Ossian "Osh" Popham is a major character in the 1963 Disney live-action film Summer Magic.
Background[]
Osh Popham serves as a postmaster, a caretaker, and a shopkeeper living in the town of Beulah in Maine living with his wife Mariah and his children Digby and Lallie Joy Popham. Most often in the film, he would serve his duty working at a post office as in being the shopkeeper of the facility. In spite of this, he would also care for those who arrive at the house where the Carey family lived, albeit with cheap labor to make it livable as well offering cheap products from his hardware store. He is also shown to help others who have problems like the case of Peter who was being harassed by some boys who refused to accept him.
Appearances[]
Summer Magic[]
While initially mentioned in dialogue, Osh does not appear until when the Carey family moved from Boston to Beulah. Just as they enter, Osh approaches Margaret Carey, just before she introduces her daughter Nancy to Osh. Nancy reveals to Osh that she wrote the letter that she and her family moved from Boston to Beulah, but she becomes a bit shy of how to begin. When Nancy comments about the house's conditions, Osh replies that there is nothing like a story like the truth making things interesting. As Nancy decides to fix the house, her mother tells Osh that she has insufficient money, which he replies to him that he works cheap when he can get some time and work into conversion just before he decides to return home.
As Osh is on his way home, his son Digby asks him if he remembers about the farthest he went from Beulah, which he tells him of how much he is paying him, which his son replies to him that he pays him three dollars a week. Osh asks his son that Gilly might take over his son job in driving the truck, which his daughter comments that Gilly is nice just before Osh comments that the money might come in handy just before the Popham family arrives at home.
The next day, Nancy approaches Osh's wife Mariah whom she has been longing to meet her and that her husband is being too modest, fearing that he hides about his own talents. Osh's wife replies to Nancy that her husband does, just as Nancy tells her and her husband about the supplies needed for the house with approval from Tom Hamilton, which Osh replies that she doesn't need permission from him as he explains to her that Mr. Hamilton has deep-seated faith according to him, just as he tasks Nancy to give his wife her mother's grocery list. Later, Nancy approaches Osh and tells him that she forgot to buy a stepladder, which he replies to her that she is in the countryside - explaining that citizens who live in the countryside do not buy stepladders, so she decides to borrow it instead. Nancy then realizes that she forgot about Peter, which Osh thinks that he would be safe at home. Osh returns to the post office where his wife asks him if he wrote a letter to Mr. Hamilton about advising him that he took it on himself to rent the yellow house, which he replies to her that he already wrote the letter to him. As his wife asks him that if Mr. Hamilton responded yet, Osh replies to his wife that he is a very busy man. Mariah then warns him that if he does not receive a letter from Mr. Hamilton soon, she would take over the post office.
Later, Osh finds Peter who is by the barbershop, which he finds out that he got a haircut just as he asks him for help of how he would get a job in the town of Beulah if the people mistake him for a girl, which Osh replies to him that he is wearing a handsome city outfit, advising him to buckle down - offering him to swap the Buster Brown suit for a pair of overalls to work, giving him a lot of money. Osh also shares his story with Peter that Hank Champlin, a man who works at the barbershop, had to work.
The next day, Peter works with Osh who compliments him, thinking that he would be a good carpenter someday, but not before he sees Sam barking at a caterpillar and as Sam finds it, which Osh describes it as a unique creature, explaining that the majority of the invertebrates do not know that they themselves are ugly, except one, so he tells a story of a lonely caterpillar. As Osh tells a story about the caterpillar, he sings the musical number "The Ugly Bug Ball" to Peter, telling a story of a misfit caterpillar attending a ball to look for someone to dance with him. While telling the story about the caterpillar, Osh, Peter, and Sam look into the backyard and see all sorts of bugs - caterpillars, ants, beetles, worms, katydids, mantises, millipedes, dragonflies, and butterflies. However, Nancy approaches Osh, telling him that her mother wants to talk to him.
Just as Osh arrives, Margaret reports to him and Nancy that she has insufficient money and they would be unable to fix it if they were to stay in this house by living the way it is. Osh then reveals that he got the letter that Nancy wrote for him as well as revealing that he put Mr. Hamilton's letter with his, as well as revealing that Hamilton would not accept any rent money. As Nancy asks her mother about this, Osh tells her that Mr. Hamilton wants a favor from Margaret - a suitable place for his mother's picture, giving Nancy some optimism on following the instructions about the last written details. Osh replies to Nancy and her mother that Mr. Hamilton wrote something about a small detail of his mother's birthday, thinking that she was born on Halloween. The conversation was interrupted when he hears Gilly arriving.
Osh later approaches his wife Mariah who is telling the truth of Margaret, recapping to him that she searched the store for a letter from Mr. Hamilton, but did not find one, explaining that she would tell the Carey family her suspicions. He also asks her about a favor in return from the Carey family as in finding a suitable place for his mother's picture, leading Nancy to follow the instructions of the last details of the letter (as in a vase of flowers for her birthday) with her birthday being on Halloween, just before Gilly arrives and brings his wife with Osh. Furthermore when Osh's wife Mariah arrives and engages in a conversation with the Careys, Osh fakes having a leg injury, causing Margaret and everyone in the house to get their attention.
Later, Osh is checking on the paintings of Mrs. Hamilton and two other paintings and as he tries to clear away the dust surrounding the paintings, his wife approaches him and tells him that the dinner is getting cold. Amongst one of the paintings that Osh's wife thinks is that of Mrs. Griswold, whom she describes the painting with cold facts. Osh then tells his wife to relax during the picnic and not to describe his paintings with cold facts. Nancy later returns to Osh, who recaps to him that since he misplaced Mr. Hamilton's letter, he was unable to sleep for nights, just as he reveals that the letter is in a Dutch oven, which he opens a cabinet revealing a hidden letter inside.
That night, Osh later sings the musical number "On the Front Porch" in front of everyone outside the house to enjoy a quiet evening after the picnic. As Halloween approaches, Mr. Hamilton meets Osh who is busy writing a letter to him, realizing that he is coming back, but Hamilton reveals to him that he never received any letters and that he never mailed them. He then explains to Tom about the letters he wrote and the ones that Nancy wrote to him, as well as tasking Tom to read Nancy's letter before changing his mind, just as Tom leaves.
Later during a party at the barn, Osh introduces Tom Hamilton to Nancy as a friend of his, which he recaps that he met Nancy before she shares her story about her moments with Osh. During the party, Osh encounters a man named "Clove" who offers him to try some applejack. He later attends a ceremony organized by Nancy's mother about the unveiling of the portrait of Mr. Hamilton's mother in honor of her, feeling impressed, except for Tom himself. After the painting was unveiled, Osh asks Tom to know how his mother is feeling, which the latter replies to him that his mother is fine. Osh is last seen dancing with his wife during the Halloween party in a waltz.
Disney Parks[]
Emporium[]
Although he does not physically appear in the Disney Parks, the Magic Kingdom version of the Emporium shop at Main Street, U.S.A. shows a window identifying it as being property of Osh Popham, albeit with only his name written on the window.
Trivia[]
- One of the paintings of that Osh showed towards the climax of the film was also displayed at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon at Frontierland located at Disneyland.
- The song "On the Front Porch", which Osh sang, was Robert Sherman's personal favorite song during his contribution to Disney.
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