Shake Hands with the Devil
1959 · Movie · NR · 111 min · ★ 6.5
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.
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Details
- Years
- 1959
- Release date
- 1959-06-24
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 111 min
- TMDB rating
- 6.5/10 (26 votes)
Themes
- rebellion
- liberation of hostage
- irish-american
- dublin, ireland
- hostage-taking
- ira (irish republican army)
- ireland
- bombing
- medical student
- 1920s
- freedom fighters
- new recruit
- +11 more
Cast & crew
James Cagney
as Sean Lenihan
Don Murray
as Kerry O'Shea
Dana Wynter
as Jennifer Curtis
Glynis Johns
as Kitty Brady
Michael Redgrave
as The General
Sybil Thorndike
as Lady Fitzhugh
Cyril Cusack
as Chris Noonan
Marianne Benet
as Mary Madigan
John Breslin
as Timmy McGrath
Harry Brogan
as Tom Cassidy
Directed by Michael Anderson