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Luck of the Irish: Darby O’Gill and the Little People, Part 2 — 5 Comments

  1. Welcome back, Jean, and thanks! I think you're conflating two different scenes in Darby O'Gill. The scene on the cart is at the very end, after Michael has given Pony Sugrue the thrashing he so richly deserves; Sean and Janet sing a reprise of "My Pretty Irish Girl" as a beaming Darby drives them home.

    The only kiss comes near the midway point. Michael and Katie have just strolled the ruins atop Knocknasheega (thinking it was their own idea, when it was really planted in their dreams by King Brian the night before). On the way home, Michael challenges her: "You've no interest in me at all?" She shakes her head no, but her eyes challenge him to make her a liar. "You're certain sure?" She nods, but leans forward, closing her eyes and puckering her lips. Michael smirks at her and walks on, leaving her behind.

    Meanwhile, at the window of the cottage, where Darby and King Brian are peeping on the young couple, the King snorts with disgust. "And him a Dublin man!" But wait, Darby says, look! Katie, opening her eyes and now exasperated, runs after Michael, spins him around, and plants a big one right smack on his lips. Then she runs on, and your 13-year-old's memory of his appreciative little smile is right on the money.

    "Boyish and sweet" is a perfect description of Sean Connery in his first American picture. When I screened Darby for the family, LuAnn was enthralled. Every sentence she said about it ended with "…and Sean Connery was so cute!"

  2. Hi Jim…playing catch up on your excellent blog posts. Here's how I remember it…Sean and Janet are riding on the back of a cart having a spirited and flirty conversation. As she jumps down – or maybe he lifts her down?? – SHE plants a kiss on HIM and then runs away as the camera lingers on his reaction, an appreciative little smile that sent my 13 old libido into overdrive! It's interesting to think that if this movie had been a bigger hit, Sean might have done more high profile work over the next three years and somehow missed out on being "discovered" as James Bond. But seeing that photo of him in your post explains one of the reasons why it took me a while back thento connect the dots and recognize him…he's just a different person! Bond is many things, but boyish and sweet are not among them.

  3. Jim, I'm constantly astounded by your lovingly detailed installments of DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE. The special effects never create "spoilers" for me, because I always enjoy hearing about how they came to be (on a somewhat related note, I also like to read the end of a story first and THEN read the whole book from start to finish. Granted, I'm eccentric. :-)) I got a kick out of the "Going To the Matte" gag, too! 🙂 I can hardly wait to read your next installment!

  4. Learning some of the tricks sure doesn't diminish the effects on film. I was certainly impressed with that first scene with all the leprechauns dancing around.