Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1959
G
1h 33m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

9.6K

YOUR RATING

Sean Connery, Kieron Moore, Janet Munro, Jimmy O'Dea, and Albert Sharpe in Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)

A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.

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Adventure Family Fantasy Romance

A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.

Director
- Robert Stevenson
Writers
- Lawrence Edward Watkin
- H.T. Kavanagh
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

9.6K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Robert Stevenson
Writers
- Lawrence Edward Watkin
- H.T. Kavanagh
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win

Molly Malloy
(as Nora O'Mahony)

Brandon Beach

Pub Patron
(uncredited)

Chet Brandenburg

Pub Patron
(uncredited)

Patrick Sullivan Burke

Leprechaun
(uncredited)

Jack Deery

Townsman
(uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

Townsman
(uncredited)

Joanne Genthon

Witch
(uncredited)

Director
- Robert Stevenson
Writers
- Lawrence Edward Watkin
- H.T. Kavanagh
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The leprechaun effects look very high tech and complicated, but most of them were achieved very simply by placing the "normal sized" actors closer to the camera than the "tiny" ones and lining them up on the same horizontal plane through the lens so the distance between them could not be detected. This technique is known as "forced perspective."

Goofs
When Michael and Katie escape from the the bully in the field, Michael's neck-scarf has fallen down his shirt and is no longer visible. After Katie mentions that she didn't care if Michael got hurt, his scarf suddenly is tied prominently around his neck and plumped under his chin.

Quotes
[inside the Death Coach]
Darby O'Gill: In the years to come, maybe you'll keep an eye on Katie and Michael.
King Brian: I'll do that. T'is a pity you won't be there to see them married.
Darby O'Gill: Ah, it's better for the old to die than the young. In the end, we all have to go.
King Brian: That ye do.
[pause, King Brian gets a sly look on his face]
King Brian: I wish I could go with you all the way.
Darby O'Gill: [sighs] I wish ye could, too.
King Brian: [laughing] An' you a knowledgeable man! Ha ha ha ha! Darby, you've wished your *fourth* wish!
[Darby starts]
King Brian: Good-bye, Darby me friend!
[Brian magically pushes him out of the coach; the coach drives off with Brian inside, still laughing]

Crazy credits
In the opening credits: My thanks to King Brian of Knocknasheega and his Leprechauns, whose gracious co-operation made this picture possible. - Walt Disney

Alternate versions
A minor difference between the two laserdisc versions: in the second (Re-Mastered) version, King Brian orders the Strativarius fetched in Irish whereas it was in English in the first version.

Connections
Edited into The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999)

Soundtracks
The Wishing Song
Written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and Oliver Wallace
Performed by Albert Sharpe and Jimmy O'Dea (uncredited)

User reviews88

Review

Featured review

9/10

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