Blast from the Past: Revisiting Martin Ritt’s Career
A big budget film, with stars Connery (after the James Bond series) and Richard Harris (Camelot) at career peaks, Martin Ritt’s historical drama was a major box-office failure.
Set in late 19th century Carbon County, Pennsylvania, it tells the story of an undercover detective sent to a coal mining community to expose a secret society of Irish-American miners battling exploitation at the hand of the owners.
Based on Arthur H. Lewis’s 1964 book “Lament for the Molly Maguires,” and partly inspired by true story, the film portrays the rebellious leader of the Molly Maguires and his will to achieve social justice.
In a coalmine in Pennsylvania in 1876, coal is dug by hand and taken out on rails in wagons pulled by ponies. Conditions are dirty, often cramped and generally unhealthy. Miners are shown with naked flames on their hats as the only light source. What appears to be work-related is in fact an explosion that destroys the mine.
Allan Pinkerton sends Irish immigrant James McParlan (Richard Harris) to investigate. The sharply observant Jack Kehoe (Connery), the brave Molly Maguires’ leader, instructs his men, Dougherty and Frazier, to deal with the matter as necessary
McParlan says he is looking for work in the mine, but the men are suspicious upon seeing that his hands have never dug coal. They accuse him of cheating and start a fight. Welshman Police Captain Davies breaks up the fight and arrests McParlan. However, this is a ploy as the police know of McParlan’s role.
Davies explains to McParlan the problem of the Molly Maguires–they are named after a gang in Ireland–and that they need an inside man to infiltrate the pit.
McParlan begins the hard work, and at the end of the week, he is supposed to get paid $9.24, but “deductions,” including costs of explosives and shovels, reduced the actual pay to only 24 cents.
Frazier and his wife are murdered in their bed by police (the “peelers”) in revenge attack. Dougherty is arrested for killing the superintendent of the Shenandoah, but this is ploy to bring the real killers forward.
Kehoe and McAndrew are caught red-handed as they break into the explosives store and find that it is full of police. Kehoe, McAndrew and Dougherty are sentenced to death. Mary explains that she could cope with him as a murderer, but not as a traitor.
Awaiting execution, Kehoe sees that James is seeking absolution. He tells his one-time ally that no punishment can redeem his treachery.
It is Detective McParlan who has the last word: “See you in hell.”
Background:
The Molly Maguires were a secret organization of Irish coal miners in 19th century Pennsylvania aimed to fight oppressive mineowners. Led by Jack Kehoe, they plant gunpowder to destroy shafts and equipment. Detective James McParland was employed to infiltrate the Mollies.
The lead sequence and opening credits for The Molly Maguires runs 14 minutes and 51 seconds, through three Henry Mancini scores, before the first word of dialogue is spoken.
Henry Mancini’s soundtrack employed Irish modal harmony, played by period instruments including the Irish Harp, Tin Whistle (pennywhistle) and Squeezebox.
This was the next-to-the-last film for legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe, who had previously worked with Ritt on Hud (in my vew, Ritt’s best film) and Hombre, both starring Paul Newman.
Oscar Context
The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction (Art Direction Tambi Larsen; Set Decoration: Darrell Silvera).
Cast
Sean Connery as “Black Jack” Kehoe
Richard Harris as Detective James McParlan/James McKenna
Samantha Eggar as Miss Mary Raines
Frank Finlay as Police Captain Davies
Anthony Zerbe as Tom Dougherty
Bethel Leslie as Mrs. Kehoe
Art Lund as Frazier
Philip Bourneuf as the priest, Father O’Connor
Anthony Costello as Frank McAndrew
Brendan Dillon as Dan Raines, Mary’s Father
John Alderson as Jenkins
Frances Heflin as Mrs. Frazier
Malachy McCourt as Bartender
