This week’s mystery movie was the 1959 Walt Disney picture “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” with Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy O’Dea, Kieron Moore, Estelle Winwood, Walter Fitzgerald, Denis O’Dea, J.G. Devlin, Jack MacGowran, Farrell Delly and Nora O’Mahony.
Photography by Winton C. Hoch. Edited by Stanley Johnson, special effects by Peter Ellenshaw and Eustace Lycett, animation effects by Joshua Meador. Assistant director Robert G. Shannon, costumes by Chuck Keehne and Gertrude Casey.
Makeup by Pat McNalley, hairstyles by Ruth Sandifer, sound by Robert O. Cook, sound mixing by Dean Thomas, technical advisor Michael O’Herlihy, music editor Evelyn Kennedy.
Art direction by Carroll Clark, special art styling by Peter Ellenshaw and Don Da Gradi, set decoration by Emile Kuri and Fred MacLean.
Music by Oliver Wallace, orchestration by Clifford Vaughan. “The Wishing Song” and “Pretty Irish Girl” by Lawrence Edward Watkin and Oliver Wallace.
Written by Lawrence Edward Watkin. Suggested by H.T. Kavanagh’s Darby O’Gill stories.
Directed by Robert Stevenson.
“Darby O’Gill and the Little People” is available on DVD from TCM and is streaming at Disney Plus.
Everyone has their own way of remembering the late Sean Connery, and this is mine. It’s a charming movie with catchy tunes and a surprisingly clever and well-constructed plot for a Disney film, which are often formulaic. I missed this film in the theaters, though I saw “The Shaggy Dog,” which came out the same year – I was so disappointed that it was in black and white.
Out of curiosity, I went looking for the author, Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, and I found “Darby O’Gill and the Good People” at Archive.org. Kavanagh, the wife of a Superior Court judge in Chicago, was born in the UK in 1876 and died in 1933 at the age of 61. The book was first serialized in McClure’s magazine (available via UNZ.org, a wonderful repository of vintage magazines).
The 1901 magazine story has some interesting illustrations by Gustave Verbeek:
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Nora O’Mahony / O’Mahoney.
For Tuesday, we have another mystery woman.
Update: This is Maureen Halligan.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mysterious man of the cloth.
Update: This is Denis O’Dea.
We also have this mystery fellow. A rather annoying sort.
Update: This is Kieron Moore.
And finally, we have this well-dressed mystery gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
Update: For Friday, I added our mysterious guest of honor.
Update: This Sean Connery and Walter Fitzgerald.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Chrisbo (mystery movie).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this regal mystery guest.
Update: This is Jimmy O’Dea.
And finally, we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Estelle Winwood.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
For Friday, we have our mystery fiddle player.
Update: This is Albert Sharpe.
Also for Friday, a mysterious Irish lass.
Update: This is Janet Murno, who I was surprised to learn died in 1972 at the age of 38.
And finally…. Yes, he sings in this movie.
Update: This is Sean Connery. He also sings (memorably) in “The Man Who Would Be King.”
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Beach Gal (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery guests), Funky PhD (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Gary (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Candace R. Copley (mystery movie) and Benito (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery lout and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Florence Eldridge in “The Winslow Boy” in 1958’s DuPont Show of the Month?
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That would be interesting… But alas, no. You’re in the right decade, though. 🙂
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Catherine Lacey
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An interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Nora O’Mahoney and Maureen Halligan in DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE.
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Is the film Darby O’Gill and the Little People?
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So far, I only have an obscure observation on your photo choices. If Monday’s image had shown someone smoking a cigarette, by Wednesday you would have had the set up for the song “Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild Wild Women” by Tim Spencer.
But then, maybe Tuesday’s woman is not ‘wild, wild’, just very excited. She looks like she runs a small town post office, so maybe some thrilling news has arrived and she is sharing.
Looking forward to being able to actually make a guess, maybe on Wednesday.
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DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE. Nora O’Mahoney Monday, Maureen Halligan Tuesday, Denis O’Dea with Sean Connery as BOTH guy, Kieron Moore, and Walter Fitzgerald.
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
Monday: Nora O’Mahoney
Tuesday: Maureen Halligan
Wednesday: Denis O’Dea; Kieron Moore; Walter Fitzgerald, Sean Connery
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Denis O’Dea and Kieron Moore today
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Oh, and Walter Fitzgerald. And I’ll say Estelle Winwood on Tuesday
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Movie: The Quiet Man. Tuesday’s mystery woman: Mildred Natwick
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An excellent guess! Right setting and right decade.
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Denis O’Dea, Keiron Moore and Walter Fitzgerald.
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The Rising of the Moon 1957
Just a shot in the dark and from the description, it’s a movie I’d like to see.
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“Darby O’Gill and the Little People”
Mon – Nora O’Mahoney
Tues – Maureen Halligan
Wed – Denis O’Dea, Kieron Moore, Walter Fitzgerald
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) w/Sean Connery, Janet Munro, Kieron Moore, Estelle Winwood, Nora O’Mahoney, Albert Sharpe, …
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Jimmy O’Dea and Estelle Winwood.
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Thurs final photo is Estelle Winwood. Might this be Darby O’Gill and the Little People?
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Wed man of the cloth is Denis O’Dea
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Thurs little king is Jimmy O’Dea
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Wed 2nd photo is Kieron Moore
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For Thursday we have Estelle Winwood. The movie is “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.”
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Wed photo 3 is Walter Fitzgerald
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Monday – I think this is Nora O’Mahoney
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Tues – woman is Maureen Halligan
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Friday we will see Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Albert Sharpe.
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People 1959
Estelle Winwood and Jimmy O’Dea
Earlier, Kieron Moore, Denis O’Dea, Walter Fitzgerald.
I think one of the women is Maureen Halligan.
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There’s Estelle Winwood! And Jimmy O’Dea as King Brian.
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“Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” Thursday’s mystery woman is Estelle Winwood.
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Jimmy O’Dea; Estelle Winwood
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Thurs – Jimmy O’Dea, Estelle Winwood
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People.
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Jimmy O’Dea and Estelle Winwood.
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I captured the king of the leprechauns ?
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Jimmy O’Dea and Estelle Winwood in Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
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This is Estelle Winwood in Harry Darby and the Little People. Must be Thursday if I’m right.
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Profoundly embarrassing. Well and truly. Watched “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” a few months ago on Disney +. The shame.
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Our movie is Darby O’Gill and the Little People. For Monday, Nora Mahoney is our mystery guest. For Tuesday, it’s Maureen Halligan, and for Wednesday, it’s Denis O’Dea, Kieron Moore, and Walter Fitzgerald. For today, we have Jimmy O’Dea and Estelle Winwood.
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Expect Sean Connery tomorrow.
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I spy Kieran Moore, Jimmy O’Dea, and Estelle Winwood in DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE. Janet Munro coming up!
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Fri – Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, and Sean Connery
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Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro and Sean Connery.
Looking forward to Saturday’s breakdown.
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Albert sharpe, Janet Munro, and Bond, James Bond Mr. Sean Connery.
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Albert Sharpe; Janet Munro; Sean Connery.
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Fri – Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery
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Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro and Sean Connery.
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Friday mystery guests are Albert Sharp, Janet Munro and Sean Connery.
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