Darby O'Gill and the Little People facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Robert Stevenson
Produced by	Bill Anderson Walt Disney
Written by	H. T. Kavanagh (stories) Lawrence Edward Watkin
Starring	Albert Sharpe Janet Munro Sean Connery Jimmy O'Dea Kieron Moore Estelle Winwood Walter Fitzgerald
Music by	Oliver Wallace
Cinematography	Winton Hoch
Editing by	Stanley Johnson
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	June 24, 1959 (1959-06-24) (Dublin) June 26, 1959 (1959-06-26) (Los Angeles)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Money made	Original release: $2.6 million (est. US/ Canada rentals) 1969 re-release: $2.3 million (US/ Canada rentals)

Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 American fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, adapted from the Darby O'Gill stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Lawrence Edward Watkin, the film stars Albert Sharpe as O'Gill alongside Janet Munro, Sean Connery, and Jimmy O'Dea.

Plot

Darby O'Gill and his daughter, Katie, live together in Rathcullen, a small Irish town, where Darby is the caretaker for Lord Fitzpatrick's estate. Darby continually tries to catch a tribe of leprechauns, particularly their king, Brian Connors.

Lord Fitzpatrick retires Darby, replacing him with a young Dubliner named Michael McBride. Darby begs Michael not to tell Katie he has been replaced, and he reluctantly agrees. While chasing Fitzpatrick's horse, Cleopatra, who is actually a pooka, Darby is captured by Brian and the leprechauns and taken to their mountain lair, Knocknasheega. Brian brought Darby there to prevent Katie from learning he lost his job. Darby cannot leave Knocknasheega as a consequence.

Darby tricks the leprechauns into opening the mountain and leaving by playing "The Fox Chase" on Brian's violin. Darby escapes, and expecting Brian to pursue him, engages him in a drinking game with a jug of poitín, allowing him to capture the leprechaun at sunrise when his magic has no effect. Since Darby caught him, Brian grants him three wishes, but warns that wishing for a fourth forfeits them all. Darby's first wish is for Brian to stay by his side for two weeks or until Darby runs out of wishes. Brian tricks Darby into using his second wish to draw Katie and Michael closer together.

Pony Sugrue, the town bully, decides to take Michael's new job and Katie for himself. Pony's mother, Sheelah, tells Katie about Darby's retirement, causing Katie to angrily confront Darby and Michael. Katie discovers Cleopatra has gotten loose again and chases her to Knocknasheega. Darby later finds her stricken with a deadly fever. A banshee appears and summons the Dullahan on a death coach to transport Katie's soul. Brian sadly grants Darby's third wish to take Katie's place. Inside the death coach, Brian consoles Darby, then tricks him into wishing he would have Brian's company in the afterlife. This counts as a fourth wish and Brian voids all his others. Darby is freed from the death coach and returns to Katie, who makes a full recovery. Michael later confronts and humiliates Pony at the pub. Michael and Katie fall in love with Darby's approval.

Cast