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?

---

Plot Keywords:

school | high school | satire | student | principal | 

---

Taglines:

This motion picture is an act of pure aggression

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

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.

---

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.

---

Quotes

Barbara Ann: Everybody has got to love me. Everybody. This is my year. My horoscope says I am going to be famous. I am a Capricorn and I can't miss. I deserve it, too. I've been good. I haven't done bad things with boys. Well, a little. But not really bad. And only if I liked a boy.

---

Connections

Featured in American Grindhouse (2010)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

A TRULY brilliant satire on American culture.

The early nineteen sixties were the great age of black comic satire in American cinema. Everyone remembers Doctor Strangelove and The Nutty Professor and Lolita and One Two Three and The Loved One.In a sense, this neglected masterpiece was the culmination. Even though Axelrod wasn't a genius like Kubrick or Wilder, this film hits its target just as unerringly. Think of it as a darker, much more savage Rushmore, in which almost all the false Gods of our civilization - phony preachers, psychoanalysis, public "education",consumerism, youth 'culture',- are weighed in the scales and found wanting. Roddy Mcdowall and Tuesday Weld give two of the great comic perfomances. Indeed, Mcdowall is inspirational to any would-be anarchist. Should be seen - and discussed - more often. Scorsese once listed this film among his "guilty pleasures": He has nothing to be guilty about-this is wonderful