The Molly Maguires (1970)

An expensive box-office flop when released in 1970, The Molly Maguires can now be appreciated as a compelling drama with potent political undertones. The talent involved is first-rate all the way: In addition to the volatile teaming of Sean Connery and Richard Harris on opposite sides of a Pennsylvania miners' war, director Martin Ritt and screenwriter Walter Bernstein were at the height of their Hollywood powers, determined to give viewers a visceral, grittily authentic drama about the exploitation of Irish immigrant miners in the centennial America of 1876. Connery's secret gang, the Molly Maguires, retaliates by destroying mines and equipment; Harris infiltrates the group as an informer hired by the coal-company owners, leading to his inevitable crisis of conscience. Pub brawls and manly action give the film its meat-and-potatoes appeal, and discerning viewers will appreciate the story's careful pacing and moral ambiguity; ironically, those qualities were blamed for the film's commercial failure. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Portrait of the cruel labor conditions in 19th century America

I have been a union man all my life, as was my father and mother who was the daughter of a mine worker from Eastern Europe.

The Molly Maguires shows an accurate picture of the hard life these people faced and how the mine owners schemed to keep them poor and virtual slaves in company towns. Sean Connery and Richard Harris, along with Samantha Eggar and other Celtic actors do a fine job of showing how the workers pushed back against their mine-owner masters. The media of the time called them murderers, but in truth, the wretched conditions in the mine towns killed far more than the Mollies ever did. I've often thought that Sean Connery was good as James Bond, but he grew into a seasoned actor playing in this film.

This film is well worth your time. August 21, 2008

ACTOR RICHARD HARRIS PORTRAYS JAMES MCKENNA WHO INFILTRATED MY GRANDFATHER JOHN MCKENNA'S GRANDFATHER PATRICK MCKENNA'S FAMILY

This movie is slow moving and grimly realistic. Although it
was unsuccessful during its original Hollywood release it is an
accurate rendition of the life of coal miners in 1800's Pennsylvania.
The Molly Maguires were an immigrant Irish terrorist group
who were concentrated in such coal mining locations as Carbon and Schuylkill and a few other counties throughout Pennsylvania in the 1860's and 1870's.
Sean Connery dominated early James Bond movies so thoroughly
that it misleadingly seems like he is relegated to second-fiddle
status in this interesting film. This movie is the direct antithesis of a James Bond movie. Do not make the mistake of subconsciously rating this film low because it doesn't live up to James Bond movie standards! This may be the only Hollywood movie to ever explore the Molly Maguires topic.
Actor Richard Harris portrays an Irish immigrant named
James McParlan who assumes the false imposter identity of a James McKenna
in order to infiltrate the Molly Maguires organization and convict
them of murder.
In reality my deceased grandfather John Aloysius McKenna's grandfather was Patrick McKenna who was an immigrant from the city of Castlereagh in County Donegal, Ireland. Patrick owned a saloon called "McKenna's" in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania (a few miles outside of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania in Carbon County). My great-great grandfather Patrick McKenna was convicted in 1876 for being an accomplice in the murder of Welsh coal mining supervisor Morgan Powell. Patrick's brother-in-law Thomas P. Fisher (brother of my great-great grandmother Bridget Fisher McKenna) was one of twenty men who were hung after his conviction in the Molly Maguire murder trials although he denied being guilty all the way to the gallows.
Actor Richard Harris's reenactment of a fictional James McKenna represented my real McKenna ancestors. Coincidentally my great-grandfather's name was James McKenna (he was one of Patrick McKenna's sons). My McKenna family is also described in detail in the book by
Allan Pinkerton entitled "The Mollie Maguires and the Detective" which was first published in 1877. May 11, 2008

The Molly Maguires Movie

This is an extrodinary movie about the coal region in Pennsylvania. It has a kind of history background because there really were Molly Maguires in the mines. And my neighbor knew about them because he is from Ireland, where the Molly Maguires supposedly came from. April 30, 2008

The Molly Maguires

The Molly Maguires is a film that depicts the history of one of the most notorious and infamous secret societies in history. Many have criticized the film and the content used in it. However, the real truth is that much of the film was edited down from what was originally shot. The film was taken in part by a book written by Arthur Lewis, which, at the time, was the foremost piece of literature available on the subject. To this day, the Molly Maguire mystery/story has scholars and everyday people debating just how much of an impact this alleged group of ruffians, murderers and terrorists had on the labor industry and in the Anthracite coal fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The actual story of the Molly Maguires dates back to Ireland hundreds of years before they were acknowledged as the reason for many coal mine-related incidences in the 1870's. The movie picks up around the time the Mollies were facing the end of their run as the most infamous clandestine society ever. The film was directed by often-overlooked Director Martin Ritt. Ritt himself had a deep interest in bringing the story to life, while at the time many others in Hollywood balked at his desire to retell the controversial story. What should have made the film a box office smash was the amazing cast Ritt assembled. Such stars as Sean Connery, Richard Harris (at the time considered the number 1 actor in Hollywood) and Samantha Eggar headline the cast. Ritt chose these individuals because of their roots as being Irish or British in nationality. Ritt wanted only actors with a real background in the culture to bring the character's roles to life. Much of the film was shot in the authentic mining town of Eckley Pennsylvania. Eckely itself had been a mining town for decades and was chosen since most of the small village remained virtually unchanged from its natural appearance of a 19th century mining town. Very little from a production standpoint had to be done to the village to dress it up for a film set. Perhaps one of the most iconic legacies the film left behind was the creation of a large coal breaker prop built at the end of the town to serve as a main focal location for the film. Sadly, despite having the day's top actors, a brilliant director, legendary score creator Henry Mancini, and many other top talents from Hollywood, Paramount Pictures failed to promote the movie in a fitting way, and thanks to semi-confusing plot line, the film was poorly received at the box office. Many wish the film would have been shot in black and white, capturing the vintage essence of the time period perceived in the movie, but instead, it was shot in color. The addition of a love angle between Harris and Eggar also confused some and is believed to have taken away from the film. Sean Connery remarked after seeing a finished print of the film that he wished it would have been handled differently. Also, many outside the labor industry and the area where the events actually took place in the late 1800's were unaware of just who or what the Molly Maguires were. But the film is still widely talked about and is definitely worth at least 1 viewing. It is also available on DVD. It was said to be the director's favorite movie amongst his own works. Check this film out and enjoy. If you can get past the factual mix ups and a little skew of the plot line, you just might enjoy it. February 28, 2008

Disappointing..

Very disappointing account of the Irish immigration experience -- poorly written, unclear, with bad acting. Surely a great actor like Sean Connery must want to forget about this one! A better option...The History Channel's DVD on the Molly Maguires offers a clear, interesting presentation of the story. February 27, 2008

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