Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Lawrence Edward Watkin (written by)
H.T. Kavanagh ("Darby O'Gill" stories)

Release Date:

26 June 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

More than a wee bit of magical shenanigans!

Plot:

In the enchanted Emerald Isle, Darby O'Gill spins tall tales of leprechauns and banshees. Unfortunately...

Plot Keywords:

Wish Fulfillment | Male Female Relationship | Priest | Catholic Priest | Banshee

Cast

Albert Sharpe	...	Darby O'Gill
Janet Munro	...	Katie O'Gill
Sean Connery	...	Michael McBride
Jimmy O'Dea	...	King Brian
Kieron Moore	...	Pony Sugrue
Estelle Winwood	...	Sheelah Sugrue
Walter Fitzgerald	...	Lord Fitzpatrick
Denis O'Dea	...	Father Murphy
J.G. Devlin	...	Tom Kerrigan
Jack MacGowran	...	Phadrig Oge
Farrell Pelly	...	Paddy Scanlon
Nora O'Mahoney	...	Molly Malloy (as Nora O'Mahony)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Sullivan Burke	...	Leprechaun (uncredited)
Maureen Halligan	...	Gossiping woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Stevenson

Writing credits
Lawrence Edward Watkin		(written by)
H.T. Kavanagh		("Darby O'Gill" stories)

Original Music by
Oliver Wallace

Cinematography by
Winton C. Hoch		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stanley E. Johnson		(as Stanley Johnson)

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri
Fred M. MacLean		(as Fred MacLean)

Makeup Department
Pat McNalley	....	makeup artist
Ruth Sandifer	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert G. Shannon	....	assistant director
Charles Norton	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert O. Cook	....	sound supervisor
Dean Thomas	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	special photographic effects
Eustace Lycett	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)

Animation Department
Joshua Meador	....	animation effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gertrude Casey	....	costumer
Chuck Keehne	....	costumer

Music Department
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Don DaGradi	....	special art styling (as Don Da Gradi)
Walt Disney	....	presenter
Peter Ellenshaw	....	special art styling
Michael O'Herlihy	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Film Distribution Company (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Walt Disney Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Gativideo (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Little People (USA)
The Wishes of Darby O'Gill (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:G (video rating) | Australia:G | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | USA:Approved (certificate #19015) (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | UK:U | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Albertson Ranch, Triunfo, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

Walt Disney was initially hoping to cast Barry Fitzgerald in the dual roles of Darby O'Gill and King Brian. Fitzgerald reportedly declined due to his advanced age (although his eventual replacement as Darby, Albert Sharpe, was three years his senior). Disney regretted the loss of Fitzgerald in the lead role, and blamed the film's disappointing box-office performance partly on this loss.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Wires are often visible when the leprechauns are jumping or making things fly about.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Katie O'Gill: Come in, Mrs. Sugrue!
Sheelah Sugrue: Katie, darlin'! Can you lend me the loan of a small pinch o' tea; I'll pay ye back Thursday.
Katie O'Gill: Ye can have it an' welcome.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Swiss Family Robinson: Adventure in the Making (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Rakes of Mallow

Here's to Darby O'Gill

I do not know how much I would like this movie if I saw it today for the first time. But, since I grew up on this movie, I have no choice but to absolutely love it. We had this videocassette in our closet for years, it didn't have a cover on it, but it didn't need one. Wow, how I grew up on those colorful special effects. Those leprechauns riding small white horses around an old Irish man playing the fiddle. The horse turning silvery when enchanted by the leprechauns. The Banshee. Oh, that Banshee. You've never seen a scarier Banshee on film and you never will. A fantastic movie. A young Sean Connery is in it, and that old woman with that scary voice is fantastic. And Darby O'Gill...ahh.. one of the best family films and fantasy movies out there. ANd don't forget the scary, black creativity of the Death Cab.

Here's to Darby O'Gill. Clink

My grade: 9/10