Mister Drake's Duck
Mr 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 Mr Drake, a farmer, who discovers that his hens have started laying radioactive eggs.[2]
| Mr Drake's Duck | |
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| 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 |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £100,000[1] |
Plot
Mr. Drake (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) inherits "Green Acres Farm" in Sussex, in the English countryside, and moves in with his new American bride Penny (Yolande Donlan). Through a misunderstanding, Penny unexpectedly finds herself the proud owner of 60 ducks. She is further astonished when one of the ducks begins laying radioactive eggs. As the news spreads, the Drakes find themselves under siege by the army. "Green Acres Farm" is designated a prohibited area, and all its inhabitants and visitors made prisoners. "Operation Chickweed" is formed: a bureaucratic concern wherein the army, Navy and Air Force all lay separate claims upon the atom-age 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
Critical reception
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," concluding, "they do come up with enough laughs to make Mister Drake's Duck a pleasant if slight lampoon."[3]
References
- "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.
- "Mr. Drake's Duck (1951) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2009.
- "Movie Review - Mister Drake s Duck - THE SCREEN; Atomic Era Hits Farm - NYTimes.com".