Lord Love a Duck *** (1966, Roddy McDowall, Tuesday Weld, Lola Albright, Martin West, Ruth Gordon, Harvey Korman) – Classic Movie Review 9030

Director George Axelrod’s 1966 romantic comedy drama Lord Love a Duck stars Roddy McDowall, then 38 in real life, who plays the ever-youthful, brilliant high school senior Alan Musgrave making innocent co-student Barbara Ann Greene (Tuesday Weld)’s dreams come true.

Daddy (Max Showalter) gives her cashmere, she marries a hunk called Bob Barnard (Martin West) and stars in a beach movie, and McDowall helps her dispose of her husband.

Lord Love a Duck is a defiantly odd but often amusing satirical black comedy, with too many darts flying in too many directions, but many of them do hit their targets, including teen culture, beach movies and modern education. McDowall and Weld are really likeable, and Ruth Gordon is a hoot as West’s disapproving mom Mrs Barnard, in this little Sixties cult movie gem, and Harvey Korman scores strongly too as Weldon Emmett.

It is Axelrod’s debut as director. It was shot in black and white at Samuel Goldwyn Studios, 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, and on various California locations in July 1965. The screenplay by Larry H Johnson and George Axelrod is based on Al Hine’s novel.

Also in the cast are Harvey Korman, Martin Gobell, Sarah Marshall, Lynn Carey, Max Showalter, Donald Murphy, Joseph Mell, Dan Frazer, Martine Bartlett, Jo Collins, Hal Baylor, Laurie Mitchell, David Draper, Donald Foster and Judith Loomis.

Lord Love a Duck is directed by George Axelrod, runs 104 minutes, is made by George Axelrod Productions [Charleston Productions], is released by United Artists, is written by Larry H Johnson and George Axelrod, is shot by Daniel L Fapp, is produced by George Axelrod, is scored by Neal Hefti and is designed by Malcolm Brown.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9030

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