Mister Drake's Duck

Mr Drake's Duck
Directed by	Val Guest
Written by	Ian Messiter Val Guest
Produced by	Daniel M. Angel
Starring	Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Yolande Donlan Jon Pertwee
Cinematography	Jack E. Cox
Edited by	Sam Simmonds
Music by	Bruce Campbell
Distributed by	Eros Films (UK) United Artists (US)
Release date	7 February 1951 (1951-02-07)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£100,000[1]

Mister Drake's Duck is a 1951 British science-fiction comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Yolande Donlan, Jon Pertwee, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Reginald Beckwith. The screenplay concerns a farmer who discovers that one of his ducks has started laying radioactive eggs.[2]

Plot

Mr. Drake inherits Green Acres Farm in Sussex, in the English countryside, where he moves with his new American bride Penny. Because of a misunderstanding, Penny unexpectedly finds that she owns 60 ducks. She is astonished when one of the ducks begins laying radioactive eggs. As the news spreads, the Drakes come under siege by the army. Green Acres Farm is designated a prohibited area, and of all its inhabitants and visitors are made prisoners. The military launches Operation Chickweed to snatch the radioactive duck.

Cast

• Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Donald Drake
• Yolande Donlan as Penny Drake
• Jon Pertwee as Reuben
• Wilfrid Hyde-White as Mr May
• Reginald Beckwith as Mr Boothby
• Howard Marion-Crawford as Major Travers
• Peter Butterworth as Higgins
• A. E. Matthews as Brigadier Matthews
• Tom Gill as Captain White
• John Boxer as Sergeant
• Ballard Berkeley as Major Deans
• Roger Maxwell as Colonel Maitland
• Ben Williams as Auctioneer

Production

The film was based on a radio sketch by Ian Messiter called The Atomic Egg which Val Guest liked. He wrote it for Yolande Donlan and it was originally called Mrs Drake's Duck but the title changed when Douglas Fairbanks Jr agreed to star. "They got on very well Yo and Doug and we all had a lot of laughs," said Guest. Nat Cohen invested in the film.[3]

Reception

Upon the film's American release, A. H. Weiler of The New York Times wrote: "Mister Drake's Duck is responsible for some chuckles, a few good-natured gibes at the British armed services and civil servants and the international race for atomic supremacy. ... They are, of course, laboring one joke, but do come up with enough laughs to make Mister Drake's Duck a pleasant if slight lampoon."[4]

References

1. "Star's snap decision to play opposite unknown redhead". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 9 April 1950. p. 12. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
2. "Mr. Drake's Duck (1951) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2009.
3. Fowler, Roy (1988). "Interview with Val Guest". British Entertainment History Project.
4. Weiler, A. H. (28 January 1952). "Atomic Era Hits Farm". The New York Times. p. 15.

External links

• Mister Drake's Duck at IMDb