Everything's Ducky (1961)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Don Taylor

Writers:

Benedict Freedman (writer)
John Fenton Murray (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Two sailors sneak a talking duck on board their ship. Complications ensue. |

Plot Keywords:

Duck | Navy

Cast

Mickey Rooney	...	Kermit 'Beetle' McKay
Buddy Hackett	...	Seaman Admiral John Paul 'Ad' Jones
Jackie Cooper	...	Lt. J.S. Parmell - Psychiatrist
Joanie Sommers	...	Nina Lloyd
Roland Winters	...	Capt. Lewis Bollinger
Elizabeth MacRae	...	Susie Penrose
Gene Blakely	...	Lt. Cmdr. Bernard Kemp
Gordon Jones	...	Chief Petty Officer Conroy
Richard Deacon	...	Dr. Deckham
James Millhollin	...	George Imhoff - Lab Assistant
Jimmy Cross	...	Drunk
Robert Williams	...	Duck Hunter
King Calder	...	Frank - Bartender
Ellie Kent	...	Nurse
William Hellinger	...	Corpsman

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Barbroo Productions

Trivia:

During a barroom brawl scene, Mickey Rooney walked off the set because the amateurs hired were out of control; this led to the formation of the Stuntmen's Association.

Quotes:

The Duck: I left the egg -- in Winnipeg!

"A Tale of Two Navy Birds and a Talking Duck"

For six years (from 1950 to 1955) there was a new entry in the "Francis the Talking Mule" franchise ("Francis Goes To"…."Races.. West Point.. Big Town.. WACS.. Navy"). A few years later "Everything's Ducky" (1961) resurrected this amusing service comedy idea of a talking animal generally smarter than its handlers; substituting a duck for a mule and Mickey Rooney/Buddy Hackett for Donald O'Connor. Instead of a laconic Chill Wills voice-over in decent synch to the movements of a mule's mouth, there is cartoon veteran Walker Edmiston's voice never quite matching the almost spastic movements of the duck's bill. Although in fairness the duck's lines are generally quite funny and if you work a bit to suspend disbelief all these sequences should be entertaining.

Of course I can't be entirely objective about the film, it is one of the first films I saw in a "theater"; and as a grade school age child I found it entertaining enough to buy the Dell comic book, which hit the stores at the time of the film's theatrical release (Dell FC #1251). The movie photo on the cover of the comic is in color, the film itself is in black and white.

Other than the sequences with the duck (Scuttlebutt), Rooney and Hackett are not given much to work with in this film. And the supporting cast has a decided television flavor. Jackie Cooper looks like he just popped in from the set of "Hennessey", going from Navy Doctor to Navy Psychiatrist without the bother of changing uniforms. Elizabeth MacRae plays Hackett's girlfriend, pretty much the same role she would later play with Jim Nabors on "Gomer Pyle". And Richard Deacon does his standard "Leave It to Beaver'-"Dick Van Dyke" wrapped-too-tight persona.

The most notable feature of "Everything's Ducky" is a rare film appearance by singer Joanie Summers. She looks at times like Suzanne Pleshette and at other times like Barbara Eden. Summers unfortunately does not do any singing. She was only 20 and plays the love interest of the 40+ Rooney. While this pairing is a bit disconcerting, Summers deserves considerable credit for successfully selling the idea to the audience. Their best stuff is a reprise of the Lou Costello-Hillary Brooke kissing scene from "Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd" (1952). Seeing her again in the film led me to a U-Tube clip of her singing "Don't Pity Me" on "Hullabaloo".

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.