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25 of the creepiest Disney movies ever made

By Sarah Crocker

TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT - Pixar Animation Studios presents "Toy Story That Time Forgot," featuring your favorite characters from the "Toy Story" films, airing THURSDAY, DEC. 12 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (Disney/Pixar 2014)REX, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, WOODY, TRIXIE
TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT - Pixar Animation Studios presents "Toy Story That Time Forgot," featuring your favorite characters from the "Toy Story" films, airing THURSDAY, DEC. 12 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (Disney/Pixar 2014)REX, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, WOODY, TRIXIE /
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People (Image via Walt Disney Productions)

11. Darby O’Gill and the Little People

A 1959 Disney movie for kids doesn’t sound that scary, right? It’s got a young Sean Connery (before we all learned that he thinks it’s cool to slap women), a few Irish stereotypes, and some leprechauns that straddle the divide between cute and creepy. Oh, and it also has a screaming death ghost. Standard kiddie fare.

Darby O’Gill is played by Albert Sharpe. Sean Connery plays Michael McBride, a young man who takes O’Gill’s caretaking job. So, Connery is actually a supporting player (remember, his breakthrough role as James Bond didn’t happen until 1962).

The aging O’Gill feels bad about losing his job and hides from his daughter, Katie. Lord Fitzpatrick, his boss, does at least give him half-pay and a rent-free cottage, which is honestly way more than many lords gave their Irish workers at the time.

King Brian of the leprechauns takes pity on O’Gill and invites the man into the leprechaun’s lair. However, this also means that O’Gill is supposed to stay with them indefinitely. O’Gill tricks them with some fiddle tunes and escapes. He then starts a drinking game with King Brian, which ends up with him having captured the leprechaun king. O’Gill also gets some magic wishes for future use.

Eventually, Katie learns the truth about her father’s job, or lack thereof, and runs away. O’Gill finds her, but she’s managed to get a wicked fever in the process. Enter the banshee, the Irish spirit that heralds death. It is really, truly creepy and definitely out of place in a 1950s kids movie.

O’Gill uses his last wish to take Katie’s place in the banshee’s cóiste bodhar, or death coach. He is en route to the underworld when some leprechaun chicanery saves him at the last second. All’s well that ends well, but it’s going to take some work to scrub that banshee scene out of my mind.

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