alexanderdavies-99382 "The Molly Maguires" wasn't received with much enthusiasm when it went out on release in 1970. Director Martin Ritt claimed the film damaged his professional reputation and Sean Connery was confirmed as being box office poison. This isn't the most glamorous or flamboyant of films but it isn't meant to be. Anyone expecting any of that is bound to be disappointed. This movie sets out to present an example of how life tended to be back in the 1870s and it succeeds remarkably. In addition, "The Molly Maguires" is based upon real people and real incidents at a small mining community in the United States. Richard Harris and Sean Connery complement each other to perfection. They are both well cast as typically rugged, tough characters and their many scenes together ignite the film. According to various reports, both actors got on very well and I think this shows in the final results. The supporting cast is a bit of a mixture: Samantha Eggar, Frank Finlay and Anthony Zerbe amongst others. You don't come across a cast like that too often! The viewer is spared nothing when it comes to the lengths that the miners are willing to go to in order to resist and to defy the horrendous working conditions to which they are subjected. Sean Connery offers another example of how he is worth FAR more than just playing Bond. He has some brilliant dialogue to get his acting teeth into as do the rest of the cast. He plays the leader of the said secret society with power and with depth. Connery knows he needs to employ rather harsh tactics in order to make his point. However, it doesn't necessarily mean he enjoys using them. Richard Harris gives a good performance as the undercover police officer whose job it is to infiltrate the secret society. Before long, he will become embroiled within his own personal conflict. The location that was chosen for the film, works most effectively. Observing the place that was used, I could actually envision there being a mining community from all those years before. The direction from Martin Ritt is assured and imaginative. He allows time for a few quite hard-edged moments and a film like "The Molly Maguires" needs them. One of my favourite scenes, is the rugby match. No CGI rubbish in those days as real human beings take the blows and the punishment. Hard-hitting in the literal sense. This movie didn't deserve to flop at the box office.

g-bodyl The Molly Maguires is a criminally underseen and very underrated film based off some little known history of this great country. This film is all about social justice as the events of the film take place before the time of labor unions as we know them today and in a time where the early unions were frowned upon. But this film does a good job in bringing those issues to light. This film is beautifully shot, is well-acted, and has a great score by Henry Mancini.Martin Ritt's film is about the leader of the Molly Maguires named Jack Kehoe, a radical group of Irish American miners who fight against the oppressive mine owners, and his interactions with Pinkerton detective, James McParland who is assigned to go undercover and infiltrate the secret society.This film doesn't have a big cast, but it's well-acted. Sean Connery is one of the greatest actors ever and as usual, brings about his A-game as the leader of the Maguires. Richard Harris is also excellent as the low-key detective who sometimes questions his motives. The lovely Samantha Eggar also does a good job as Harris's love interest.Overall, The Molly Maguires is a fantastic piece of historical fiction and one that people should learn about. I grew up and went to school in the area, so this film would hold dear to me. I'm very surprised it was a box office failure due to the pedigree of the cast. It talks about a very hectic time in our history and essentially the beginning of labor unions. I rate this film 9/10.

Milan The Molly Maguires is a movie which has become better over the years. I am surprised that it was commercially unsuccessful in it's day, since it's absolutely no worse than similar movies of those years such as "Ryan's daughter", "Emperor of the north", or much appraised movies of later years like "Matewan", which explores the same topic of conflict between oppressed working class and the system that's exploiting them. This film is beautifully photographed, and the acting is brilliant, especially from Richard Harris and Sean Connery. The sets are magnificent, and the viewer can feel and sympathize with the burden of the coal miners and their families working and struggling against the system that is grinding them down, and that they can not change, even if they give their lives in the course of that struggle. This film deserved much more and I just think that this is a classic that has to be recognized. 9/10

mikedonovan Apparently the Molly Maguires were four guys infiltrated by Richard Harris. I once read that they were a large organization of terrorist miners all over eastern Pennsylvania in 1876-77.I don't know why Don Knotts was in thi8s film without a credit at the end. He played a Pinkerton detective and was surprisingly convincing for someone who usually plays a funnyman.They took a lot of liberties with the story but what else is new? The priest stole the movie with his sanctimonious lectures to the Maguires at every funeral. Why did they take chowderhead off the IMDb? He was my hero.Henry Mancini did the music and there's nothing like good music to dance to when people are dying in coal mining accidents. The Molly Maguires was an amazing mood piece for life in the coal mines in the 19th century but it did not do justice to the injustices that motivated the Molly Maguires to acts of protest. The Mollys were wrong but they were wronged to begin with and the movie does not show the grievances of the workers in any mature way.I liked the part when they tried to kill Harris with a pile of coal.