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.

I've seen Ford and Clinton spoofed in cameos in comedies, and in this film, there's an unfilled actor playing President Nixon. It's obvious by the voice what Disney was intending, a nice funny little moment for the adults. Other than that, this is basically a film for juveniles, the 1970's versions, not modern-day ones. I was 8 years old in 1971 when my parents dropped us off while they did their grocery shopping, and we held in hysterics at the antics of danger zones and Sandy Duncan and their million-dollar duck who apparently can lay golden eggs. Of course is a mixture of nuclear contents and apples inside the eggs, and you wonder how a duck would feel laying something that was completely solid. Not very easy and possibly quite painful.

Of course, once news about the duck gets out, everybody wants a piece of the Donald or Daisy or Daffy, and that includes nasty neighbor Joe Flynn who has disliked Jones and Duncan up to this point, and for the dim Duncan, that's not hard to believe. She's ripe full of malapropisms, messing up easy sentences in the most hysterical of ways. Lots of Disney regulars have cameos including Edward Andrews and "Love Bug" villain, once again tangling with Jones. Tony Roberts, in his film devut, does a good job as Jones' friend.

Cute animated credits say without a doubt that this is a Disney film. The slapstick gets really outrageous Karma that one scene has Jones trapped on a fireman's ladder as it speeds down a country road. Duncan is truly a lovable, but did she have to be so airheaded? Their son is played by Lee Montgomery who is indeed adorable. Like most Disney films of the 1970s, you have to completely suspend disbelief with everything that happens, but I've seen much worse.

According to the IMDB trivia, reviewer Gene Siskel admitted that he walked out of this movie and simply couldn't finish it...it was that bad. Well, that makes me curious...could the film be THAT bad?!

After being laid up after surgery, I decided to catch up on some of the films on Disney+. Up until recently, I've avoided the Disney live-action films from the late 60s through the 1970s because they have a reputation for being terrible. Well, this is NOT the case, as I've recently seen several excellent family films from Disney during this period, such as "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" and "The Bears and I". Well, this doesn't mean they're all good....and there are plenty of broadly written and dopey stinkers...and shortly after "The Million Dollar Duck" began, I realized this. The dialog is pretty bad...and the story very broadly acted and silly. And, like these Disney films, it's really only something kids might like...adults really will struggle to sit still during this one. Since I was hurting and unable to do housework, I guess I was stuck with this one...unlike Gene Siskel.

The first really badly made scene was the cooking scene that was supposed to be kooky. Apparently Katie Dooley (Sandy Duncan) is a terrible cook, as she puts apple peels, seeds, curry, garlic and all sorts of other horrid ingredients into homemade applesauce!! This was meant to be funny. It wasn't. And, I realized there'd be more like this to come....and, sadly, there was.

The film stars Dean Jones as Dr. Albert Dooley...a man who is struggling with debts, a goodball wife and an incredibly ungrateful son who demands a puppy even though the family simply cannot afford it. Fortunately, Dooley ends up developing a duck that can take them out of their financial woes, as she is apparently able to lay golden eggs...which works well in stories like "Jack and the Beanstalk" but which just seems pretty dim here.

After seeing the film, I am heartily in agreement with Gene Siskel...."The Million Dollar Duck" is a bad film...one that adults couldn't possibly love. Those who do, likely saw it as kids and love it for sentimental value...but otherwise it's just painful. Most painful is the writing and Ms. Duncan's performance, though no one really came off very well in this one.

By the way, it is ironic that there's a scene where the mean neighbor (Joe Flynn) is fighting with the duck in his swimming pool. In real life, Flynn was found dead in his own pool only.three years later.