Even Angels Eat Beans 1973

Crime

Comedy

Action

Runtime

118 mins

Language

Italian

Directed by

Enzo Barboni

Made by

Les Productions Fox Europa

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Even Angels Eat Beans Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Even Angels Eat Beans (1973). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

New York, 1930s. Sonny is a former ice cream man who has fallen on hard times. While working as a cleaner in a gym, he meets Charlie Smith, a wrestler. The two become fast friends, though they are very different: Charlie is blunt and aloof, while Sonny is narcissistic and prone to chasing women.

One day they are hired by a mobster, Angelo, to hit a gambler, but in a reckless moment they beat up a US Senator instead, sparking a confrontation that the underworld cannot ignore. To lay low, Angelo sends Charlie and Sonny to Little Italy to work as debt collectors. There, they befriend the poor Gerace family, led by Gerace, and decide to help them by taking on two debt collectors sent by Angelo’s rival, Mr. Colosimo. The clash triggers a bitter feud between Angelo and Colosimo, escalating the violence that weighs on the neighborhood.

The police, led by Captain Mackintosh, intervene to stop the bloodshed. At first, Mackintosh intends to jail Charlie and Sonny, but once the two men discover that he is somehow entangled with Angelo and Colosimo in the racket, he is forced to let them go. Following their acquittal, Charlie returns to wrestling, and Sonny agrees to become his trainer, stepping into a quieter, steadier role while still navigating the dangerous currents of loyalty, risk, and friendship in a city where power struggles run deep.

Even Angels Eat Beans Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Sonny's hard-luck life in 1930s New York

Sonny is a former ice cream man who has fallen on hard times and now works as a gym cleaner in New York. His ambitions clash with his bleak circumstances, and he struggles to make ends meet. This rough start sets the stage for a chance encounter that will change his life.

1930s New York

Meeting Charlie Smith in the gym

In the gym, Sonny meets Charlie Smith, a blunt and aloof wrestler. Despite their stark personality differences—Sonny narcissistic and womanizing, Charlie direct and guarded—they forge a fast friendship. This unlikely pair becomes the core dynamic of the story.

1930s New York gym

Hired to hit a gambler; hitting a Senator instead

Angelo, a mobster, hires Sonny and Charlie to take down a gambler. The plan goes awry, and they end up beating a US Senator instead, drawing lethal attention from authorities. The incident triggers a political-criminal backlash and a widening heat on the underworld.

1930s New York

Senator declares war on the underworld

The senator publicly declares war on organized crime, escalating a city-wide crackdown. Law enforcement ramps up pressure on the underworld and on anyone connected to Angelo. This makes Sonny and Charlie targets and forces a change in strategy.

1930s New York

Angelo sends them to Little Italy as debt collectors

To save them from the heat of the crackdown, Angelo relocates Sonny and Charlie to Little Italy to work as debt collectors. They carry out low-level intimidation and street-level enforcement to earn Angelo's protection. The move changes their environment and introduces a new, tighter community dynamic.

1930s Little Italy, New York

The Gerace family and a new alliance

In Little Italy, the duo befriends the Gerace family, a poor clan trying to survive in tough times. They form a shaky alliance, inspired by shared vulnerability and the chance to help someone in need. The Geraces become central to the moral shift in Sonny and Charlie's plans.

1930s Little Italy, New York

Beating two collectors for Colosimo

To aid the Geraces, Sonny and Charlie beat up two collectors working for Angelo's rival, Mr. Colosimo. This act crosses lines and deepens the feud between Angelo and Colosimo. The violence expands beyond the original target and inflames the underworld's power struggle.

1930s Little Italy, NYC

Angelo-Colosimo feud intensifies

The assault triggers a bitter conflict between Angelo and Colosimo, igniting a broader mob war in the neighborhood. Tensions rise as retaliation and counter-retaliation threaten innocents and the Geraces' safety. The feud destabilizes the criminal landscape.

1930s Little Italy, New York

Police intervene to stop the bloodshed

Captain Mackintosh and the police step in to halt the violence, threatening arrests and warrants. The crackdown tests Sonny and Charlie's ability to stay out of jail while the criminal power balance shifts. The law begins to squeeze both sides of the underworld.

1930s New York City

Mackintosh considers jail for Charlie and Sonny

Mackintosh initially intends to jail the two men for their involvement in the violence. He represents the law's heavy hand and the pressure from Angelo and Colosimo's network. The upcoming showdown hinges on whether evidence and loyalties can be untangled.

1930s Police precinct

Mackintosh's ties revealed; the pair are released

Charlie and Sonny uncover that Captain Mackintosh is somehow connected to Angelo and Colosimo. Realizing the conflict of interest, they are ultimately allowed to go free, undermining the case against them. This revelation shifts the balance toward acquittal.

1930s Courtroom / Police station

Acquittal leads to new paths: wrestling and coaching

After their acquittal, Charlie returns to the ring, resuming his wrestling career. Sonny agrees to become Charlie's trainer, turning away from reckless bravado toward a more disciplined partnership. The duo's future in both crime and sports takes a new direction.

1930s Wrestling ring / Training gym

Even Angels Eat Beans Characters

Explore all characters from Even Angels Eat Beans (1973). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Sonny (Giuliano Gemma)

Sonny is a former ice cream man turned gym cleaner with a magnetic, narcissistic charm. He and Charlie quickly form a friendship that is tested by his womanizing and self-centered tendencies. After getting drawn into mob schemes, his arc moves toward supporting his friend, even stepping into a trainer role following their acquittal.

🎭 Charismatic ⚡ Self-centered 🤝 Loyal to friends

Charlie Smith (Bud Spencer)

Charlie is a blunt, aloof wrestler whose rough exterior hides a stubborn code of loyalty. He partners with Sonny to confront debt collectors and mob plots, driving much of the film’s action with brute force. In the end, he returns to wrestling, with Sonny taking on the role of his trainer.

💪 Wrestler 🗡️ Bold 🤝 Loyal

Angelo (Robert Middleton)

Angelo is the mob boss who hires Sonny and Charlie to pursue debt collection and expand his influence. His power struggles with rival Colosimo set off a violent war that pulls in the police and ordinary people alike. His machinations trigger the broader conflict at the story’s center.

🗡️ Ruthless 💼 Mob Boss 🧠 Cunning

Captain Mackintosh (Bill Vanders)

Captain Mackintosh leads the police effort to quell the violence and arrest Sonny and Charlie. He is initially committed to jailing the pair, but his decisions become murky when he discovers ties between Angelo’s syndicate and elements within the force. His choices reveal the film’s tension between law and corruption.

🕵️ Law ⚖️ Moral Conflict 🧭 Authority

Gerace

Gerace is a poor family patriarch who befriends Sonny and Charlie. His family’s vulnerability motivates the newcomers to intervene and protect them, highlighting themes of community and mutual aid amidst hardship.

🤝 Hope 🏚️ Family 🧍‍♂️ Struggle

Gerace's Wife (Margherita Horowitz)

Gerace's Wife stands as a quiet anchor within the family, representing resilience and domestic strength in the face of crime and poverty. Her presence underscores the human stakes behind the street-level battles.

💖 Family 🧶 Resilience

Gerace's Daughter (Lara Sender)

Gerace's Daughter embodies innocence amid danger, a reminder of what is at stake in the underworld wars. Her presence adds emotional weight to the protagonists’ protective motives.

🎀 Hope 👶 Innocence

Mr. Colosimo (Rival Mobster)

Mr. Colosimo is Angelo’s rival, whose clashes with Angelo intensify the gangland conflict driving much of the plot. His presence adds another layer to the power struggle beneath the surface of law and order.

🕶️ Rival ⚔️ Conflict

Even Angels Eat Beans Settings

Learn where and when Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1930s

The story unfolds in the 1930s New York, a period marked by economic hardship and the rise of organized crime. Proliferating gang conflicts and opportunistic schemes create a volatile landscape for its characters. Public safety and authority figures struggle to contain the violence, influencing who lives and who pays the price.

Location

New York, Little Italy

Set in New York during the 1930s, with Little Italy as a focal point. The streets, gyms and tenement blocks serve as a backdrop for crime, debt collection and everyday struggle. The urban environment shapes the characters’ choices, blending hard-edged reality with the grind of survival.

🗽 New York City 🏙️ Immigrant neighborhoods ⚖️ Underworld & law

Even Angels Eat Beans Themes

Discover the main themes in Even Angels Eat Beans (1973). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💥

Crime & Consequences

Criminal activity draws Sonny and Charlie into escalating violence that spirals beyond their control. A failed hit sparks a faction war, drawing in the police and innocent bystanders alike. The film emphasizes that crime comes with a heavy price, altering lives and loyalties.

🤝

Friendship & Loyalty

Two men with contrasting personalities form a fragile alliance that sustains them through chaos. Their bond drives them to protect a struggling family and defy those who profit from fear. Yet ego and desire test their loyalty, pushing them toward difficult choices.

⚖️

Justice & Corruption

Captain Mackintosh leads the police effort to stop the bloodshed, embodying the law's attempt to restore order. Yet the investigation reveals ties between authorities and mobsters, blurring the line between justice and corruption. Outcomes hinge on shifting loyalties, underscoring a flawed system.

🏚️

Poverty & Solidarity

The Gerace family represents the vulnerable working class caught in the crossfire of crime. Sonny and Charlie’s actions become a lifeline for them, highlighting how acts of kindness and solidarity can arise from dire circumstances. The film uses this dynamic to contrast wealth, exploitation, and communal resilience.

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Even Angels Eat Beans Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Even Angels Eat Beans (1973). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the bleak shadow of the Great Depression, the streets of 1930s America pulse with a mix of desperation and outlaw legend. The city’s underworld looms large, populated by larger‑than‑life figures like Al Capone and John Dillinger, whose very names stir both fear and fascination. Against this gritty backdrop, the film sketches a world where danger and comedy glide side by side, turning every alley and speakeasy into a stage for absurd misadventure.

At the heart of the story are two unlikely companions whose differences are as striking as the era’s turmoil. Sonny, a once‑cheerful ice‑cream man turned opportunistic drifter, navigates life with a swagger that masks his narcissism and endless pursuit of romance. He is paired with Charlie Smith, a blunt, aloof wrestler whose stoic demeanor belies a hidden loyalty. Their bond forms in the most unglamorous of places—a gym’s backroom—yet it quickly becomes the catalyst for a series of chaotic misunderstandings that thrust them into circles far beyond their modest means.

Mistaken for hardened enforcers, the duo is reluctantly drawn into the chaotic tapestry of organized crime. Their attempts to embody the tough personas expected of them generate a cascade of comedic capers, each more outlandish than the last, while the ever‑present threat of the era’s notorious gangsters looms just out of reach. The film’s tone balances sharp wit with the melancholy of a nation in crisis, inviting the audience to watch two flawed friends scramble to survive, barter loyalty, and perhaps discover a steadier rhythm amid the pandemonium that surrounds them.

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