Peter Yates’s The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a grim, unglamorous look at Boston’s criminal underworld. Adapted from George V. Higgins’s novel, it strips away any illusions of romantic gangsterism and replaces them with a suffocating sense of inevitability.
Detailed Summary
Eddie Coyle’s World
Eddie “Fingers” Coyle (Robert Mitchum) is a small-time gunrunner working for various Boston mobsters. His nickname comes from a job gone wrong—he smashed his fingers in a drawer as punishment. The film makes it clear right away: Eddie is not a big fish, but he swims in dangerous waters.
A Man in Trouble
Eddie is facing a prison sentence for transporting stolen liquor, and his greatest fear is going back behind bars. He has a wife, kids, and very little money. To stay out of prison, Eddie starts providing information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), a slick ATF agent who uses Eddie to get close to bigger fish.
Gun Deals and Bank Robberies
Eddie supplies firearms to Jimmy Scalise (Alex Rocco), who runs a series of armed bank robberies with his crew. These heists are shot with terrifying realism—silent, mechanical, and tense. At the same time, Eddie buys guns from Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), a young, reckless dealer who sells military-grade weapons out of the back of his car.
Shifting Loyalties
Eddie thinks he can cut a deal with Foley to avoid prison by snitching on Jackie Brown. What he doesn’t know is that Foley is playing all sides and has no loyalty to Eddie whatsoever. Meanwhile, Dillon (Peter Boyle), a bartender and supposed “friend” of Eddie’s, has his own secrets—he’s also an informant working with Foley.
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Movie Ending
The climax is understated but devastating. Eddie goes to a Bruins hockey game with Dillon and two of Dillon’s associates, thinking he’s spending a night out with friends. What Eddie doesn’t realize is that Dillon has been instructed to “take care of him.” During the game, Dillon’s men shoot Eddie in the head in the parking lot, execution-style, and leave him dead in the car.
The bitter irony is that Eddie is killed by the very people he thought were his allies. His attempt to stay out of prison by turning informant doesn’t save him—Foley doesn’t intervene, Dillon betrays him, and the mob eliminates him as a liability. The film ends coldly: Dillon returns to his bar, Eddie’s body goes unnoticed for hours, and life in Boston’s underworld carries on without a ripple.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. Like most films of the early 1970s, The Friends of Eddie Coyle does not feature a post-credits scene. Once Eddie’s fate is sealed, the credits roll without further commentary.
Type of Movie
The film is a crime drama with heavy neo-noir elements. It’s gritty, realistic, and deeply pessimistic, showing the unglamorous side of organized crime.
Cast
- Robert Mitchum as Eddie Coyle
- Peter Boyle as Dillon
- Richard Jordan as Dave Foley
- Alex Rocco as Jimmy Scalise
- Steven Keats as Jackie Brown
- Joe Santos as Artie Van
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Dave Grusin. It’s sparse, moody, and atmospheric, leaning on jazz and minimal motifs that underline the bleakness of the narrative.
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Filming Locations
Shot entirely on location in Boston and surrounding Massachusetts towns, the film’s authenticity owes much to its use of real streets, bars, and hockey arenas. Fenway Park and Boston Garden appear prominently, grounding the film in its local culture and giving it documentary-like realism.
Awards and Nominations
The film didn’t win major awards, but Robert Mitchum received critical acclaim for his subdued and world-weary performance. Today, the movie is often cited as one of his finest roles and has achieved cult-classic status among crime film enthusiasts.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Robert Mitchum spent time with real Boston criminals to prepare for the role.
- Alex Rocco, who played Scalise, was himself raised in Boston and had ties to local gang culture, which informed his performance.
- Director Peter Yates (known for Bullitt) deliberately avoided Hollywood gloss, instead aiming for realism.
- The film was shot quickly and cheaply, which contributed to its raw, stripped-down aesthetic.
Inspirations and References
The movie is a direct adaptation of George V. Higgins’s 1970 novel. Higgins, a former U.S. attorney, based much of the dialogue on real conversations he overheard between criminals in Boston. This explains the film’s naturalistic, almost documentary-style dialogue.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
There are no known alternate endings. The movie is faithful to Higgins’s novel, right down to Eddie’s death. Some minor dialogue and character interactions were trimmed, but no alternate versions of the ending exist.
Book Adaptations and Differences
The film is very faithful to Higgins’s novel, particularly in its heavy use of dialogue-driven storytelling. The biggest difference is condensation—several side characters and subplots from the book are streamlined or cut.
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Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The opening scene where Eddie quietly negotiates a gun deal in a parking lot.
- The bank robbery sequences—tense, procedural, and terrifying in their precision.
- The hockey game assassination, which delivers the film’s haunting conclusion.
Iconic Quotes
- Eddie Coyle: “I’ve got two kids, and I don’t know how many more I’ll have. I can’t afford to spend four years in jail.”
- Eddie Coyle: “This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.”
- Dillon: “The cops don’t bother with guys like me. They let me stay in business because I tell them things.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Several real Boston locations (bars, rinks, parks) double as meeting spots for criminals, grounding the film in reality.
- Some of the extras were actual Boston locals with ties to organized crime.
- Eddie’s nickname, “Fingers,” is never explained directly in the movie—it comes from the novel.
Trivia
- This was one of Robert Mitchum’s late-career highlights, earning him respect as more than just a tough-guy actor.
- Alex Rocco later played Moe Greene in The Godfather—another mob figure, though with more swagger than Scalise.
- Critics at the time called it “too talky,” but its dialogue-driven realism is now praised as groundbreaking.
Why Watch?
If you’re tired of glossy gangster stories and want something raw, tense, and brutally realistic, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is essential. It’s a film about desperation, betrayal, and the inevitability of failure in the criminal life—told with authenticity and one of Robert Mitchum’s greatest performances.
Director’s Other Movies
- Bullitt (1968)
- Breaking Away (1979)
- Eyewitness (1981)
- The Dresser (1983)
- Suspect (1987)
