History Film / TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle

* CoolGuns: Colt Pythons, M16s, 1911-style pistols, etc.

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American crime thriller film directed by Creator/PeterYates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Creator/AlexRocco. Based on the [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle 1970 novel of the same name]] by George V. Higgins, it was also inspired by the real-life activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American crime thriller film directed by Creator/PeterYates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Alex Rocco. Based on the [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle 1970 novel of the same name]] by George V. Higgins, it was also inspired by the real-life activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American crime thriller film directed by Peter Yates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Alex Rocco. Based on the [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle 1970 novel of the same name]] by George V. Higgins, it was also inspired by the real-life activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

* MenacingMask: The Scalise gang wear masculine clear plastic masks during the first robbery. They then wear rubber middle-aged men masks during the second robbery. In the third robbery, they wear ski masks with the mouth slits sewn shut into permanent frowns .

* MenacingMask: The Scalise gang wear masculine clear plastic masks during the first robbery. They then wear rubber middle-aged men masks during the second robbery. Averted in the third robbery, when they wear ski masks.

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American crime thriller film directed by Peter Yates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Alex Rocco. Based on the 1970 [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle novel of the same name]] by George V. Higgins, it was also inspired by the real-life activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

* YouAreTooLate: Eddie Coyle is frantically looking for bargaining chips to avoid prison, and offers to rat on Scalise's heist crew to Agent Foley. Unbeknownst to Coyle, the ATF already busted the guys the day before, nullifying Coyle's ability to redeem himself any further.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_friends_of_eddie_coyle_1973_poster.jpg]]

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 crime thriller film directed by Peter Yates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Alex Rocco. Based on the 1970 [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle novel of the same name]] by George V. Higgins, it was also inspired by the real-life activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

Eddie Coyle (Mitchum) is an aging, low-level Boston gangster who is facing a robbery conviction. Desperate to avoid prison, Coyle works with ATF agent Dave Foley (Richard Jordan) to rat out his criminal associates in the hopes that he can earn a lighter sentence. But can Coyle navigate both sides of the law to stay out of prison... and above ground?

[[caption-width-right:300:{{With friends like these}}!]]

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 crime thriller directed by Peter Yates, starring Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/PeterBoyle, and Alex Rocco. It is based on the [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle book of the same name]] by George V. Higgins. It's based on the real activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

Eddie Coyle (Mitchum) is an aging and low-level Boston gangster who is facing a robbery conviction. Desperate to avoid prison, Coyle works with ATF agent Dave Foley to rat out his criminal associates in the hopes that he can earn a lighter sentence. Can Coyle navigate both sides of the law to stay out of prison... and above ground?

[[caption-width-right:300:{{With friends like these}}...!]]

* OvertRendezvous: Foley meets with his informants in public places like Government Square, South Station, Boston Common and a couple of different bars and diners.

* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:Coyle eventually gives up his friends, only to be told they've just been arrested during a robbery so his information is worthless.]]

''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 crime thriller directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, and Alex Rocco. It is based on the [[Literature/TheFriendsOfEddieCoyle book of the same name]] by George V. Higgins. It's based on the real activities of Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill gang, which later inspired ''Film/TheDeparted''.

* TheSeventies: Plenty of big, heavy cars and thick turtleneck sweaters, along with the porn groove-style soundtrack. Also, the prevalence of revolvers over automatic handguns.

* TheStoolPigeon: Eddie is this, full bore. It doesn't help him at all.

* TooDumbToLive: After being ''strongly'' advised by his manager to cooperate with the robbers, a basically suicidal bank employee decides to trip the silent alarm, ''right'' in front of one of the armed men. Predictably, the robber sees what he does and unloads on him right then and there.

* ScyllaAndCharybdis: Eddie Coyle finds himself in a rather impossible predicament. His gang activity has put him in danger of facing prison time. To avoid that, he cooperates with the ATF, which puts him in danger of being killed by his gang associates. To make matters worse, after he's already become a rat, he's told that his information is no longer useful because the guys he's ratting on have already been busted. As a result, he's basically guaranteed to be killed, be it on the street or in prison.