The Million Dollar Duck

I sat down in 2021 to watch the 1971 Disney movie "The Million Dollar Duck". This is my second time to watch it actually. I remember watching it back in my childhood, probably in the early 1980s, but I could only vaguely recall the movie. So as I had the opportunity to sit down in 2021 to watch it, of course I did so.

This movie is still very entertaining and watchable, even now 50 years after the movie was initially released. So writers Ted Key and Roswell Rogers definitely did a good job with the script here, and that is quite the accomplishment which makes for a truly timeless classic movie.

"The Million Dollar Duck" is a twist on the classic tale of fowl being able to produce a golden egg. So it is a familiar storyline, but with added contents. And I will say that the Disney fingerprint definitely is showing on this 1971 movie. There was just something profoundly enjoyable about the movies Disney made back in the day.

The cast in "The Million Dollar Duck" definitely was good, and of course having Dean Jones in the lead role certainly made for a good movie, as he had a great track record with his older Disney movies. So if you enjoyed him in other of Disney's movies, you will also enjoy him in "The Million Dollar Duck".

This was definitely a movie well worth taking the time to sit down and watch again, and it is a movie that has something to offer to the entire family.

My rating of "The Million Dollar Duck" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Suitably entertaining.

'The Million Dollar Duck' follows very similar steps as a lot of Disney's wacky comedies from around this era, it that regard it isn't anything particularly noteworthy. The writing to set up the events of this film is poor, it's incredibly manufactured.

However, as with most of these sorta films, it does produce enjoyable moments. That's helped by the casting, which Disney pick masterfully the vast majority of the time. Dean Jones always elevates a production upward, even if his performance here isn't one of his best. Tony Roberts is decent as Fred, though none of the others do all that much; not even Joe Flynn (Finley).

Nothing out of this world, but a good enough watch nonetheless.

"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.

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.