michigan professors managed to create pure 24-karat gold in the laboratory in 2012, and in 2020 a group of Swiss scientists managed to create an incredibly light type of 18-karat gold, the gold losing its value. In 3, 2, 1... Very cute movie, the family trio, dad, mom and son are cute, the lawyer friend too, and the sustainable evildoers... Cute...

"The Million Dollar Duck" is a silly but fun fantasy comedy. In spite of some critics' disdain for such movies - if they are for kids (they don't seem to mind the silly adult films). This one was pleasing enough for kids and adults. Disney wasn't the only studio that saw a market for such comical films mostly during the 1960s through 1980s.

The adult humor is here as well, but it may not register with many in 21st century audiences. Indeed, this film shows something of American culture that has changed. Through the middle of the last century - after WW II and well into the 1970s, one of the staples of humor was the Internal Revenue Service and government taxes. People of all stripes, but mostly common, everyday folks and hometown businessmen complained about government taxes. One couldn't go into a bar, barbershop, cafe or drug store and not hear someone lamenting the government tax burden. Government employees indeed were not very favorably regarded, whether with the IRS or not.

One suspects that the culture change by the late 20th century is what brought an end to such commonplace disdain. The transformation to mostly two-income households had lifted many more people above the subsistence level. So, most families spend more and can afford more things. Ergo, less complaint about Uncle Sam taking too much.

Still, a college research professor in 1971 should have made a sufficient salary to support a family of three fairly comfortably. But, not so in this film. The name of his office on the door to Albert Dooley's (Dean Jones) lab reads, "Psycho Bio Research Laboratory." All of the cast are good in their roles. Sandy Duncan is funny early on as the slightly dingy Katie Dooley. Watching her make applesauce in the kitchen is a hoot. And Dean Jones's reaction is hilarious.

James Gregory is very funny as the stuffy Treasury head. And, Edward Andrews plays the worried, angst-filled representative of the Federal Reserve Bank, Morgan, superbly. Tony Roberts is especially good as the crafty lawyer neighbor and friend who can't take his own advice. If one watches closely, there's no little amount of spoofing in this film. Not just about government agents, but lawyers and others as well.

One of the humorous criticisms I can recall from around that time had to do with government grants. One instance went something like this - while some people were out of work, others were homeless, and small businesses were struggling to keep going, the government awarded a $140,000 grant to study the mating habits of frogs. I wonder if Albert Dooley's place of employment wasn't intended as a little jab at government along those lines.

This film isn't packed with laughter scenes, or with witty lines or silly situations. It has a little bit of each, and should bring a smile to most kids and adults even well into the 21st century.

In some places, the movie is slow. And a vehicle chase scene with Jones hanging on to a utility truck ladder is quite old. It had been done in so many films before that it just doesn't seem funny this time. Here are some favorite lines.

Katie Dooley, "Jimmy, don't bother your father with that now. He's got little enough on his mind as it is."

Jimmy Dooley, "Mr. Hooper next door... he has a dog. He can afford to feed it. It's a great big one." Albert Dooley, "Mr. Hooper next door works for the U.S. Treasury and they have all our money. He could afford a giraffe."

Finley Hooper, "I wish that fool professor made enough money so I could investigate him."

Dr. Gottlieb, "Excuse me. I have to go recheck the IQ of this chimp - a hundred and forty, higher than mine."

Fred Hines, "Look Al, sweetheart. I'm only trying to save you money. I mean by making me a partner, you'll save paying me all those exorbitant lawyer's fees."

Hard pressed scientist Albert Dooley has little money to spend as his work with animals isn't proving as profitable as he hoped it would be. However one day his worthless duck is exposed to high levels of radiation. Taking the duck home with him he finds that it can be stimulated to lay eggs – eggs made of solid gold. The more eggs it lays the more Albert becomes consumed with it and also the more attention the sudden increase in gold deposits in the local reserves draws from the Treasury Department.

This film is a good example of the films Disney made around this time, in the same way as animation with songs and smart-ass sidekicks are of the 90's. This is typical of the period but not the best example of when it works well. The plot is goofy and sets the tone for the sense of humour but it isn't used very well. Instead of laughs it really only produces energy and `wackiness'. There are a few laughs but not many. Most of the action has dated badly – with clichéd hippies, All-American happy families and forced physical routines.

Jones is OK, accustom as he is to roles such as this. He carries it well but the subject has less charm than some of his better films (Herbie for one). Of the rest of the cast only Tony Roberts really sticks in the mind as he has almost all of the good lines. The duck is cool though!

Overall this is a passable family film but it will not be `great' for any member of the family. There are better Disney films out there from this period – this one just lacked a certain spark to make it work better.

I'm sure not too many of the kids or even the parents that took their kids to see The Million Dollar Duck back in 1971 would realize that the British film Mister Drake's Duck was the inspiration for this Disney film. Nevertheless the British film of 1951 and the Disney film of 1971 are remarkably similar. Only the British had Mister Drake's Duck lay uranium eggs whereas this Disney duck lays gold ones after a bit radiation exposure and a concoction that Sandy Duncan makes and gets fed to the duck.

The British film was not one of their better comedies, but Mister Drake's Duck had some good moments and nice satire on the government of Great Britain in those post war Labour Days. This one just has a lot of good players looking very silly.

Two of them are stars Dean Jones and Sandy Duncan as a research scientist and his wife who are barely scraping by financially. The duck in question is part of a research project conducted by head scientist Jack Kruschen. When the duck flunks the intelligence test Kruschen gives him to Jones and his young son Lee Harcourt Montgomery becomes attached to it also.

Of course when it starts laying those golden yolks inside the egg at that point Jones and car pooling neighbor Tony Roberts think they've hit the leprechaun's pot. But then in 1971 America as now ownership of gold is most restrictive. Not to mention that ducks that can just squat and those orbs can ruin the monetary structure of the world. That sends neighbor Joe Flynn into action who works for the Treasury Department and Flynn's supervisor James Gregory.

The Million Dollar Duck has far more silliness than genuine humor in it. Far from gold, it's not even good sounding brass.

That eternal Disney lead, Dean Jones, plays a harried scientist named Albert Dooley who's constantly sweating out bills. Then fortune arrives in an odd way. He's brought home a research animal named "Charlie", a white duck to whom Alberts' son Jimmy (Lee Montgomery) becomes attached. But Charlie was exposed to radiation after wandering into a laboratory, and now is capable of laying golden eggs. So naturally Albert and his lawyer buddy Fred (Tony Roberts) get dollar signs in their eyes. But their actions catch the attention of federal agents, led by James Gregory as Rutledge, who want to know how these private citizens are coming into possession of this gold.

"The Million Dollar Duck" is standard live-action Disney fare from this period. It's not a classic of its kind, rarely producing any true belly laughs, but it's amiable enough and amusing enough to keep it watchable for 93 minutes. Like many a Disney comedy, it builds up to a frantic chase sequence that does get over the top in a reasonably funny way. The movie does deserve some credit, though, for revolving around not a dog or cat but a different species. And the duck herself is endearing, and the human cast goes through their paces with efficiency. Joe Flynn is an irritable treasury agent and next-door neighbour, Sandy Duncan the somewhat air-headed, miniskirt-wearing wife / mother, Jack Kruschen is Alberts' boss at his lab, and Virginia Vincent plays Flynn's wife. Per Disney's style, familiar character actors in small parts do perk things up a little: Arthur Hunnicutt, Frank Wilcox, Bing Russell, Frank Cady, Hal Smith, Edward Andrews, Bernard Fox, Arthur Franz, Bruno VeSota, etc.

While never really inspired, there's enough good-natured mayhem here to make this palatable viewing for the intended family audience.

Six out of 10.