Gowen, president of the reading railroad, hired the pinkerton detective agency to infiltrate and destroy the molly maguires, whose union organizing became an. When poor working conditions and employment discrimination led to assassinations and acts of sabotage by irish. My mother, a cass township native, always complained that the picnic on the slag heap was absurd. The molly maguires was an irish 19thcentury secret society active in ireland, liverpool and parts of the eastern united states, best known for their activism among irishamerican and irish immigrant coal miners in pennsylvania. Inspired by a true story, the molly maguires tells the story of a secret society of coal miners and their struggle against oppression and a corrupt mine owners. Stars of the molly maguires were in a happy mood when they posed for this photo during a break in filming in eckley in 1968.
Molly maguires american labour organization britannica. 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. But in the molly maguires, which opened yesterday at the new forum and paris theaters, ritt has so accepted the conventions and succumbed to. The molly maguires 1970 plot summary 3 in the pennsylvanian coal mines of 1876, a group of irish immigrant workers begin to retaliate against the cruelty of their work environment. Movie, the molly maguires movie,the molly maguires trailer,the molly maguires 1970, martin ritt,frank finlay, richard harris, samantha. In search of history the true story of the molly maguires history. With sean connery, richard harris, samantha eggar, frank finlay. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the molly maguires near you.
The story of a group of coal miners has its moments, but never provides any proper meat or context other than things were bad, nor does. Molly macguires in pennsylvania coal regions historynet. Curator of phil and the dying breed movie club meet the movies, phil has also produced several successful short films including the man who. The molly maguires movie life is rough in the coal mines of 1876 pennsylvania.
The 1970 movie called the molly maguires was directed by martin ritt and starred richard harris and sean connery. In some areas the terms ribbonmen and molly maguires were both used for similar activism but at different times. One of these fights centered around a group that became known as the molly maguires. The group named itself after a widow who led a group of irish antilandlord agitators in the 1840s. The molly maguires, based on a pennsylvania coal miners rebellion of the late 19th century, is occasionally brilliant. Richard harris plays a police detective sent to infiltrate a secret society of coal miners, and terrorists, lead by sean connery. The molly maguires was a bigbudget drama from paramount pictures, with powerhouse stars, sean connery, richard harris, and samantha eggar, a terrific director, martin ritt hud, the spy who came in from the cold and many others, and the screenwriter of fail safe and john frankenheimers the train, the great walter bernstein. The molly maguires 1970 cast and crew a pennsylvania company plants a spy richard harris among an irish coal miners sean connery secret society of saboteurs. Set in late 19thcentury pennsylvania, this gripping social drama tells the story of an undercover pinkerton detective sent to a coal mining. Frank finlay, richard harris, samantha eggar, sean connery, anthony zerbe, official content from paramount home entertainment in. Based on a true story of the workers struggle that took place in 1876, the film accurately portrays the rebellious leader of the molly maguires. Narrated by david ackroyd the molly maguires was an irish 19thcentury secret society active in ireland, liverpool and parts of the eastern. The molly maguires were a secret society of irishmen that were active in the anthracite coal region of pennsylvania during the late 19th century, and by active i mean they used physical violence to fight back against the coal bosses whose treatment of their workers were nothing short of oppressive.
The main distinction between the two appears to be that the ribbonmen were regarded as. Molly maguires, secret organization of coal miners supposedly responsible for acts of terrorism in the coalfields of pennsylvania and west virginia, u. The molly maguires 1970 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. 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 mineowner masters.
A secret group of irish immigrant miners, known as the molly maguires, fights. Excellent photography and fine action scenes add to the realism of this vivid social drama. The hangings of the mollies have since been recognized as unjustified. Set in late 19th century northeastern pennsylvania, this social drama tells the story of an undercover detective sent to a coal mining community to expose a secret society of irishamerican miners battling exploitation at. The molly maguires is a serious movie delivering a message concerning social justice. In fact, some consider the mollies to be a direct precursor to organized labor in the united. In the 1850s, the coal mines of northeast pennsylvania became a war zone, as miners struggled to unionize and the mine owners called in hired guns. In search of history the true story of the molly maguires history channel documentary duration. An expensive boxoffice flop when released in 1970, the molly maguires can now be appreciated as a compelling drama with potent political undertones. Life is rough in the coal mines of 1876 pennsylvania. In the pennsylvanian coal mines of 1876, a group of irish immigrant workers begin to retaliate against the cruelty of their work environment. The jail in jim thorpe, pennsylvania, where four of the molly maguires were hanged. The molly maguires originated in ireland, where secret societies with names such as whiteboys and peep o day boys were common beginning in the 18th century and through most of the 19th century.
The molly maguires is the secret society of miners that seeks to right the wrongs of the unjust and callous owners of the company. Playing via spotify playing via youtube playback options. Sean connery, richard harris and samantha eggar head a competent cast. The molly maguires 1970 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
After a series of often violent conflicts, twenty suspected members of the molly maguires were convicted of murder and other crimes and were executed by hanging in. Watch the video for the molly maguires from the dublinerss definitive pub songs collection for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Film 366 is the work of phil congleton and chris mich. The movie kind of left you with the impression that the molly maguires were 5 or 6 guys who hung out in one bar in one town, as opposed to a loose network spread across several counties. Since 1862 the mollies had been blamed for numerous murders, beatings, knifings, armed robberies, and incidents of arson. Its a film on the side of law and order, with just a twang of guilt for the plight of the poor coal miner. In this segment from the movie geek yearbook podcast series, a panel of special guests discuss martin ritts the molly maguires starring richard harris and sean connery. The sacrifices that the mollies and the miners make are absolute, without the feel good triumph of the spirit sentiments of hollywoods usual. 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. A secret group of irish emigrant miners, known as the molly maguires, fights against the cruelty of the mining company with sabotage and murder.
Movies like the molly maguires if you like the molly maguires you are looking for serious, realistic and tense movies about with terrorism, fighting the system, coal mining, injustice, working undercover, society and leadership themes of drama and history genre shot in usa. Make way for the molly maguires theyre drinkers, theyre liars but theyre men make way for the molly maguires youll never see the likes of them again down the. In a new book about the infamous mollys game poker games he cofounded with tobey maguire, houston curtis says that the spiderman star used. The molly maguires paramount original soundtrack henry. It was coalmining country, a rough part of the world suffering from the effects of what one newspaper had called a reign of terror orchestrated by a shadowy organization dubbed the molly maguires.
The molly maguires aspires to lift the veil and provide social commentary about a littleknown act of ecoterrorism through the eyes of a period piece which makes sense considering the rise of groups like the manson family and the sla during the period. Martin ritts powerful film based on actual events in 1870s pennsylvania has two terrific central performances from sean connery and richard harris. The molly maguires film wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Mcparlan tries to join the gang, but jack is suspicious of the. The molly maguires was a secret society of militant coal miners who battled their exploitation by mine owners with violence, intimidation. Narrated by david ackroyd the molly maguires was an irish 19thcentury secret society active in ireland, liverpool and parts of the eastern united states, best known for their activism among irish. Released 1970, the molly maguires stars sean connery, richard harris, samantha eggar, frank finlay the pg movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 4 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. Based on actual events, this gripping story is a sympathetic and accurate account of the irishamerican miners struggle. The molly maguires is a movie full of missed opportunities.