The Molly Maguires (1970)

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Walter Bernstein (writer)
Arthur H. Lewis (book)

Release Date:

21 August 1970 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Life is rough in the coal mines of 1876 Pennsylvania. A secret group of Irish emigrant miners, known as the Molly Maguires...

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Failure | Labor Relations | Irish Catholic | Fight The System | 19th Century

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Jack Kehoe
Richard Harris	...	Detective James McParlan / McKenna
Samantha Eggar	...	Miss Mary Raines
Frank Finlay	...	Davies
Anthony Zerbe	...	Tom Dougherty
Bethel Leslie	...	Mrs. Kehoe
Art Lund	...	Frazier
Philip Bourneuf	...	Father O'Connor
Anthony Costello	...	Frank McAndrew
Brendan Dillon	...	Mr. Dan Raines, Mary's Father
Frances Heflin	...	Mrs. Frazier
John Alderson	...	Jenkins
Malachy McCourt	...	Bartender
Susan Goodman	...	Mrs. McAndrew

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence, language and some thematic material. (2003 re-rating)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:PG (1988) | UK:A (1970) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) (2003) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Eckley, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The film was a notorious flop when it was released in 1970, earning back a little over 10% of its $11-million budget, an enormous sum for the time (approximately $55.4 million in 2005 dollars). The film's failure solidified Sean Connery's reputation for being box office poison outside of James Bond and torpedoed co-star Richard Harris' chance at superstar status. Connery's career continued its non-Bond stall throughout the 1970s (with the notable exception of John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King (1975)), and Harris' career as a leading man continued to decline until it went into eclipse in the middle of the same decade. While Connery would re-establish himself as a superstar in the 1980s, Harris never again was a front-rank star, though he wound up as a respectable and in-demand character actor later in his career.

Quotes:

Davies: Yes, I need them caught in the act... no chance of an alibi. And not just two of them. I want the organisation. I want it smashed. Any bastard who even dreams of making trouble, I want him to wake up sweating blood at what happened to the Molly Maguires.
[McParlan starts to leave]
Davies: Not yet! I can't send you away unmarked.
[he floors McParlan with his truncheon]
Detective James McParlan: [bleeding] Well... it's a pleasure working with a man who likes his job.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Soundtrack:

Cockles and Mussels

Strong performances carry historical drama

A must-see for any Irish-American. Harris is superb in his role as an undercover Pinkerton investigator. We see his character grow to admire the maguires even though he knows he will eventually betray them. Connery is also great as the attractive leader of the terrorist group. This movie touches on an area tha is often ignored, working conditions in 19th Century America. I especially like the American Football/Rugby hybrid they play against the Welsh town. A unique movie that let's us see both Harris and Connery shine. Good score, pacing, photography, and supporting characters as well. One of my favs!