Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1959

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Critics Consensus

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Darby O'Gill and the Little People Photos

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Movie Info

Darby O'Gill (Albert Sharpe ) is a fiddle playing caretaker of an Irish governor's estate. Nearing retirement, Michael McBride (Sean Connery) arrives as Darby's replacement. That night, Darby chases a runaway horse to a haunted hilltop and falls down a well. He ends up in the land of the leprechauns, where the diminutive King Brian orders him to play his fiddle. The leprechauns proceed to dance a wild jig before they leave their home and invade the nearby town for a night of revelry. Darby escapes, and King Brian follows him home, where the two engage in an all night drinking binge. In the morning the King is rendered powerless and Darby won't let the King leave until he is granted three wishes. The King tricks Darby into using up two of the wishes, but the third wish is used for uniting the new caretaker and Darby's beautiful daughter in marriage. When his daughter hits her head on a rock and nears death, Darby offers to take her place. He is saved from boarding a terrifying death coach by a grateful King Brian's magic powers. Walt Disney personally toured Ireland and researched the legends, people and customs of the Emerald Isle years before the film was made. The special effects are excellent, and the viewer has no trouble believing the dancing leprechauns are less than two feet tall in this delightful fantasy.

Rating:

G
Genre:

Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Directed By:

Robert Stevenson
Written By:

Lawrence Edward Watkin
In Theaters:

Jun 26, 1959 limited
On Disc/Streaming:

Aug 3, 2004
Runtime:

93 minutes
Studio:

Buena Vista Pictures

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Cast

Albert Sharpe
as Darby O'Gill

Janet Munro
as Katie

Sean Connery
as Michael McBride

Jimmy O'Dea
as King Brian

Kieron Moore
as Pony Sugrue

Estelle Winwood
as Sheelah

Walter Fitzgerald
as Lord Fitzpatrick

Denis O'Dea
as Father Murphy

J.G. Devlin
as Tom Kerrigan

Jack MacGowran
as Phadrig Oge

Farrell Pelly
as Paddy Scanlon

Nora O'Mahoney
as Molly Malloy

Maureen Halligan
as Gossiping woman

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News & Interviews for Darby O'Gill and the Little People

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Sean Connery Earns AFI’s Highest Honor

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Critic Reviews for Darby O'Gill and the Little People

All Critics (14) | Top Critics (2) | DVD (2)

[An] overpoweringly charming concoction of standard Gaelic tall stories, fantasy and romance.

Mar 25, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

A.H. Weiler
New York Times
Top Critic
For those of a sentimental turn, there is the delight of watching young Connery romancing the ineffably wholesome Janet Munro, a couple of years before things turned nasty for Commander Bond at Crab Key with the somewhat more knowing Ursula Andress.

Feb 11, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
Top Critic
It's not quite as well-known as it should be but it's really delightful.

May 13, 2019 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…

Rachel Wagner
Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)
The film presents a series of utterly charming moments, some magical and some down-to-earth but, considering the setting, equally utopian.

Mar 10, 2008

Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser
...ultimately an entertaining (if all-too-slight) piece of work.

Jun 21, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
One of the rare few family movies that should enchant both children and grown-ups.

Apr 30, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
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.

Mar 14, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
It's a delightful movie filled with delightful characters, delightful scenery, and delightful special effects.

Sep 25, 2004 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…

John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis
This excellent fantasy romps through the folklore world of Ireland.

Jul 30, 2003 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…

TV Guide

View All Critic Reviews (14)

Audience Reviews for Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Apr 29, 2012

Inconsequential Disney. Darby O'Gill doesn't come up in any list of Disney classics or fondly remembered films from the studio. Why? It's a little fantasy designed to cash in on a culture instead of telling a quality story. The biggest hurdle for the family audience is the thick accents of the main cast, while the somewhat plodding story tends to be an issue as well. It's not a badly made movie; it's just "meh." The forced perspective shots of the leprechauns, though, is a treat.

Jason V Super Reviewer
Sep 09, 2007

I liked it when I was a kid. Seeing Connery so young is a little strange. The banshee in the movie was pretty scary when I was a kid and I think it still gives me a chill just thinking about it.

Jason S Super Reviewer
Jun 04, 2007

This one i just couldn't get interested in. Just so happens that both my parents LOVE this movie! Hmmm... looks like a generational gap this one. So... apparently if you were born earlier than 1970, this is a necessary watch and quite funny! If you were born after 1970, don't expect a life-changing experience. It's humourous, yes, but not my era.

Kevin T Super Reviewer
Sep 07, 2006

Little known precious gem.

Dannielle A Super Reviewer