Lord Love a Duck (1966)

A bright satirical comedy about an innocent high school girl granted her wishes by a student prodigy. A broad satire of teenage culture in the sixties, its targets ranging from progressive education to beach movies.

Director:

George Axelrod

Writers:

Al Hine (novel), Larry H. Johnson (screenplay),

Stars:

Roddy McDowall, Tuesday Weld, Lola Albright

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roddy McDowall	...	Alan 'Mollymauk' Musgrave
Tuesday Weld	...	Barbara Ann Greene
Lola Albright	...	Marie Greene
Martin West	...	Bob Bernard
Ruth Gordon	...	Stella Bernard
Harvey Korman	...	Weldon Emmett
Sarah Marshall	...	Miss Schwartz
Lynn Carey	...	Sally Grace
Max Showalter	...	Howard Greene
Donald Murphy	...	Phil Neuhauser
Joseph Mell	...	Dr. Milton Lippman (as Joe Mell)
Dan Frazer	...	Honest Joe
Martine Bartlett	...	Inez
Jo Collins	...	Kitten
Judith Loomis	...	Mrs. Neuhauser

Storyline

High-school senior Barbara Ann Greene has a lot to overcome to reach her dreams to be popular, get a job, find a husband, and maybe even be a movie star: she's poor, her parents are divorced, and her mother is a cocktail waitress. Right beside her, though, is her best friend and Svengali, Alan. He helps her get 12 cashmere sweaters, a job in the principal's office, spring break at Balboa, and more. Along the way, the satire bites teen mores, beach-blanket bikini movies, adults in charge, the country-club set, Christian-youth programs, older men's fantasies, and teen girls' innocence. How popular will Barbara Ann become, and what lengths will Alan go to get her there?

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Plot Keywords:

school | high school | satire | student | principal | 

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Taglines:

This motion picture is an act of pure aggression

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1966 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Ena koritsi dipsasmeno gia ola

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Axelrod Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tuesday Weld told film critic Rex Reed that this was her favorite film and that she thought she gave her best performance in it.

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Goofs

When Barbara Ann inscribes her name in cement near beginning of film, she writes the second R in first name twice due to inconsistency in long shot and closeup.

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Quotes

Alan: Mollymauk does not fool around.

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Connections

References The Late Late Show (1962)

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Soundtracks

"Lord Love a Duck"
Music by Neal Hefti
Lyrics by Ernie Sheldon
Sung by The Wild Ones

User Reviews

Strange, super-smart subversive black comedy

What strikes me most about this film is its intelligence. The main character, nicknamed Mollymauk after a bird, is a genius, with deep understanding of science, martial arts (he can kick ass), psychology (he can manipulate people at will and hypnotizes Tuesday Weld's character), etc.

McDowall plays the main charcter Alan, nicknamed Mollymauk after a South African duck, THALASSARCHE MELANOPHRYS, in love with the popular Barbara Ann (Tuesday Weld in tight sweaters). At times he is shot in profile making his nose look beak-like. He does a great job, and makes the movie believable.

Although it is a comedy, and has plenty of funny moments, what meant most to me was its criticism of a society which fosters selfishness and lacks any authentic empathy, and its portrayal of Alan's deep love for and devotion to Barbara Ann, which causes him to use his almost super-power level problem-solving and social-engineering skills to fulfill her wishes and dreams without expecting anything in return.

The film is great for its insights into human nature and its parody of conventional high school education and of society. It is well worth seeing, but the main character is complex and not completely sympathetic. He screeches and cavorts like a bird, but instead of coming across as wild and beautiful, he sounds twisted and in pain- which he is, like any adolescent who longs for love, intimacy and understanding but doesn't get any. He seems to create a cult about his his own character, often referring to himself in the third person as Mollymauk. His manipulation and control of others is disturbing as well, even though many people treat each other this way, and so the film has a disturbing effect- it's not a "feel-good" movie.