The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

My Review

“The Friends of Eddie Coyle” is the story of a small-time criminal active in the Irish Mafia of Boston. Director Peter Yates (“John and Mary” 1969) put together a slow-moving gangster film from a mediocre screenplay by Paul Monash, adapted from the 1970 novel of the same name by George V. Higgins. Some folks seem like they wanted to make an Irish version of the previous year’s ultimate mob movie “The Godfather.”

By all accounts, Robert Mitchum delivered a fine performance in the middle of a long motion picture career that lasted from 1942 to 1997. His co-stars include Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco, Joe Santos, Mitchell Ryan, Helena Carroll, and Margaret Ladd. “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” was a flop at the box office for producer Paul Monash and Paramount Pictures. It was completely filmed in and around Boston, Massachusetts.