The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Peter Yates

Writers:

George V. Higgins (novel)
Paul Monash (writer)

Release Date:

27 June 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

It's a grubby, violent, dangerous world. But it's the only world they know. And they're the only friends Eddie has.

Plot:

Eddie's friends are numerous, but the term friends is suspect. As a small time hood Eddie is about to go back to jail...

Plot Keywords:

Boston Massachusetts | Irish American | Bank Robbery | Gangster | Neo Noir

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle
Peter Boyle	...	Dillon
Richard Jordan	...	Dave Foley
Steven Keats	...	Jackie Brown
Alex Rocco	...	Jimmy Scalise
Joe Santos	...	Artie Van
Mitch Ryan	...	Waters (as Mitchell Ryan)
Peter MacLean	...	Mr. Partridge
Kevin O'Morrison	...	Bank manager #2
Marvin Lichterman	...	Vernon
Carolyn Pickman	...	Nancy
James Tolkan	...	The Man's contact man
Margaret Ladd	...	Andrea
Matthew Cowles	...	Pete
Helena Carroll	...	Sheila Coyle

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (video rating) | Norway:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Boston Bowl - 820 William T. Morrissey Boulevard, Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: At the hockey game, Eddie offers to go get beer. He gets up, and has his jacket on. When he arrives back with the beer, he is not wearing his jacket, but it is folded over the railing in front of his seat.

Quotes:

Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: I was thinkin' in terms of you maybe talkin' to the prosecutor up there, and havin' him drop a word to the judge how I been helpin' my Uncle like a bastard?
Dave Foley: Well, I would. But then again you haven't been.
Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle: What? I gave you a couple of calls.
Dave Foley: Yeah, you give me some real stuff, too. You tell me about a guy that's gonna get hit, 15 minutes later he gets hit. You tell me about some guys on a job, but you don't tell me till their coming out the door with the money. That's not helping Uncle, Eddie. You gotta put your whole soul into it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: SST: Death Flight (#1.13)" (1989)

Terrific, low key early seventies noir

A successful adaptation of a great novel. Yates unpretentious and minimalistic direction is effective and the Boston settings appropriately gloomy with wonderful washed out cinematography. Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle give superb performances. One of the unsung films of the seventies.