Lord Love a Duck

From his prison cell, Alan Musgrave dictates the events of the previous year, framing his actions as a devoted response to Barbara Ann Greene's ambitions. He reveals a mindset built on control, manipulation, and a concealed motive of love. This opening chapter sets the tone for every scheme that follows.

Barbara, a determined high school senior, pursues wealth, fame, and acceptance with relentless energy. She signs a pact with Alan in wet cement and secures 12 cashmere sweaters to join an exclusive girls' club. The pact marks her willingness to trade ethics for social standing.

Barbara leaves school to become the principal's secretary, steering her life toward insider access rather than classroom achievement. She also dives into church activities, leveraging the network around Bob Bernard. This shift positions her for future power plays.

Barbara decides she wants Bob as her husband, and Alan orchestrates the entanglements to make it happen. He keeps Bob's eccentric mother Stella perpetually drunk, hoping to soften resistance and tilt the family’s loyalties. The manipulation deepens Barbara’s dependence on Alan's schemes.

Stella pays Barbara Ann a surprise visit, unaware of Barbara's connections to Bob. Marie, Barbara's mother, reveals details that contradict Stella's assumptions, tearing at the surface harmony. The exchange exposes the fragile lies that underpin Barbara's ambitions.

Feeling worthless and like an embarrassment to her daughter, Marie commits suicide. Alan arranges the scene to appear as an accident for life insurance purposes, tightening his grip on Barbara's world. The tragedy removes a potential obstacle and secures Bob's path to Barbara's future.

With Marie dead, Bob marries Barbara Ann, cementing their alliance and giving Barbara a domestic platform for her ambitions. Alan's influence remains behind the scenes, quietly steering events toward a Hollywood future. The marriage becomes the hinge on which the plot swings toward tragedy and fame.

Barbara meets producer T. Harrison Belmont, the king of beach party films, and resolves to become the biggest star ever. Bob refuses to let her take a Hollywood screen test, fueling her desire to escape the marriage. The encounter pushes Barbara toward drastic steps in pursuit of fame.

Bob's resistance to Barbara's Hollywood ambitions fuels her decision to seek a divorce, hoping to reclaim independence and celebrity potential. Alan's influence remains the unseen hand shaping Barbara's choices. The couple's rift marks the next phase of the plot toward violence.

Angry at Bob's refusal to divorce, Alan masterminds a murder plot against Bob, starting with poisoning attempts using arsenic and deadly nightshade. The plan is meticulously framed, but Bob's survival exposes the fragility of Alan's control. The attempt reveals the dark length Alan will go to for love and manipulation.

Alan's further schemes try to disable Bob through a deconstructed automobile and a dangerous skateboard setup, but Bob proves nearly indestructible. Each failed attempt strengthens his grip on life and foils Alan's best-laid plans. The ongoing danger intensifies the looming graduation pressure.

On graduation day, Alan pushes Bob toward an excavator in a deadly chase that knocks down stage speakers and rips through the crowd. Bob is put into a wheelchair, and several people on the platform appear to be killed. The scene cements Alan's claim that he did it all for love, even as Barbara's dreams flare into Hollywood stardom.

Barbara Ann achieves Hollywood recognition with Bikini Widow, marking her ascent from a manipulated wife to a screen icon. The public triumph contrasts with the private cost of Alan's schemes. Belmont's shadow lingers as the price of Barbara's dream remains steep.

Alan is sent to prison, ending his bid for control over Barbara Ann and her life. In his prison dictation, he claims the acts were all justified by love and devotion. The film closes on the note that manipulation, not love, drove the tragedy.