This is without question a superbly well-made film on "The Troubles", back at a time when the IRA was in full bloom. As has been noted here, everything works well - the excellent cinematography (with beautiful vistas of the Irish countryside), a superb cast, great direction, and a richly textured script. All the characters are well drawn and fleshed out. Cagney's work here as the fanatic physician/seditionist is among his best screen portrayals. One suspects at first that the film is going to be an outright paean to the IRA, but as the film progresses, the murderous and fanatic side of their work is made clear, and we are left with a complex and ambiguous picture. My one quibble is with the casting of the uber-English Michael Redgrave as an IRA chief; he doesn't even attempt a brogue. However, I cannot recommend this film highly enough; it is simply not to be missed.
36 Reviews
Loaded Weapon.
hitchcockthelegend24 September 2015
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 Black & Tans. Into the conflict comes Irish American Kerry O'Shea (Murray), who in spite of being apolitical is drawn into darker waters as the violence rages. Complications arise when a hostage situation unfurls, all while the strings are being pulled by the IRA's fearsome commandant, Sean Lenihan (Cagney), who wants Kerry under his wing.
It has always been a tricky subject to film, the so called Irish Troubles, for too many film makers have either been ignorant of the facts in the name of good cinema, or so fuelled by other motives it's difficult to get on side with such one sided venom. Michael Anderson's film, whilst itself harbouring dubious political material, deserves plaudits for trying to come at the topic from both sides, embracing the complexities of the issues and never shying away from the violence that tore through parts of Ireland. Even if it ends up being a little confused as to its aims.
Filmed on location predominantly in Dublin, there's almighty strength in the cinematography of Hillier (The Mark of Cain/Chase a Crooked Shadow). The night time shots of damp cobbled streets and gaslights are ethereal, while in daytime the lush landscapes are imposing yet still giving off a depressing hue. On the acting front it's Cagney who dominates, in one of his craziest and most crafty roles, he's a Vesuvius who darts between being the honourable cause man, to that of a psychotic who doesn't believe peace is a viable option. Strong support comes from Wynter and Johns.
Political hot-pot with wrought emotion, and action scenes that impact as Cagney does his stuff, Shake Hands with the Devil leaves a mark. 7/10
It's 1920s Dublin, Ireland, and the Irish Republican Army are at war with the British Black & Tans. Into the conflict comes Irish American Kerry O'Shea (Murray), who in spite of being apolitical is drawn into darker waters as the violence rages. Complications arise when a hostage situation unfurls, all while the strings are being pulled by the IRA's fearsome commandant, Sean Lenihan (Cagney), who wants Kerry under his wing.
It has always been a tricky subject to film, the so called Irish Troubles, for too many film makers have either been ignorant of the facts in the name of good cinema, or so fuelled by other motives it's difficult to get on side with such one sided venom. Michael Anderson's film, whilst itself harbouring dubious political material, deserves plaudits for trying to come at the topic from both sides, embracing the complexities of the issues and never shying away from the violence that tore through parts of Ireland. Even if it ends up being a little confused as to its aims.
Filmed on location predominantly in Dublin, there's almighty strength in the cinematography of Hillier (The Mark of Cain/Chase a Crooked Shadow). The night time shots of damp cobbled streets and gaslights are ethereal, while in daytime the lush landscapes are imposing yet still giving off a depressing hue. On the acting front it's Cagney who dominates, in one of his craziest and most crafty roles, he's a Vesuvius who darts between being the honourable cause man, to that of a psychotic who doesn't believe peace is a viable option. Strong support comes from Wynter and Johns.
Political hot-pot with wrought emotion, and action scenes that impact as Cagney does his stuff, Shake Hands with the Devil leaves a mark. 7/10
A Fictionalized telling of a crucial turning point in Irish history.
bkoganbing23 August 2005
The politics of Shake Hands With the Devil have been eclipsed by the excellent biographical film Collins that starred Liam Neeson. But the other theme about war, especially endless civil war, is timeless and very relevant for today and not just in Ireland.
The setting is 1921 and the Rebellion is in full swing. James Cagney is a professor of medicine at Trinity College in Dublin by day and an Irish Republican Army commander at night. One of his students, an Irish-American played by Don Murray, gets innocently caught up in the Rebellion and chooses to join the IRA after being captured by the special British unit, nicknamed the Black and Tans who are not terribly squeamish in their methods.
Eventually the British opt for a truce and the General played by Michael Redgrave goes to London to sign a treaty giving Ireland Dominion status. Redgrave of course is Michael Collins and anyone who's seen the film Collins is aware of the politics. Redgrave was a great deal older than the real Michael Collins, then again he had to be in order to say that he's been fighting with Cagney for Irish independence for over 20 years.
Cagney is against the treaty and like he said in the film, the split over that treaty led to a long and bloody Irish Civil war in the 1920s, with far more blood spilled than in the struggle against Great Britain.
Gradually over the film it becomes apparent that Cagney has a lot of issues, violent and sexual. Think Cody Jarrett in the IRA and you'll have some idea. And there's no Ma Jarrett to control him. The tragic and luckless Glynis Johns is a victim of his wrath and Dana Wynter who is an IRA hostage almost becomes one as well. This is where the real acting talents of James Cagney are shown.
Among some of the IRA members in his cell is Richard Harris who got his first real notice in this film.
It's not Irish history per se, but it is a great story of the effects of interminable civil war.
The setting is 1921 and the Rebellion is in full swing. James Cagney is a professor of medicine at Trinity College in Dublin by day and an Irish Republican Army commander at night. One of his students, an Irish-American played by Don Murray, gets innocently caught up in the Rebellion and chooses to join the IRA after being captured by the special British unit, nicknamed the Black and Tans who are not terribly squeamish in their methods.
Eventually the British opt for a truce and the General played by Michael Redgrave goes to London to sign a treaty giving Ireland Dominion status. Redgrave of course is Michael Collins and anyone who's seen the film Collins is aware of the politics. Redgrave was a great deal older than the real Michael Collins, then again he had to be in order to say that he's been fighting with Cagney for Irish independence for over 20 years.
Cagney is against the treaty and like he said in the film, the split over that treaty led to a long and bloody Irish Civil war in the 1920s, with far more blood spilled than in the struggle against Great Britain.
Gradually over the film it becomes apparent that Cagney has a lot of issues, violent and sexual. Think Cody Jarrett in the IRA and you'll have some idea. And there's no Ma Jarrett to control him. The tragic and luckless Glynis Johns is a victim of his wrath and Dana Wynter who is an IRA hostage almost becomes one as well. This is where the real acting talents of James Cagney are shown.
Among some of the IRA members in his cell is Richard Harris who got his first real notice in this film.
It's not Irish history per se, but it is a great story of the effects of interminable civil war.
The Great James Cagney
williwaw2 September 2011
James Cagney was as great a star that existed in Hollywood. I enjoyed this film of the Irish "struggles" as they are referred to, and features a great beauty, Dana Wynter and a favorite actress of mine Glynis Johns. Mr. Cagney was perfect in his performances and again in this film Cagney when on screen dominates every scene. Don Murray is effective but frankly when Cagney is in a scene no matter who shares the scene one always looks at Cagney. That is what happens when a real movie star is in a scene and James Cagney bred at the great Warner Bros of the 1930's was a box office movie star and great actor.
James Cagney would make one or two more movies in particular Billy Wilder's zany "One Two Three" and then retire. When Cagney retired he retired. No cameos, no guest shots. Jack Warner asked Cagney to return in Warner Bros film version of My Fair Lady but Cagney -who would have been wonderful-refused. ( In fact J L Warner used to refer to Cagney as "the refuser" because James Cagney refused every enticement to return.
Shanke Hands With The Devil is a fine movie, and I recommend it
James Cagney would make one or two more movies in particular Billy Wilder's zany "One Two Three" and then retire. When Cagney retired he retired. No cameos, no guest shots. Jack Warner asked Cagney to return in Warner Bros film version of My Fair Lady but Cagney -who would have been wonderful-refused. ( In fact J L Warner used to refer to Cagney as "the refuser" because James Cagney refused every enticement to return.
Shanke Hands With The Devil is a fine movie, and I recommend it
Forgotten classic
Tin_ear11 April 2019
An extremely restrained movie (never over-glorifying the Irish rebels or disparaging the British, except the Black & Tans who are essentially SS stormtroopers in this movie), if Shake Hands with the Devil makes any missteps it's exonerating its hero from cold-blooded murder and then funneling him into a cliched romantic subplot. It is a shame the protagonist didn't get more to work with. This is one the few times I wish a film was actually longer.
Predictable tropes aside, its a well-written movie with some amazing moments of cinematography. James Cagney delivers an incredible and understated performance as a freedom fighter driven mad by patriotism and his own desire for moral cleansing, one of the best roles of his career. Cyril Cusack and Richard Harris shine in supporting roles.
Predictable tropes aside, its a well-written movie with some amazing moments of cinematography. James Cagney delivers an incredible and understated performance as a freedom fighter driven mad by patriotism and his own desire for moral cleansing, one of the best roles of his career. Cyril Cusack and Richard Harris shine in supporting roles.
not a bad Cagney piece
parachute-49 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A rather nondescript movie which labors to really come to grips with the issues, but there is more to this film than meets the eye, and its worth viewing more than once. Jim Cagney gives an excellent portrayal as the intellectual who seems to have thought everything through, and draws his protégé over onto the dark side, much against the latter's better judgment. Only right at the end are we made aware that whatever higher levels of reasoning may have led the professor down the path of terrorism, all he really wants to do is kill women.
I'd call that a fairly definitive statement about terrorists in general and Cagney makes it in his understated but masterful style. I wonder if his character was based on a real person from that troubled time ?
R. B.
I'd call that a fairly definitive statement about terrorists in general and Cagney makes it in his understated but masterful style. I wonder if his character was based on a real person from that troubled time ?
R. B.
James Cagney compelling but Don Murray stiff
SnoopyStyle4 July 2015
Irish-American Kerry O'Shea (Don Murray) is studying at the College of Surgeons in 1921 Dublin. He refuses to join the resistance after seeing the futility of war while fighting in the Great War. His professor Sean Lenihan (James Cagney) turns out to be a leader of the IRA. He and his friend Paddy get caught up in an IRA ambush. Paddy is killed and Kerry leaves behind his notebook which has his name. Kerry becomes a wanted man. He still refuses to join the IRA at first but the situation overtakes him.
Don Murray is horribly stiff and his character horribly naive. His story is melodramatic. In fact, there is a lot of old fashion melodramatic acting. I wish this movie is about Lenihan instead but at last, we're stuck with following Don Murray. James Cagney is definitely the more compelling actor and Don Murray pales in comparison. Cagney is brutal and exciting. His character is interesting. The story is a bit too long but it's still compelling enough.
Don Murray is horribly stiff and his character horribly naive. His story is melodramatic. In fact, there is a lot of old fashion melodramatic acting. I wish this movie is about Lenihan instead but at last, we're stuck with following Don Murray. James Cagney is definitely the more compelling actor and Don Murray pales in comparison. Cagney is brutal and exciting. His character is interesting. The story is a bit too long but it's still compelling enough.
Powerful imagery, excellent direction--a great action film
Gilly-135 April 2000
The powerful imagery extends to characters as well as extraordinary cinematography. A fine cast turns in great performances all around. Beautiful b&w photography appears to be born of a long and co-operative association between director Michael Anderson and cinematographer Erwin Hillier. There is ample evidence of a director at work with a firm sense of purpose and the creative ability to pull it off. Unusual for its time in this respect. This film confirms what I've heard today's filmmakers (Scorcese and Spielberg) are saying--the work of Michael Anderson deserves much greater recognition.
"What is an English judge doing in an Irish court?"
brogmiller22 November 2022
Any depiction of the 'Irish Troubles' is bound to be contentious as passions run deep and the hatred perpetuated from generation to generation.
Reardon Conner was well placed to write the novel that launched his writing career as he had been persecuted at school in Dublin because his father was a member of The Royal Irish Constabulary, later augmented by the brutal Black and Tans.
This adaptation, although highly simplistic, is nonetheless a thoroughly engrossing and gripping piece thanks to Ernest Hillier's atmospheric cinematography, taut editing by Gordon Pilkington and a superlative score by William Alwyn whilst director Michael Anderson once again gets the best from his actors.
Many familiar faces here with Cyril Cusack quietly stealing his scenes as a poet and a revelatory, standout performance by Glynis Johns as Kitty the barmaid. Sir Michael Redgrave's character is possibly a nod to Michael Collins despite not sounding in the least Irish and Dame Sybil Thorndike as an aristocratic IRA sympathiser brings further gravitas whilst Richard Harris makes his first notable appearance as an inept, ham-fisted rebel. Both Redgrave and Harris were shortly to work for this director in 'The Wreck of the Mary Deare'. The Black and Tan colonel played by Christopher Rhodes is, as to be expected, a one-dimensional nasty piece of work. Having not read Conner's original, I wonder if the relationship between Kerry and Jennifer has perhaps been added to give the film a softer edge. Jennifer is played by Dana Wynter so who's complaining?
As Kerry, a student surgeon forced to take sides, American Don Murray is ostensibly the leading man but although personable is alas rather lightweight and is obliged to give way to heavyweight James Cagney. As Sean Lenihan, Mr. Cagney is less convincing as a charming professor of surgery than he is as a ferocious, gun-toting, woman-hating psychopath. It comes as no surprise that the screenpay is by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts who penned 'White Heat'. When Lenihan chokes Kitty and throws her on the sand it seems that Cagney has come full circle from having pushed a grapefruit in the face of Mae Clarke.
Needless to say he is utterly riveting in the part and one is astonished at how he succeeded in maintaining such a level of intensity over a thirty year career. His character in this offers a grim and timeless reminder that a staunch patriot can so easily become a tunnel-visioned fanatic and today's freedom fighter become tomorrow's terrorist.
On a lighter note, Richard Harris fondly remembered the advice he was given by Cagney: "When moving from one place to another in a film, always walk in a straight line. That's how they'll tell you're the star. Too many of these goddamned English actors are walking in curves all the time." One is intrigued as to whom he might have been referring.
Reardon Conner was well placed to write the novel that launched his writing career as he had been persecuted at school in Dublin because his father was a member of The Royal Irish Constabulary, later augmented by the brutal Black and Tans.
This adaptation, although highly simplistic, is nonetheless a thoroughly engrossing and gripping piece thanks to Ernest Hillier's atmospheric cinematography, taut editing by Gordon Pilkington and a superlative score by William Alwyn whilst director Michael Anderson once again gets the best from his actors.
Many familiar faces here with Cyril Cusack quietly stealing his scenes as a poet and a revelatory, standout performance by Glynis Johns as Kitty the barmaid. Sir Michael Redgrave's character is possibly a nod to Michael Collins despite not sounding in the least Irish and Dame Sybil Thorndike as an aristocratic IRA sympathiser brings further gravitas whilst Richard Harris makes his first notable appearance as an inept, ham-fisted rebel. Both Redgrave and Harris were shortly to work for this director in 'The Wreck of the Mary Deare'. The Black and Tan colonel played by Christopher Rhodes is, as to be expected, a one-dimensional nasty piece of work. Having not read Conner's original, I wonder if the relationship between Kerry and Jennifer has perhaps been added to give the film a softer edge. Jennifer is played by Dana Wynter so who's complaining?
As Kerry, a student surgeon forced to take sides, American Don Murray is ostensibly the leading man but although personable is alas rather lightweight and is obliged to give way to heavyweight James Cagney. As Sean Lenihan, Mr. Cagney is less convincing as a charming professor of surgery than he is as a ferocious, gun-toting, woman-hating psychopath. It comes as no surprise that the screenpay is by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts who penned 'White Heat'. When Lenihan chokes Kitty and throws her on the sand it seems that Cagney has come full circle from having pushed a grapefruit in the face of Mae Clarke.
Needless to say he is utterly riveting in the part and one is astonished at how he succeeded in maintaining such a level of intensity over a thirty year career. His character in this offers a grim and timeless reminder that a staunch patriot can so easily become a tunnel-visioned fanatic and today's freedom fighter become tomorrow's terrorist.
On a lighter note, Richard Harris fondly remembered the advice he was given by Cagney: "When moving from one place to another in a film, always walk in a straight line. That's how they'll tell you're the star. Too many of these goddamned English actors are walking in curves all the time." One is intrigued as to whom he might have been referring.
Enertaining and thought provoking classic
drystyx30 May 2006
This movie is one of the older classics that doesn't get much play any more. It is a thought provoking piece, full of vivid characters, and told in an almost non stop action adventure way to make it super entertaining, even for the most impatient viewer. The movie centers on the Irish rebellion, with the reluctant hero, Don Murray, forced into the fray against the terrible Black and Tans. More historically accurate on the background scale than people want to admit. Cagney plays the "commadant" of several squads, who is a very hard liner in the IRA, totally against all compromise with the British authorities. The other characters are vividly expressed by the acting, writing, and directing. There is no weak spot in this film. The attitudes and reactions of each character to the evils by each, Cagney and the leader of the Black and Tans, makes this a remarkable film. Noonan, Cassidy, and also their British counterparts are portrayed as realistically dealing with the bloodshed caused by extremists. Innocent captives are taken by both sides, one a proper older lady jailed by the British, and the other a gorgeous knockout of a lady (Dana Wynter, who alone is worth watching the film for by a guy's standpoint, as there are absolutely no women in today's films as physically attractive as she is), a blue blood captured by the IRA, whom Murray swears to protect from harm. One thing that makes this movie so believable, is that the characters don't automatically assume and know everything that goes on. If the movie was made today, it would probably have such a flaw. This movie is ever so credible, particularly from a character standpoint. You feel the pain and torment of each individual. The movie is so relevant today, and it would be of great value to have it released in countries and lands where there is tumult. If every American should see "Jungle Fighters", "Southern Comfort," and "Ox Bow Incident", to show the dangers of judging others, then this movie should be seen by every Iraqi (and probably everybody) to see just how horrible terror tactics are, and the need for peaceful resolution to problems.
Much better than average Cagney film that actually has something to say
planktonrules19 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the very best films from the tail end of Cagney's career. Unlike so many of his previous films, this movie was entertaining AND had something profound to say as well. The film is about IRA terrorists in the early days of the Irish Republic. Instead of being happy with the gains the Irish made, Cagney's character has been fighting so long he's lost track of WHY and is simply hellbent on murder and killing for its own sake. When other members begin calling for restraint, Cagney wants to escalate the killings until eventually he becomes a liability to the organization. While some times Cagney tended to "chew the scenery" at the expense of the film (i.e., he overacted), this movie actually benefited from this style. An excellent and timeless story.
Anderson can't Shake Ford, Reed
st-shot8 May 2014
In Shake Hands with the Devil Jimmy Cagney takes his Cody Jarrat to Dublin with the same homicidal intent but this time for Irish Independence. As cruel and cold as any of his youthful mug portrayals Cagney is indeed a lion in winter.
American born Kerry O'Shea (Don Murray) studying to be a doctor in Dublin is implicated in a bloody confrontation with The Black and Tans during Ireland's fight for Independence in the early 20s. Given the option to leave or stay and help the cause he chooses at first to leave but decides to stay when he falls for a Brit captive played by Dana Wynter. His college professor Dr. Lenihan (Cagney) it turns out is a major player in the IRA but also a stubborn recalcitrant to anything less than total Independence.
In Devil we are given a clearer picture of what the fight for Irish Independence was about that earlier classics The Informer and in the case of Odd Man Out an attempt to avoid naming the combatants at all. Anderson like Reed ( Ford was clear in his declaration) walks a fine line as he balances the blood lusting Lenihan with the Fascist martinet Tan commandant. It is clear atrocity is pervasive on both sides.
Anderson however is neither Ford nor Reed in eye or story telling style and while it is more revealing in content the editing is sloppy, the action slap dash, the performances inconsistent and in spite of the magnificent countryside displayed lacking the crushing melancholy ambiance of either .
Cagney's quick change from convivial prof to cold blooded realist is a jolt and while he has lost a step his menace and his intensity remains intact and intimidating. The Murray Wyntar romance merely bogs the film down with tepid passion and performance. Glynis Johns tragic barmaid, Ray McNally's activist student, Dame Sybil Thorndike's defiantly campy 80 year old IRA supporter and especially the lilting voice of Cyril Cusack expounding on life lend strong support. In a small role Richard Harris mumbles bungles his way along while Collins prototype Michael Redgrave poses in profile and key light pontificating on the rewards of partial peace while old pro Cagney facially contorts in agony over his words.
Shake Hands with the Devil is a credible work but for me it is hard to shake the finely crafted ghosts that hover above it and amplify its drawbacks.
American born Kerry O'Shea (Don Murray) studying to be a doctor in Dublin is implicated in a bloody confrontation with The Black and Tans during Ireland's fight for Independence in the early 20s. Given the option to leave or stay and help the cause he chooses at first to leave but decides to stay when he falls for a Brit captive played by Dana Wynter. His college professor Dr. Lenihan (Cagney) it turns out is a major player in the IRA but also a stubborn recalcitrant to anything less than total Independence.
In Devil we are given a clearer picture of what the fight for Irish Independence was about that earlier classics The Informer and in the case of Odd Man Out an attempt to avoid naming the combatants at all. Anderson like Reed ( Ford was clear in his declaration) walks a fine line as he balances the blood lusting Lenihan with the Fascist martinet Tan commandant. It is clear atrocity is pervasive on both sides.
Anderson however is neither Ford nor Reed in eye or story telling style and while it is more revealing in content the editing is sloppy, the action slap dash, the performances inconsistent and in spite of the magnificent countryside displayed lacking the crushing melancholy ambiance of either .
Cagney's quick change from convivial prof to cold blooded realist is a jolt and while he has lost a step his menace and his intensity remains intact and intimidating. The Murray Wyntar romance merely bogs the film down with tepid passion and performance. Glynis Johns tragic barmaid, Ray McNally's activist student, Dame Sybil Thorndike's defiantly campy 80 year old IRA supporter and especially the lilting voice of Cyril Cusack expounding on life lend strong support. In a small role Richard Harris mumbles bungles his way along while Collins prototype Michael Redgrave poses in profile and key light pontificating on the rewards of partial peace while old pro Cagney facially contorts in agony over his words.
Shake Hands with the Devil is a credible work but for me it is hard to shake the finely crafted ghosts that hover above it and amplify its drawbacks.
Time of the Troubles.
rmax30482317 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A commodius vicus of recirculation brings us back to Howth Castle and environs in 1921, the time of the Irish revolution, the IRA versus the Black and Tans. But make no mistake. This isn't a sentimental tale about lovers of freedom fighting against the oppressors. It's about as brutal as you can get.
And there's nothing in the way of history here -- no nonsense about Essex and Tyrone four hundred years ago. The script begins in medias res, right in the middle of the conflict. Jimmy Cagney, a surgeon, is the Commandant of the IRA and serves as a mentor to the American Don Murray, one of his medical students who is swept up by accident into the confrontation.
The movie treats the Black and Tans as a kind of Gestapo and takes pains to separate them from the more reasonable British Army. The IRA in turn comes off with far less sympathy than the Mafia did in "The Godfather" movies.
Cagney is especially hard hearted. He plays it that way all through to the film's end -- and his -- one of those guys that every war seems to attract, in which battle acquires functional autonomy. The goal is lost sight of and killing becomes a goal in itself. As I write this, the news is reporting the murder of two British soldiers in Northern Ireland. They weren't part of an army of occupation. One was an engineer. Neither was an enemy but we can be reasonably sure that for those who shot the two to death, they managed to convince themselves the murder was an act of patriotism. Cagney is that kind of guy. He stops at nothing. One scene, on the beach with the cynical Glynnis Johns, suggests that his real problem is repressed sexuality.
Don Murray is okay. He's clean-cut and handsome, and Dana Wynter at his prisoner is radiant. She's so gracile. When Cagney is about to put a bullet in her, it's no wonder that Murray does him in. It would have been like shooting a pet rabbit. But what a cast! Cyril Cusack is marvelous, as he always is. Richard Harris is fine too, as a loud-mouthed braggart. Noel Purcell is given a screen credit but his role is smaller than most of mine have been, and I got no credit at all, just minimum wage and a box lunch.
The direction is by Michael Anderson, best known, I suppose, for "Around the World in Eighty Days." As a director of thrillers like this, there is a good deal of variance in the quality of his work. There are some startling shots. A cowering figure seen from behind Cagney's spread legs. And some of the startling shots don't work at all. Cagney, mortally wounded, is seen from ground level, and when he topples over forward his face bangs into the camera as it hits the dirt, facile novelty.
Cagney was 60 years old when this was filmed and he looks a little chubby, almost cherubic, but he still manages to bend over and lurch forward when he walks, though perhaps with less lilt. His impression of an Irishman is mediocre. His best impression was always that of Jimmy Cagney, but he's not a contribution to the film's several weaknesses. He's a journeyman actor and knows his business.
Ireland would have been a good location for shooting films noir. The cities are sprawling and grimy with some cobblestone streets and a constant gray overcast, often drizzly. When I was last there, during the last outbreak which seems to have ended finally, the graffiti was all about the IRA, pronounced Eee-rah by the kids. See Carol Reed's "Odd Man Out" for a sublime example of what poetry can be wrung from such a grim setting.
And there's nothing in the way of history here -- no nonsense about Essex and Tyrone four hundred years ago. The script begins in medias res, right in the middle of the conflict. Jimmy Cagney, a surgeon, is the Commandant of the IRA and serves as a mentor to the American Don Murray, one of his medical students who is swept up by accident into the confrontation.
The movie treats the Black and Tans as a kind of Gestapo and takes pains to separate them from the more reasonable British Army. The IRA in turn comes off with far less sympathy than the Mafia did in "The Godfather" movies.
Cagney is especially hard hearted. He plays it that way all through to the film's end -- and his -- one of those guys that every war seems to attract, in which battle acquires functional autonomy. The goal is lost sight of and killing becomes a goal in itself. As I write this, the news is reporting the murder of two British soldiers in Northern Ireland. They weren't part of an army of occupation. One was an engineer. Neither was an enemy but we can be reasonably sure that for those who shot the two to death, they managed to convince themselves the murder was an act of patriotism. Cagney is that kind of guy. He stops at nothing. One scene, on the beach with the cynical Glynnis Johns, suggests that his real problem is repressed sexuality.
Don Murray is okay. He's clean-cut and handsome, and Dana Wynter at his prisoner is radiant. She's so gracile. When Cagney is about to put a bullet in her, it's no wonder that Murray does him in. It would have been like shooting a pet rabbit. But what a cast! Cyril Cusack is marvelous, as he always is. Richard Harris is fine too, as a loud-mouthed braggart. Noel Purcell is given a screen credit but his role is smaller than most of mine have been, and I got no credit at all, just minimum wage and a box lunch.
The direction is by Michael Anderson, best known, I suppose, for "Around the World in Eighty Days." As a director of thrillers like this, there is a good deal of variance in the quality of his work. There are some startling shots. A cowering figure seen from behind Cagney's spread legs. And some of the startling shots don't work at all. Cagney, mortally wounded, is seen from ground level, and when he topples over forward his face bangs into the camera as it hits the dirt, facile novelty.
Cagney was 60 years old when this was filmed and he looks a little chubby, almost cherubic, but he still manages to bend over and lurch forward when he walks, though perhaps with less lilt. His impression of an Irishman is mediocre. His best impression was always that of Jimmy Cagney, but he's not a contribution to the film's several weaknesses. He's a journeyman actor and knows his business.
Ireland would have been a good location for shooting films noir. The cities are sprawling and grimy with some cobblestone streets and a constant gray overcast, often drizzly. When I was last there, during the last outbreak which seems to have ended finally, the graffiti was all about the IRA, pronounced Eee-rah by the kids. See Carol Reed's "Odd Man Out" for a sublime example of what poetry can be wrung from such a grim setting.
A fine film
Zriter598 December 2011
I first saw this film when I was 11, and even then I much admired it. Have seen it I don't know how many times since, and my original feelings re. this flick have only intensified.
First off, many contemporary folks, in and beyond the West, know far too little about the Irish "troubles." This film brings them home, establishing that despite atrocities on either side, neither held the moral high ground with absolute certainty.
Cagney is superb. His accent falters occasionally (although he was an Irish-American). But he nails every facet of his character, from the dedicated doctor and professor of medicine to the IRA commander who descends into fanaticism.
Most of the rest of the cast is excellent. Murray is a little, well, not quite at that level, but he still gives a respectable performance --
First off, many contemporary folks, in and beyond the West, know far too little about the Irish "troubles." This film brings them home, establishing that despite atrocities on either side, neither held the moral high ground with absolute certainty.
Cagney is superb. His accent falters occasionally (although he was an Irish-American). But he nails every facet of his character, from the dedicated doctor and professor of medicine to the IRA commander who descends into fanaticism.
Most of the rest of the cast is excellent. Murray is a little, well, not quite at that level, but he still gives a respectable performance --
Towering Cagney, Cusack in honest take on UK-IRA conflict
adrianovasconcelos16 December 2023
Michael Anderson started his directorial career with the masterpiece THE DAM BUSTERS, the UK's most watched film in 1955. SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, a very different film about a lesser known conflict, fails to attain the same quality but it remains a worthwhile effort and a honest reminder of the "troubles" that pitted the Irish against colonial power Great Britain.
The script by Spitzer and Goff deserves plaudits for its sharpness, notably the completely different approaches personified by fanatical wolf-like Cagney hiding under the lamb's clothes of a surgeon, and the more open-minded, longer-term thinking Cyril Cusack. Michael Redgrave, a very fine actor, seems to me wrong for the part: he was always THE Englishman par excellence, aware of the importance of being earnest, and as the General he maintains the superb English diction that simply has zero to do with the Irish rebel he is supposed to embody. Interesting show by a very young Ray McAnally - acting not at all anally - who I remember as a BBC classic car programme expert in the late 1970s, early 1980s.
As the ruthless and merciless Col. Smithson who uses a ring on his pinky to inflict extra pain on torture victims, Christopher Rhodes symbolizes the iron fist in the British colonization of Ireland.
Richard Harris looks suitably brutish as an IRA sidekick, and Glynis Johns is impressive as an Irish cause-supporting woman who knows her limitations if exposed to torture. Murray landed an invidious role as an American of Irish parentage returning to Ireland to attend medical college in Dublin, who finds himself in the grip of abnormal events. His US citizenship accounts for his distant stance, but to me he just does not belong. I found perplexing his sudden human killing efficiency.
Highly competent B&W cinematography by Erwin Hiller, with lovely landscapes and credible action scenes, notably Col. Smithson's ambush and harbor shootout at the end.
Albeit one of the most honest movies I have watched on the UK-IRA conflict, I was puzzled that it left religious differences largely unmentioned, as if in fear of stoking up any holy fires. 7/10.
The script by Spitzer and Goff deserves plaudits for its sharpness, notably the completely different approaches personified by fanatical wolf-like Cagney hiding under the lamb's clothes of a surgeon, and the more open-minded, longer-term thinking Cyril Cusack. Michael Redgrave, a very fine actor, seems to me wrong for the part: he was always THE Englishman par excellence, aware of the importance of being earnest, and as the General he maintains the superb English diction that simply has zero to do with the Irish rebel he is supposed to embody. Interesting show by a very young Ray McAnally - acting not at all anally - who I remember as a BBC classic car programme expert in the late 1970s, early 1980s.
As the ruthless and merciless Col. Smithson who uses a ring on his pinky to inflict extra pain on torture victims, Christopher Rhodes symbolizes the iron fist in the British colonization of Ireland.
Richard Harris looks suitably brutish as an IRA sidekick, and Glynis Johns is impressive as an Irish cause-supporting woman who knows her limitations if exposed to torture. Murray landed an invidious role as an American of Irish parentage returning to Ireland to attend medical college in Dublin, who finds himself in the grip of abnormal events. His US citizenship accounts for his distant stance, but to me he just does not belong. I found perplexing his sudden human killing efficiency.
Highly competent B&W cinematography by Erwin Hiller, with lovely landscapes and credible action scenes, notably Col. Smithson's ambush and harbor shootout at the end.
Albeit one of the most honest movies I have watched on the UK-IRA conflict, I was puzzled that it left religious differences largely unmentioned, as if in fear of stoking up any holy fires. 7/10.
One of the better later Cagney movies
utgard148 April 2020
Well told drama starring James Cagney as a professor who's also part of the IRA in 1920s Dublin. Cagney takes one of his students (Don Murray) under his wing and tries to convert him into a terrorist. Don Murray gives easily the best performance I've seen from him. Cagney gives one of his best turns from later in his career, although his Irish accent leaves a lot to be desired. Too many years removed from the Lower East Side I guess. Still, the performance rises above the accent issue. Good support from Michael Redgrave, Richard Harris, Glynis Johns, Cyril Cusack, and the lovely Dana Wynter. This isn't the kind of story I normally gravitate towards. I only checked it out to check another Cagney picture off the list I haven't seen yet. But I'm glad I did because it's a very good film.
Shake Hands with Devil - Cagney brilliantly illustrates dangers of fanaticism
mfredenburg2 April 2007
Up till the time I saw this film I was not much of a Cagney fan. But after seeing this film; and "White Heat," I now understand why Cagney was such a big star.
His portrayal of Sean Linahan as a member of the Irish Republican Army brilliantly portrays the thin line between being a dedicated freedom fighter/idealist and a fanatic. Sean Linahan has let hatred take control of his life and he now sees everything through the narrow prism of hate. As a fanatic he operates on an "ends justifies the means basis." Other characters in "Shake Hands with the Devil" are portrayed as men of character, who while fighting for freedom still hold on to their humanity and their compassion.
This is very good movie that is very relevant in today's world and can be used as a starting point for a discussion on modern day Islamic Terrorism or any ism in which the ends justifying the means becomes a standard, not an exception.
As a period film that seriously addresses mankind's nature, this film will be as current 20 years from now as when it was released.
His portrayal of Sean Linahan as a member of the Irish Republican Army brilliantly portrays the thin line between being a dedicated freedom fighter/idealist and a fanatic. Sean Linahan has let hatred take control of his life and he now sees everything through the narrow prism of hate. As a fanatic he operates on an "ends justifies the means basis." Other characters in "Shake Hands with the Devil" are portrayed as men of character, who while fighting for freedom still hold on to their humanity and their compassion.
This is very good movie that is very relevant in today's world and can be used as a starting point for a discussion on modern day Islamic Terrorism or any ism in which the ends justifying the means becomes a standard, not an exception.
As a period film that seriously addresses mankind's nature, this film will be as current 20 years from now as when it was released.
The Doctor turned Revolutionary
deanofrpps14 July 2007
James Cagney was a versatile American motion picture star who could shift from playing the most ruthless movie gangster 'The Public Enemy,' himself to the amiable and patriotic all American song and dance man George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy and to the macabre Lon Chaney in The Man of a 1000 Faces. Cagney took these three faces and melded them together into the creation of the character of Dr Sean Lenihan , the protagonist in the film adaptation of Riordan Conner's novel Shake Hands With The Devil.
Riordan Conner the son of the last chief of the Royal Irish Constabulary knew the tactics and strategies of the revolutionaries but not the revolutionaries themselves. The Conner novel ambles between high Victorian Gothic intrigue and an over-drawn O'Henry morality tale. It is easy by the end to see how at the conclusion of the war Conner could not decide between Ireland or England.
Cagney had no difficulty in such a decision. The character he made of Dr Lenihan has many strange twists.
As a tough guy Cagney wasn't just a tough heavyweight; he had the invincible attitude of an all-star boxer, but like General Patton, a real life tough-guy, Cagney was taken to write poetry off-set. Out of the spotlight, Cagney was tacit and introspective as reflected in one of his poems:
Why do you weep poor old man? It hurts me when you weep. I weep for the long lost wonderful years I once thought were mine to keep.
Lenihan lives up to almost all aspects of the lovable bad-guy. A medical professor and surgeon by day, Lenihan converts under cover of darkness to a fierce, demoniacally inspired terrorist willing to do anything: murder, kidnapping and reprisal.
"There are no hymns for the dead in a street war," Lenihan tells the American medical student who has come under the protection of the Rebels.
And the real James Cagney knew not a little about war on the street. Born on July, 17, 1899 in modest circumstances in New York City's "gas house district," Cagney grew up in the upper East side, then a tough neighborhood. Cagney bragged that several of his playmates met their end at Sing-Sing Prison. Lest you think the Cagneys were as dirt poor as Hollywood propagandists portray, James attended both High School and briefly College. Cagney's brother became a medical doctor in a time in which about one-half of all Americans finished 6th Grade.
His brother's influence is apparent in Shake Hands with The Devil. As Dr Lenihan, Cagney has all the mannerisms, arrogance and power of command of a doctor.
Graduating from prestigious Stuyvesant High School, Cagney briefly studied art at Columbia University until a friend told him of a job in a vaudeville show. His break came with the part of "Little Red" in the staging of Maxwell Anderson's play "Outside Looking In." His film debut came when Cagney was cast in "Penny Arcade." When Warner Bros. bought the movie rights, Cagney was given the opportunity to star in the film version entitled 'Sinner's Paradise.'
Tapped for "The Public Enemy" (1931), Cagney created the gangster film genre in his memorable role as vicious gunman totally without conscience but not without an element of the romantic. The Cagney imprint on the bad guy persona was a twist of the tough know-it-all braggart yet with an enchanting, if not, likable streak. Over 38 crime and action dramas or comedies followed. Some like the "The Public Enemy" and the morality tale "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938) became genre classics.
Shake Hands With The Devil breathed some life into Riordan Conner's tale of the hours of hiding interspersed by running gun battles by acknowledging the criminal facet of an irregular army fighting wholly outside conventions, neither giving nor expecting quarter.
And Cagney's doctor sent into hiding is full of interesting surprises for a man of medicine who professes a love of peace. Dr Lenihan becomes so entranced by war that he must be sacrificed by his comrades to accomplish the prisoner exchange which will end the conflict.
Yet if Cagney plays Dr Lenihan persuasively, he in his private life was all-American. In the 1940s, the Roosevelt democrat turned conservative, Cagney played in many US sponsored World War II propaganda films including "Yankee Doodle Dandy," based on the life of the American patriotic composer George M. Cohan. Like Cohan, Cagney would receive the US's highest civilian decoration---The Medal of Freedom---for his performance. In 1961 Cagney celebrated the height of Pax Americana in his bravura performance in "One, Two, Three," filmed on location in West Berlin.
Do not think of Cagney as the ugly US-er. Cagney was unassuming. Richard Harris said of Cagney:
"My first film (Shake Hands with the Devil) was with James Cagney. He arrived in Dublin with no bodyguards, secretaries or hair stylists. Just himself and his suitcases."
Shake Hands With The Devil has been subject to many criticisms. Yet the diabolical portrait of a revolutionary James Cagney painted in Shake Hands stands as a haunting reminder than neither icons ensconced in stone nor words strung or sung whether in flowery resolutions or fancy declarations won a war for independence or any other armed conflict.
Triumph in wars of independence brings with it tragedy but Shake Hands, notwithstanding its eloquence, does suffer from an important historical lapse. The martyr in the Irish Cause came from the pro-peace faction.
A true patriot to the end, James Cagney died on the 70th anniversary of the Easter Rebellion in 1986, at his farm in Stanfordville, New York. His credits include innumerable films, a Best Actor Oscar, and Presidency of the Screen Actors Guild.
Riordan Conner the son of the last chief of the Royal Irish Constabulary knew the tactics and strategies of the revolutionaries but not the revolutionaries themselves. The Conner novel ambles between high Victorian Gothic intrigue and an over-drawn O'Henry morality tale. It is easy by the end to see how at the conclusion of the war Conner could not decide between Ireland or England.
Cagney had no difficulty in such a decision. The character he made of Dr Lenihan has many strange twists.
As a tough guy Cagney wasn't just a tough heavyweight; he had the invincible attitude of an all-star boxer, but like General Patton, a real life tough-guy, Cagney was taken to write poetry off-set. Out of the spotlight, Cagney was tacit and introspective as reflected in one of his poems:
Why do you weep poor old man? It hurts me when you weep. I weep for the long lost wonderful years I once thought were mine to keep.
Lenihan lives up to almost all aspects of the lovable bad-guy. A medical professor and surgeon by day, Lenihan converts under cover of darkness to a fierce, demoniacally inspired terrorist willing to do anything: murder, kidnapping and reprisal.
"There are no hymns for the dead in a street war," Lenihan tells the American medical student who has come under the protection of the Rebels.
And the real James Cagney knew not a little about war on the street. Born on July, 17, 1899 in modest circumstances in New York City's "gas house district," Cagney grew up in the upper East side, then a tough neighborhood. Cagney bragged that several of his playmates met their end at Sing-Sing Prison. Lest you think the Cagneys were as dirt poor as Hollywood propagandists portray, James attended both High School and briefly College. Cagney's brother became a medical doctor in a time in which about one-half of all Americans finished 6th Grade.
His brother's influence is apparent in Shake Hands with The Devil. As Dr Lenihan, Cagney has all the mannerisms, arrogance and power of command of a doctor.
Graduating from prestigious Stuyvesant High School, Cagney briefly studied art at Columbia University until a friend told him of a job in a vaudeville show. His break came with the part of "Little Red" in the staging of Maxwell Anderson's play "Outside Looking In." His film debut came when Cagney was cast in "Penny Arcade." When Warner Bros. bought the movie rights, Cagney was given the opportunity to star in the film version entitled 'Sinner's Paradise.'
Tapped for "The Public Enemy" (1931), Cagney created the gangster film genre in his memorable role as vicious gunman totally without conscience but not without an element of the romantic. The Cagney imprint on the bad guy persona was a twist of the tough know-it-all braggart yet with an enchanting, if not, likable streak. Over 38 crime and action dramas or comedies followed. Some like the "The Public Enemy" and the morality tale "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938) became genre classics.
Shake Hands With The Devil breathed some life into Riordan Conner's tale of the hours of hiding interspersed by running gun battles by acknowledging the criminal facet of an irregular army fighting wholly outside conventions, neither giving nor expecting quarter.
And Cagney's doctor sent into hiding is full of interesting surprises for a man of medicine who professes a love of peace. Dr Lenihan becomes so entranced by war that he must be sacrificed by his comrades to accomplish the prisoner exchange which will end the conflict.
Yet if Cagney plays Dr Lenihan persuasively, he in his private life was all-American. In the 1940s, the Roosevelt democrat turned conservative, Cagney played in many US sponsored World War II propaganda films including "Yankee Doodle Dandy," based on the life of the American patriotic composer George M. Cohan. Like Cohan, Cagney would receive the US's highest civilian decoration---The Medal of Freedom---for his performance. In 1961 Cagney celebrated the height of Pax Americana in his bravura performance in "One, Two, Three," filmed on location in West Berlin.
Do not think of Cagney as the ugly US-er. Cagney was unassuming. Richard Harris said of Cagney:
"My first film (Shake Hands with the Devil) was with James Cagney. He arrived in Dublin with no bodyguards, secretaries or hair stylists. Just himself and his suitcases."
Shake Hands With The Devil has been subject to many criticisms. Yet the diabolical portrait of a revolutionary James Cagney painted in Shake Hands stands as a haunting reminder than neither icons ensconced in stone nor words strung or sung whether in flowery resolutions or fancy declarations won a war for independence or any other armed conflict.
Triumph in wars of independence brings with it tragedy but Shake Hands, notwithstanding its eloquence, does suffer from an important historical lapse. The martyr in the Irish Cause came from the pro-peace faction.
A true patriot to the end, James Cagney died on the 70th anniversary of the Easter Rebellion in 1986, at his farm in Stanfordville, New York. His credits include innumerable films, a Best Actor Oscar, and Presidency of the Screen Actors Guild.
One of Cagney's last films. He's great.
Red-1256 January 2019
Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) was directed by Michael Anderson.
Don Murray plays Kerry O'Shea, a young American student who has come to Ireland as a medical student. Dr. Sean Lenihan is a professor of surgery at the medical school, and also a commandant in the IRA. (The film is set in 1921, just before the Anglo-Irish Treaty.)
It's hard to say much more about the plot without giving it away. I'll just mention that Cagney--coming to the end of his career--was still able to dominate a film.
Two women are in love with O'Shea. Dana Wynter portrays Jennifer Curtis, who is a hostage of the IRA. Glynis Johns is Kitty Brady, a barmaid.
There are two cameo roles: Sir Michael Redgrave portrays Lenihan's commanding officer, The General. Dame Sybil Thorndike plays Lady Fitzhugh, an IRA member who is above suspicion because of her social status.
I can't envision this movie without Cagney. He's at the center, and everything else spins around him. It's worth seeing this film for many reasons. However, for me, the best reason is to see a veteran actor in a role he was meant to play.
This movie will work better in a theater--some of the views of the Irish countryside and the sea are less impressive on the small screen. However, we saw it on DVD, and it worked well enough. It's a powerful movie, and I recommend it.
Don Murray plays Kerry O'Shea, a young American student who has come to Ireland as a medical student. Dr. Sean Lenihan is a professor of surgery at the medical school, and also a commandant in the IRA. (The film is set in 1921, just before the Anglo-Irish Treaty.)
It's hard to say much more about the plot without giving it away. I'll just mention that Cagney--coming to the end of his career--was still able to dominate a film.
Two women are in love with O'Shea. Dana Wynter portrays Jennifer Curtis, who is a hostage of the IRA. Glynis Johns is Kitty Brady, a barmaid.
There are two cameo roles: Sir Michael Redgrave portrays Lenihan's commanding officer, The General. Dame Sybil Thorndike plays Lady Fitzhugh, an IRA member who is above suspicion because of her social status.
I can't envision this movie without Cagney. He's at the center, and everything else spins around him. It's worth seeing this film for many reasons. However, for me, the best reason is to see a veteran actor in a role he was meant to play.
This movie will work better in a theater--some of the views of the Irish countryside and the sea are less impressive on the small screen. However, we saw it on DVD, and it worked well enough. It's a powerful movie, and I recommend it.
"You'll see blood flow." .. "I'm tasting my own right now."
moonspinner5526 August 2017
American medical student studying at Ireland's College of Surgeons in 1921 becomes a revolutionary for the Irish Republican Army in a battle against Britain's Black and Tans, soldiers used to forcibly shut down Irish forces fighting for their independence away from the British government. Story of rebels and martyrs has moments of interesting drama, but has to fight itself against a curiously old-fashioned and artificial production (this despite being filmed partly in Dublin). James Cagney--whose character is sarcastically referred to as "pure and noble"--is student Don Murray's professor and a leader in the IRA. Cagney attempts to bring off a maniacal side to his role, and he most likely had a great deal of conviction in the work he was doing, but his star presence stands out obtrusively among the cast (he isn't actually treated as visiting royalty, yet this moldy part is pretty much a glorified cameo). Murray comes off a bit better (though he's bland, as usual), however Glynis Johns is terrific as a barmaid unafraid of using her wiles to get out of danger and Sybil Thorndike has a riveting moment in court playing an elderly woman arrested for aiding an IRA leader after his escape from prison. Financed by Marlon Brando's company, Pennebaker Productions; Erwin Hillier was the cinematographer (his finest shots come at the very end); Michael Anderson directed, lugubriously. ** from ****
Great Irish drama of life and death, for freedom - or for what?
clanciai21 June 2018
The most interesting theme of this very outstanding and typical dark Irish drama is the multitude of double personalities. James Cagney is number one, of course, a respectable surgeon and professor at the university on one hand and leading an underground war with many murders on the orther. Don Murray enters a pacifist, having learned the hard way in the first world war the dreadful self-destructive futility of being a soldier, refusing to kill any more, but he is transformed to yet another fanatic and killer - and very logically so. When the crisis comes he is faced by the fact that he has only one choice - and accepts it and walks the whole line.
And then there is Glynis Johns, wonderful as always, as a bar maid luring any man to get into her, being wholly on the freedom fighter side, but then, when the crisis comes, melting and surrendering to her very human and female weakness. Dana Wynter, on the other hand, stays cool, sees through it all and remains rigorous, - and that's why she is of no psychological interest.
All the other actors are superb as well, Cyril Cusack as the poet-soldier, Richard Harris in a very early performance spoiling it all by rowdy mistakes, Michael Redgrave as head of the Irish rebel army but callously political, all enjoying a terrific and memorable dialogue, that is sustained in excellence throughout. They could have brought Michael Collins in it as well, but you can't have everything. Wlliam Alwyn's impressing music does the rest, with a truly inspired cinematography at that - many sceneries recall similar unforgettable moments in "Odd Man Out", another timeless variation on the same complex problem of the necessity of fidelity to the cause at any cost - but at what price? In the end its inhuman absurdity always has outgrown all reasonable acceptability.
And then there is Glynis Johns, wonderful as always, as a bar maid luring any man to get into her, being wholly on the freedom fighter side, but then, when the crisis comes, melting and surrendering to her very human and female weakness. Dana Wynter, on the other hand, stays cool, sees through it all and remains rigorous, - and that's why she is of no psychological interest.
All the other actors are superb as well, Cyril Cusack as the poet-soldier, Richard Harris in a very early performance spoiling it all by rowdy mistakes, Michael Redgrave as head of the Irish rebel army but callously political, all enjoying a terrific and memorable dialogue, that is sustained in excellence throughout. They could have brought Michael Collins in it as well, but you can't have everything. Wlliam Alwyn's impressing music does the rest, with a truly inspired cinematography at that - many sceneries recall similar unforgettable moments in "Odd Man Out", another timeless variation on the same complex problem of the necessity of fidelity to the cause at any cost - but at what price? In the end its inhuman absurdity always has outgrown all reasonable acceptability.
A must for Cagney fans.
Hey_Sweden9 August 2015
"Shake Hands with the Devil" takes place in 1920s Ireland, where the IRA is doing battle with the British Black and Tans. A handsome young Irish-American surgery student, Kerry O'Shea (Don Murray) doesn't want to get involved, preferring to remain apolitical, but his stance changes when his good friend Paddy Nolan (Ray McAnally) is gunned down in the street. He joins the forces being commandeered by his surgery professor Sean Lenihan (James Cagney), a passionate individual if ever there was one, who simply lives for conflict. Trouble brews for Kerry when he falls in love with Jennifer Curtis (Dana Wynter), the daughter of an important British official. Jennifer has been kidnapped to serve as a hostage until British forces release leading revolutionary Lady Fitzhugh (Sybil Thorndike) from imprisonment.
"Shake Hands with the Devil" may be a fictionalized account of turbulent times, but it's still pretty powerful stuff. Much credit should go to producer & director Michael Anderson, working in collaboration with cinematographer Erwin Hillier, because they give this a very stark look. The high contrast lighting gives the film a LOT of atmosphere. The storytelling is riveting, and the intelligent script (screenplay by Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts, and adaptation by Marian Spitzer, based on the novel by Rearden Conner) gives the audience some things to think about. Characters debate ideology, and, not unexpectedly, our young hero is a man who believes that a war can be fought with honour and compassion.
Murray and Wynter are very appealing, and the cast is full of some recognizable and excellent actors. Cagney once again is absolutely magnetic, playing a character who always commands your attention. Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Cyril Cusack, Richard Harris (as a swaggering braggart), John Le Mesurier, Niall MacGinnis, and Christopher Rhodes all leave a vivid impression in their time on screen.
Extremely well done, from start to finish, with an especially potent finale.
Nine out of 10.
"Shake Hands with the Devil" may be a fictionalized account of turbulent times, but it's still pretty powerful stuff. Much credit should go to producer & director Michael Anderson, working in collaboration with cinematographer Erwin Hillier, because they give this a very stark look. The high contrast lighting gives the film a LOT of atmosphere. The storytelling is riveting, and the intelligent script (screenplay by Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts, and adaptation by Marian Spitzer, based on the novel by Rearden Conner) gives the audience some things to think about. Characters debate ideology, and, not unexpectedly, our young hero is a man who believes that a war can be fought with honour and compassion.
Murray and Wynter are very appealing, and the cast is full of some recognizable and excellent actors. Cagney once again is absolutely magnetic, playing a character who always commands your attention. Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Cyril Cusack, Richard Harris (as a swaggering braggart), John Le Mesurier, Niall MacGinnis, and Christopher Rhodes all leave a vivid impression in their time on screen.
Extremely well done, from start to finish, with an especially potent finale.
Nine out of 10.
Shake Hands With the Devil ****
edwagreen25 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Outstanding 1959 film showcasing the Irish rebellion against the occupying British.
What terrific irony here with James Cagney, as usual in top form, as a surgeon who is also ahead of the rebel group. True to his cause, Cagney, who is supposed to save lives,will take life away for a free Ireland.
He meets up with Don Murray, an American, whose father was also an Irish patriot. Murray is studying medicine in Ireland when he becomes part of the rebellious forces.
As the bar-maid, Glynis Johns turns in a glowing supporting performance. Dana Wynter is also effective as the daughter of a British official, kidnapped by Cagney and his group to revenge the sentencing of the elderly Dame Sybil Thorndike for pro-rebel activities.
We see an eventual break within the group as a truce is called. Cagney is totally against the latter as he wanted a totally free Ireland. This invariably leads to a showdown with Murray and others.
A terrific film.
What terrific irony here with James Cagney, as usual in top form, as a surgeon who is also ahead of the rebel group. True to his cause, Cagney, who is supposed to save lives,will take life away for a free Ireland.
He meets up with Don Murray, an American, whose father was also an Irish patriot. Murray is studying medicine in Ireland when he becomes part of the rebellious forces.
As the bar-maid, Glynis Johns turns in a glowing supporting performance. Dana Wynter is also effective as the daughter of a British official, kidnapped by Cagney and his group to revenge the sentencing of the elderly Dame Sybil Thorndike for pro-rebel activities.
We see an eventual break within the group as a truce is called. Cagney is totally against the latter as he wanted a totally free Ireland. This invariably leads to a showdown with Murray and others.
A terrific film.
serious plot leakage
loydmooney21 February 2005
There are just too many unbelievable things happening in this plot to make it more than an average film. Yet some of the performances, as has been noted by one of the viewers here, are veddy good indeed. Cagney turning nearly as psycho as in White Heat is one, an excellent turn by Dana Winter, and the always always always reliable Cyril Cusack.
The lone American Don Murray was somehow always chosen for the peace lover among maniacs. The only time it really worked was in From Hell to Texas, a darned good western by Henry Hathaway. Otherwise he always came off so aww shucks virtuous that he almost needed a black robe and round hat. In fact he once played a priest, also to sickening effect. So earnest. So miscast.
And so what, for the movie.
However, the woman playing the old rich titled Lady about which the latter half of the plot revolves is also good. And there are spots of the black and white photography of the Emerald Isle, especially some of the night shots that are very nice.
But is there a single scene in the entire movie worth re-watching? Not really.
With this one, mostly, shake hands with mediocrity.
The lone American Don Murray was somehow always chosen for the peace lover among maniacs. The only time it really worked was in From Hell to Texas, a darned good western by Henry Hathaway. Otherwise he always came off so aww shucks virtuous that he almost needed a black robe and round hat. In fact he once played a priest, also to sickening effect. So earnest. So miscast.
And so what, for the movie.
However, the woman playing the old rich titled Lady about which the latter half of the plot revolves is also good. And there are spots of the black and white photography of the Emerald Isle, especially some of the night shots that are very nice.
But is there a single scene in the entire movie worth re-watching? Not really.
With this one, mostly, shake hands with mediocrity.
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