Eckley Miners’ Village is hosting an exciting benefit evening on April 19, featuring a 50th anniversary party along with the Jim Thorpe premiere of the “The Molly Maguires” movie at the Mauch Chunk Opera House.

Celebrating 50 years since the filming of the movie at Eckley and in Jim Thorpe, the evening kicks off with a festive anniversary party featuring light hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and fun followed by the screening of the film in the historic theater.

All funds raised during the event will support ongoing programming and education efforts at Eckley Miners’ Village near Weatherly.

“The film had a significant impact on our region. Not only did it tell an important story about the violent struggles of miners against an oppressive system, it also welcomed major film stars to area,” said Eckley site administrator Bode Morin.

“The three stars, Sean Connery, Samantha Egger, and Richard Harris each had significant careers that would span multiple decades.”

The film also served as the catalyst to preserve Eckley as a historic site. Paramount Pictures chose the small mining town because it was still mostly intact since the period the movie represented.

The entire town, which was named for Eckley Coxe, the son of miners’ landlord Charles Coxe, was rented to Paramount by mine owner George Huss for filming purposes.

The studio covered buildings with new siding materials, buried telephone and electrical service, covered Main Street with 6 inches of dirt and hired residents as actors.

“It brought a lot of attention to the anthracite story and the region,” said Morin. “It was the impetus to saving Eckley.”

At its peak around 1917, Eckley boasted a population of up to 1,500 residents. However, decline in coal production dropped the number to the point where only about 100 residents remained when the museum was organized 54 years later.

Some tenants still live there and rent houses from the state.

Eckley was founded around 1854 when Richard Sharpe, Francis Weiss, Asa Foster and John Leisenring leased land near the site for coal mining purposes.

A steam-powered sawmill cut lumber for homes. Eventually, a schoolhouse opened its doors in 1858.

The place was built as an early coal company town, with a museum founded in 1971, shortly after the movie was released. A visitors center opened four years later.

The film had a significant impact in Jim Thorpe too.

Mauch Chunk was the actual site of one of the 1870s Molly Maguire trials and downtown served as the urban set for the movie. The Broadway area received an extensive face-lift intended to resurrect the appearance of the 1860s.

While Jim Thorpe and Eckley became Hollywood-style movie sets, the summer of 1968 also included a call for locals to appear as extras, with auditions taking place in Hazleton.

Some 600 were selected as backgrounders, paid $15 a day, along with free lunch for two months.

Paramount Studios also constructed a coal breaker at Eckley. It wasn’t a working unit, but rather a large, temporary movie prop.

The breaker still stands, but is in need of an extensive overhaul.

Tickets are available for the movie only, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the pre-film party and movie include light hors d’oeuvres donated by Macaluso’s Restaurant, Marion Hose Bar and Union Publick House, a cash bar and premium seating for the screening. The party begins at 6 p.m.

Mauch Chunk Trust is a corporate sponsor.

An opera house shuttle van is available a half-hour before and after the event to transport guests to/from the county parking lot behind the Jim Thorpe train station.

For more information, visit the event site of Facebook at https://bit.ly/2IMtnkl, the Mauch Chunk Opera House at http://mcohjt.com/april or Eckley Miners Village at https://bit.ly/2Htpt0h.

Donald Serfass contributed to this story.