Loaded Weapon. Shake Hands with the Devil is directed by Michael Anderson and adapted to screenplay by Marian Spitzer from the novel written by Rearden Conner. It stars James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave and Sybil Thorndike. Music is by William Alywyn and cinematography by Erwin Hillier. It's 1920s Dublin, Ireland, and the Irish Republican Army are at war with the British…
Shake Hands with the Devil (1959)
A story of love and hate...and the sudden sound of guns!
In 1921 Dublin, the IRA battles the "Black & Tans," special British forces given to harsh measures. Irish-American medical student Kerry O'Shea hopes to stay aloof, but saving a wounded friend gets him outlawed, and inexorably drawn into the rebel organization by his former professor Sean Lenihan, who has "shaken hands with the devil" and begun to think of fighting as an end in itself. Complications arise when Kerry falls for a beautiful English hostage, and the British offer a peace treaty that is not enough to satisfy Lenihan.
Top Cast
James Cagney
Sean Lenihan
Don Murray
Kerry O'Shea
Dana Wynter
Jennifer Curtis
Glynis Johns
Kitty Brady
Michael Redgrave
The General
Sybil Thorndike
Lady Fitzhugh
Cyril Cusack
Chris Noonan
Marianne Benet
Mary Madigan
John Breslin
Timmy McGrath
Harry Brogan
Tom Cassidy
Richard Harris
Terence O'Brien
William Hartnell
Sergeant Jenkins
John Le Mesurier
British General
Niall MacGinnis
Michael O'Leary
Ray McAnally
Paddy Nolan
Patrick McAlinney
Donovan
Reviews
I wonder whether an appreciation of this film depends on whether you are British or Irish? What it depicts, for me anyway, is the old adage that "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" and James Cagney ("Lenihan") manages to encapsulate that succinctly. His character, a respected professor with republican leanings, recruits "O'Shea" (Don Murray) after one of his friends is shot by one of the infamous…
FAQ about Shake Hands with the Devil
What is Shake Hands with the Devil about?
In 1921 Dublin, the IRA battles the "Black & Tans," special British forces given to harsh measures. Irish-American medical student Kerry O'Shea hopes to stay aloof, but saving a wounded friend gets him outlawed, and inexorably drawn into the rebel organization by his former…
When was Shake Hands with the Devil released?
Shake Hands with the Devil was released in 1959.
What genres does Shake Hands with the Devil belong to?
Shake Hands with the Devil is categorised as Action, Drama, War, History.
Who stars in Shake Hands with the Devil?
The cast of Shake Hands with the Devil includes James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave.