Deep Dive Disney St. Patrick's Day Special: Wes Looks at Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Top O’ the Mornin’ to Ya! Erin go Bragh! Insert other stereotypical Irish saying here! Welcome ye lads and lasses to a very special St. Patrick’s Day edition of Deep Dive Disney. Today, everyone is a little bit Irish, even my Italian ass! So, to celebrate the day, I thought I’d look way back to 1959 to look at one of Disney’s more obscure live action films that happens to be a personal favorite, Darby O’Gill and The Little People. Not a lot of people know about this one, which I personally think is a shame because there’s just something so charming about it that even though it doesn’t quite measure up to some of the grander epics in Disney’s Library, it still leaves an impression due to its likable characters, talented cast (including a young pre-James Bond Sean Connery), and memorable moments. So why don’t we head on over to the Emerald Isle and take a look at this underrated classic. Our story brings us to a small town in Ireland where we meet Darby O’Gill and his young adult daughter Katie. While a bit of a lazy drunk, Darby is nonetheless respected around the town and can often be found at the local pub telling tales of the fabled Little People of Knocknasheega, better known as Leprechauns. Apparently Darby once faced Brian Connors, the King of the Leprechauns in a battle of wits and nearly got the better of him. Darby works as a caretaker for the estate of a wealthy lord, though doesn’t always do the best job. Lord Fitzpatrick is fond of old Darby, but knows he’s getting on in years and declares that he’ll soon be forced into retirement and replaced by a young Dublin man named Michael McBride. Through a series of events too complicated to sum up succinctly, Darby once again encounters King Brian and captures him, promising to let the leprechaun go only after he’s granted him three wishes, hoping to take advantage of the little man's magic to change his current situation. However, the longer he keeps the king of the leprechauns as his captive the greater the threat of retaliation from the spirit world. It’s a fun family film that I feel deserves more attention, so let us dive down the well into the halls of Knocknasheega and take a look at Darby O’Gill and the Little People.

Main Character:

As I said at the top, Darby O’Gill appears to be a lazy drunk prone to tall tales, but he’s just such a friendly, likable and charming guy that you can understand why people like hanging out with him. Sure some of the townsfolk who listen to his stories at the pub probably think he’s either crazy or full of shit, but he tells the stories so well that they not only indulge him, they hang on his every word. It would be so easy to write the townsfolk to dismiss Darby and make him the town oddball, but this angle, at least to me, is infinitely more interesting. I bet if I ran into this old dude at a bar, I’d probably sit at his table, listen to his stories and share a pint with him. According to Katie, Darby became very lonely after his wife passed away, so he started neglecting his work and spending more time at the pub because the company helped him through the tough times. Speaking as someone who’s suffered a big loss of his own, I completely understand where Darby’s head is at. Being around others can be a nice distraction from grief. A deeply superstitious man, Darby has apparently done his homework when it comes to dealing with Leprechauns and other members of the fair folk. Any time he encounter’s King Brian, he is prepared for most of the tricks or loopholes that the Leprechaun might use to screw him over. I really enjoy how he manages to outwit a five-thousand-year-old supernatural being on multiple occasions. He also demonstrates great forethought when it comes to making his wishes and seems to know which wishes will likely backfire on him. And, in the end, Darby also proves himself both brave and selfless when he uses his last wish to trade his life for Katie’s. Overall, Darby O’Gill is just a likable guy through and through and one that you can easily relate to.

Villain:

The closest thing we have to a main villain in this story is the local Bully, Pony Sugrue. I’m just going to come out and say it, Pony is effectively the prototype for Gaston in that he’s a large musclebound jerk who fancies himself a ladies’ man. The key difference between the two is that Gaston was able to convince the townsfolk that he was some kind of hero while the people in this movie seem to have little patience for Pony’s bullshit and everyone generally sees him for the jackass that he is. Pony’s main goal, which he’s pushed into by his mother who’s also kind of a villain herself, is to replace Darby as caretaker to Lord Fitzpatrick’s estate since that’s seen as a position of respectability in town. To that end, he tries to court Katie and even knocks out Michael and pours liquor all over him to convince his lordship to fire him. Every second this dude is on screen sporting that shit-eating grin of his, you just want to punch him. He’s the kind of villain you seriously want to see get his ass kicked and to the film’s credit, it eventually delivers.

Side Characters:

There’s not too much to say about the individual townsfolk. They all seem like pleasant folks (Pony and his mother notwithstanding) and genuinely come across as a close knit community that cares for one another. They’re not really developed but they don’t really have to be. They’re just nice people.

Now let’s discuss Katie, who I swear is cuteness personified. I swear to god, this actress has the warmest and most intoxicating smile I’ve ever seen in my life. She’s super adorable and brightens up any room she enters with her mere presence. To her credit though, she is much more than a pretty face. She cares deeply for her father and is having none of Pony’s advances. At first, she’s not too keen on Michael either, especially once she learns that he’s there to take her father’s job, but over time, they do develop this genuine affection for one another and end up making this really sweet couple.

Speaking of, let’s talk about Michael. If there’s one thing people know this movie for, it’s the fact that it features a young Sean Connery, who, at the time, was still a relative unknown. Connery had always been known a man of boundless charisma, and you can see the beginnings of that here. Is he on the level that he eventually would be when he’d take up the mantle of 007, not quite, but, much like the rest of the cast, he’s charming nonetheless. You get a sense that he doesn’t really want to put a poor old man out of a job and is willing to keep him on once he takes over. You also believe it when he falls for Katie and like I said, the two actors have really great chemistry.

Now for the most interesting character in the movie, King Brian himself. As the five-thousand-year-old King of the Leprechaun’s, King Brian fancies himself a master of trickery and manipulation as well as above the laws of mere mortals. When he learns that Darby will soon be out of a job, he kidnaps him and brings him to his kingdom in the Fairy Mountain of Knocknasheega where he must now stay forever, believing that in doing so, he’s doing the old man a favor. See, despite the fact that they may be adversaries, King Brian and Darby actually have a tremendous amount of respect for one another and Brian genuinely appreciates Darby telling tales of their encounter in order to make sure the townsfolk revere the little people. While he's appropriately angry and frustrated any time Darby gets the better of him, you get the sense that he thinks of Darby as a great friend and enjoys their many battles of wit. There’s this nice moment towards the end where Darby is being taken to the afterlife by the Death Coach and King Brian decides to join him on the journey. Brian admits how much he’s enjoyed their time together and promises to keep an eye on Katie and Michael once he’s gone. He then does something really cool as he utilizes a loophole in the rules of Leprechaun magic that once used to screw Darby over, but this time, uses it to save his life. I just get the sense that Brian likes the world better with a guy like Darby in it.

Songs:

While not a musical by any means, Darby O’Gill and the Little People still features a couple of memorable songs. Pretty Irish Girl is a fun and catchy little love song sung by Michael. Sean Connery isn’t exactly the best singer, but song is still nice and I’ve heard plenty of covers from other artists that make it work.

The Wishing song is a fun little drinking song that Darby and Brian sing together while getting blitzed on Poitin. I love this moment because it once again shows that while the two may be adversaries, they still genuinely enjoy hanging out together. Great stuff.

Memorable Scenes:

Continuing from our last section, my favorite scene in the movie comes right after The Wishing Song. See, the whole song was actually a ruse to get King Brian good and drunk and distract him until the sun comes up since Leprechaun magic is not as strong during the day and Darby can take advantage. Naturally, Brian is furious and starts making threats, but Darby just laughs it off and threatens to feed King Brian to his cat unless Brian grants him three wishes. Brian is of course, reluctant, which of course leads to the funniest image in the entire film. Look at that, Darby, holding a cat like it’s an assault rifle and using it to threaten a Leprechaun. Every time I see it I just laugh out loud. How could you not. It’s so absurd, yet so fun.

Story:

While many Disney movies were going for deeper meaning, I don’t really think that this is one of them. It’s just a romp that’s trying to be fun for the whole family, using this colorful Irish village as a backdrop. I am not Irish, or at least I don’t have enough Irish in me to brag about it, but something about Ireland has always appealed to me and I think the same can be said of these filmmakers. Sure they indulge in the occasional stereotype here and there, but I take that with a grain of salt. It was the 50’s after all and we’ve seen far worse from this decade here on Deep Dive Disney. I still need a shower any time I think about What Made the Red Man Red. I can see some Irish people finding this offensive, but I don’t think any stereotypes present were included with malicious intent. And it’s worth noting that the person who introduced me to this film was actually from Ireland so, take that however you will.

The Dark Disney Factor:

It feels like it’s been a while since we covered a film featuring some genuine scares, but fortunately, this movie fills that gap. Throughout the second act, King Brian is warning Darby that if he holds him captive too long, his people will have no choice but to put the come hither on Katie. And indeed, towards the end of the film, Katie is led up the Fairy Mountain by a pooka, a dark spirit disguised as a horse. The Pooka leads Katie right into the path of the Banshee, a truly nightmarish specter whose ghostly wail signals certain and impending death. The Banshee itself is a nightmare and I know several people who were terrified of this spook when they saw the movie as children. Mind you, I wasn’t scared by it, but keep in mind, I was twenty-nine when I first saw this movie. I bet if I was six when I saw this, I probably would have had nightmares for years. Sure the effect looks pretty dated now, but in 1959, I bet it looked amazing. And the banshee is not the only nightmare we encounter in this movie. It’s soon joined by the horrifying Death Coach, pulled by flying spectral horses and driven by a headless coachman who calls Darby’s name. There’s something deeply unsettling about the coming of the Death Coach, especially once we learn that even King Brian is powerless against it.

Final Thoughts: I had a blast revisiting this movie. Is it a grand epic that's going to win all kinds of awards like Mary Poppins or Beauty & The Beast, hell no, but it doesn't have to be. It's a fun little family film that puts a smile on your face, and in the end, I guess that's all you really need out of a film. For that reason, this one has remained a personal favorite and one I revisit often and I'm glad I got to share it with you all. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you and I hope you have fun, but do remember, drink responsibly. Anyway, back to my St. Paddy's Day tradition, Whiskey and Liam Neeson Movies! Woo!