The Million Dollar Duck

Albert is a dedicated scientist who struggles to make ends meet, forcing the Dooley household to tighten its budget. Katie tries to stretch every dollar with simple meals, including an experimental homemade applesauce. The financial stress foreshadows the chaos that will follow.

Katie's well-meaning lunch plan for Albert ends up in the trash, a mistake that triggers a bizarre chain of events. The uneaten meal is discovered by a duck undergoing tests in a radiation lab, setting the stage for something extraordinary. The discovery marks the first crack in the family’s ordinary life.

The radiation accident transforms Charley into a remarkable, albeit unwieldy, source of fascination. The family quickly discovers the duck behaves differently and attracts attention beyond their understanding. What seemed like a small mishap spirals into a public spectacle.

Asked to dispose of Charley, Albert chooses to hide the family crisis by giving Charley to his son Jimmy, who has been dreaming of a pet. The plan backfires as the duck's oddities begin to expose the family's secret to the outside world. The hidden wealth becomes impossible to contain.

Charley responds to a Pavlovian trigger—the bark of a dog—and lays eggs with gold yolks. The golden eggs promise wealth but bring new dangers and moral questions. The family realizes the extraordinary power they have stumbled upon.

The Dooley family initially guards the fortune and shares the secret only with a small circle—Albert, Katie, Jimmy, and Fred—while they wrestle with ethics and practicality. The balance between secrecy and temptation tightens their bonds and tests loyalties. Tension grows as more eyes turn toward Charley’s nest of riches.

News travels beyond the kitchen, drawing the wary attention of neighbor Mr. Hooper, whose quiet menace hints at government interest. Hooper's observations grow into a formal concern as others begin to notice the duck’s extraordinary eggs. The family senses that privacy is slipping away.

Whispers reach the corridors of power as officials mull the economic implications of unlimited golden eggs. A formal order to capture Charley moves from rumor to policy. The once-private fortune becomes a matter of national curiosity and risk.

Jimmy, Charley, and two teenage friends hop onto a hot rod and try to outrun the authorities. The pursuit underlines how quickly the family's life has been upended by wealth and power. The chase becomes a grind of speed and peril.

On a precarious ladder between two parking garages, Albert lunges to grab Jimmy's hand as the rungs threaten to give way. The moment seals Albert’s resolve to protect his son rather than chase riches. The family’s bond is put to the ultimate test under pressure.

Albert is arrested for owning gold as a private citizen, a stark consequence of their unplanned fortune. The family faces a courtroom heat that threatens to fracture their fragile unity. The state’s fear of disruption clashes with personal duty.

In court, a judge asks Charley to lay an egg to prove the duck’s golden power; the egg reveals only a plain yolk, showing the magic faded with time. The charges against Albert are dismissed, underscoring the film’s message about wealth and responsibility. The courtroom scene pivots on a simple test of belief and truth.

Albert reflects that the golden duck cannot replace love and safety. The Dooley family keeps Charley as a beloved pet, and the judge warns that if another golden egg appears, it should be buried. The story closes on a reminder that family and integrity are worth more than wealth.