by Michael Lyons
Growing up in Long Island, New York, in an Irish-American community, the weeks leading up to Saint Patrick's Day were almost like a "mini-Christmas season." For three to four weeks leading up to March 17th, green decorations would adorn stores and restaurants (many would offer appropriate food specials like, yes, corned beef and cabbage), houses would place paper and plastic shamrocks on their doors, towns would jockey schedules for each weekend to host their Saint Patrick's Day parade and subsequent celebrations, supermarkets would boast displays of Guiness pints and Irish soda bread, and the big parade in New York City on the 17th pre-empted regularly scheduled programming to be shown live, on Channel 11 that day (hosted by local legend, Jack McCarthy).
In fact, I was fortunate enough to be part of the Parade when I marched with my Uncle Pat and the Ancient Order of Hibernians on several Saint Patrick's Days in the late 70s. That lovely bagpipe music still fills my mind, along with the memory of the crowds, excitement and green bagels from Lenders that were given out.
Now, living in Florida, I have traded summer days in the spring for all of that. Saint Patrick's Day here is a day, maybe a weekend, where local restaurants and nationwide chains revamp their menus to offer corned beef and cabbage quesadillas, and beer dyed green that will no doubt have quite the adverse effects on digestive systems.
When I visited New York six years ago in early March (just before COVID shut down the day, the parade, and the world shortly thereafter, sadly), I was reminded of Saint Patrick's Day being a season, and the movies and shows that have become as attached to the holiday for me as Rudolph and It's a Wonderful Life for Christmas.
If you'd like to add them to your seasonal rotation, here they are:
Darby O'Gill and the Little People(1959)
First discovered as a kid, during the summer of 1977, on a double bill with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, this Disney live-action fantasy about the title character (Albert Sharpe), who is the only one in his town in Ireland who can see leprechauns, is true magic. Not only a perfect Saint Patrick's Day movie, but it is also one of the best Disney live-action films.
Here is the 1977 re-issue trailer:
The Jackie Gleason Show: "The Curse of the Kramdens" (1966)
In the 1960s, Jackie Gleason moved his show to Miami Beach and produced hour-long episodes of The Honeymooners...that were musicals. One episode had them all traveling to Ireland to defeat a family curse. As a Honeymooners fan, I discovered this late, but it is pure '60s variety-show, brightly colored goodness... with a whole lot of Irish dancing and a catchy song called "Hospitality."
The episode is very difficult to find outside its DVD release, but here is how Gleason's Miami shows opened each week...
The Brothers McMullen(1995)
From writer/director/star and Long Islander Edward Burns came this Sundance Festival favorite about three adult brothers from an Irish-American family, all forced to live together under the same roof. As a fellow Irish-American/Long Islander, this has hit all the right notes since I first saw it in theaters thirty-one years ago.
Here is the original trailer...
The Lawrence Welk Saint Patrick's Day Show (1979)
Full confession: I bought this for $1.00 on VHS at a charity sale, and after watching it, my wife, Michelle and I discovered that The Lawrence Welk Show airs on PBS every Saturday evening, and we watch it each week.
It’s filled with the feeling of an era where people stayed home on Saturday nights to watch variety shows. Outdated? Sure. Filled with songs that have "faded" a bit? Yeah. But, pure innocence from another time that we sorely need right now? ABSOLUTELY.
The Saint Patrick’s Day episode is chock full of such standards as "It's a Great Day for the Irish," "Galway Bay," and "I'm Lookin' Over a Four Leaf Clover," among many...
Here's the whole show...
The Wearin' of the Grin(1951)
This classic Warner Bros cartoon, directed by the legendary Chuck Jones, features Porky Pig meeting up with some mischievous (and somewhat scary) Leprechauns, and comes full of after-school childhood memories.
Here are just a few minutes...
Waking Ned Devine(1998)
My Dad's favorite Saint Patrick's Day movie, and one he watches each year. It's an underrated comedy gem. A small town in Ireland bands together to collect the winnings from the lottery after the lucky ticket holder passes away. Full of charm, heart, and a devilish wit.
Here is the trailer...
The Fugitive(1993)
If there can be an ongoing fight about Die Hard being a Christmas movie, then I make the case for The Fugitive being a Saint Patrick's Day movie. After all, in one scene, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) makes his escape by joining the Chicago Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
Enjoy the scene here...
The Quiet Man(1952)
The greatest Saint Patrick's Day movie and one of my all-time favorite films. Director John Ford's story of American Sean Thornton (John Wayne), who returns to his family roots in the small town he grew up in in Ireland, is a perfect reflection of the country and its culture.
WPIX, good ol' channel 11 in New York, would show this on or around Saint Patrick's Day each year, and the day just wasn't complete without it.
Here is a WPIX commercial...
And so, there are some memories of shows and movies that have made Saint Patrick's Day special to me over the years. As I watch each one now, I can still smell Aunt Peg's corned beef and cabbage cooking in the kitchen and the distant echo of the voices of family members that I once shared the day with.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all...and here is one more memory...
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