Lord Love a Duck

Barbara Ann is a high school senior obsessed with love, status, and success. She signs a pact with Alan and abandons school to pursue social prestige, joining a private club and manipulating others to her advantage. Her vanity and craving for Hollywood fame drive much of the plot, blurring morality and loyalty as she moves from home to the screen test.

Alan is a calculating former prisoner who manipulates people from behind bars, orchestrating Barbara Ann’s rise to power. He uses deceit and crime—ranging from keeping Stella drunk to arranging Marie’s death—to secure his version of love and control. He views Barbara Ann as a means to an end and accepts violence as a tool.

Bob is Barbara Ann’s husband, a traditional, family‑oriented man who values stability and reputation. He resists Barbara Ann’s scheming and divorce, becoming a target of Alan’s machinations. He proves resilient in the face of danger and embodies a counterpoint to Barbara Ann’s ascent.

Marie is Barbara Ann’s mother, a cocktail waitress who feels overlooked and undervalued. She becomes entangled in the schemes surrounding her daughter and ultimately dies in a way orchestrated to look like an accident for life insurance. Her death exposes the cost of chasing appearances and mad‑cap ambitions.

Stella is Bob’s disapproving mother, a strong‑willed and often intoxicated matriarch who stands in the way of Barbara Ann’s plans. Her sharp judgments and drunken episodes complicate the marriage and reveal the pressure of social norms. She becomes a catalyst for the drama and a witness to the consequences of manipulation.

Belmont is the glamorous producer known as the King of Beach Party Films, a man who helps Barbara Ann pursue screen stardom. He embodies the film industry’s appetite for fame and spectacle and is willing to manipulate for a bigger star. His involvement satirizes the transactional nature of movie success.