“A story of love and hate...and the sudden sound of guns!”
Overview
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.
Directed by Michael Anderson
Written by Marian Spitzer, Rearden Conner, Ben Roberts
Produced by Michael Anderson
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Themes & Keywords
rebellionliberation of hostageirish-americandublin, irelandhostage-takingira (irish republican army)irelandbombingmedical student1920sfreedom fightersnew recruitirish republicanirish historyirish war of independence (1919-22)irishfugitive suspectirish resistancepolitical violencebritish crimessymbolic violenceundercover missionblack and tan
About Shake Hands with the Devil
Shake Hands with the Devil is a action, drama, war, history film released in 1959 exploring themes of rebellion, liberation of hostage, irish-american, dublin, ireland, hostage-taking, ira (irish republican army). Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter. 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.