The Million Dollar Duck

The Million Dollar Duck (also titled as $1,000,000 Duck) is a 1971 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions based on the goose that lays golden eggs scenario. It was directed by Vincent McEveety, and stars Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan and Joe Flynn. The film was released on June 30, 1971, and received negative reviews from critics. Plot Scientist Albert Dooley (Dean Jones) struggles to pay the bills. His wife, Katie (Sandy Duncan) gets a recipe for applesauce wrong and gives it to her husband to take to work for lunch, hoping it will help cut down on the budget. In a humorous chain reaction, the duck Albert is testing steals the applesauce after Albert has thrown it away in the trash and then wanders into a radiation lab and becomes irradiated. Albert is ordered to get rid of the duck, so he figures he can give it to his son, Jimmy (Lee Montgomery) who has been wanting a pet, only to discover it now lays eggs with solid gold yolks. In a Pavlovian manner, the duck, named "Charley" (despite being female), lays an egg when prompted by the barking of a dog. At first, the only ones who know of Charley's golden yolks are Albert, Katie, Jimmy and Albert's friend, Fred, but as they sell the yolks of gold, they gain the attention of a suspicious neighbor, Mr. Hooper (Joe Flynn), a government bureaucrat from the U.S. Treasury Department. Hooper spies on the Dooleys in a haphazard manner, often suffering mishaps such as falling off a tree branch after being yelled at by his wife to leave the neighbors alone. However, Hooper sees a golden yolk laid firsthand, with Fred and Albert celebrating. Hooper warns his boss Rutledge (James Gregory) about the economic upheaval. Although Rutledge doesn't believe Hooper at first, a series of nationwide phone calls among politicians spreads rumors, culminating in Rutledge getting a phone call from President Nixon ordering him to capture the duck. Albert becomes greedy and no longer cares for his son, which saddens Jimmy. The Treasury Department officials (with Mr. Hooper) soon arrive at the house and order the family to turn over the duck. Jimmy, watching from upstairs, climbs out the window with Charley and then rides off with a couple of teenage boys and their hot rod as the government officials try to seize Charley.