Darby O’Gill and the Little People

After traumatizing a whole generation with “Old Yeller,” Walt Disney and director Robert Stevenson decided to go lighter with “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” released in 1959. Ken Hanke said in his review, “Though the movie is much prized by Disneyphiles and admirers of 1950s fantasy, I have to admit that by the second or third time I saw leprechauns depicted as magical by speeding up the film, I was hoping for someone to show up with a gun. Heresy? Very likely, but I really think this is a movie that works best if you saw it as a kid (somehow I didn’t), or if you have endless tolerance for quaint blarney. It’s not a bad movie, though its much-praised scary-effects sequences—the banshee and the “death coach”—now look and feel altogether too much like a ride through the Haunted Mansion at Disney World.”

In fact, “Darby O’Gill” is very good at being what it is: the simple story of an old man, Darby (Albert Sharpe), and his ongoing fight with King Brian (Jimmy O’Dea), the ruler of the leprechauns. Most of the story concerns Brian making Darby look like a dishonest fool by never letting anyone but the old boy see him. The question is less one of quality than whether or not the material attracts you. It’s a classic case of “if you like this, it’s the type you will like.”

Hanke admitted, “For me, it’s just too precious.” Most people seem to disagree. It does have the novelty value of seeing the late Sean Connery before he became 007 (he also sings) as the romantic lead. That (not to mention Connery’s unusual eyebrows) may make it worth a look by itself.

I had completely forgotten that Nostalgia Critic had mentioned the banshee being the “Scariest Nostalgic Moment.” Of course, I don’t agree because it is a dated effect and a lot of people did. However, this is a good movie to check out because it is a classic. Especially seeing Connery in the main lead, which is something that no one thought about at the time, but he did a great job, as always. See it on Disney+ and enjoy.

Tomorrow I will look at a rather odd film in “Disney Month 2024.”