Just re-saw this for 1st time since release (spoilers)
I saw this film when it came out in 1973 (I was 22), and just re-saw it for the first time since then. Amazing how it still holds up after 38 years. I’m from Boston, so it always had extra impact for me. I agree with viewers here who say Steven Keats (in his first film ever) stole the show. I especially love the scene where he refuses to drive into the dark woods, and takes charge of a scenario where he is outnumbered 3 to 1. I also love his wisecracks to the hippies—like telling the broad she can burn her bra if he she wants.
When I first saw the film, I remember holding onto the hope that Eddie would survive the hit attempt. He wasn’t a saint, but he was a family man and you felt sorry for him. Seeing the film again, I don’t think I realized on the first viewing just how much Peter Boyle’s character was double-crossing people. The film leaves you with a gnawing wish to see the rat get his after he gets away with so much. But in this world, that is so often how life plays out, huh?
Interesting that Keats, Jordan and Rocco all landed guest roles on Kojak in 1973-74, and Santos landed a regular role on The Rockford Files—both quality shows. I imagine they etched some demand for themselves in “Eddie Coyle.” Also, some interesting other pairings—Mitchum with Mitch Ryan as fellow moonshiners in 1958’s Thunder Road, and Mitchum with Jordan again in 1974’s The Yakuza.