Shake Hands with the Devil poster

Shake Hands with the Devil

A story of love and hate...and the sudden sound of guns!

6.5(28)19591h 51m2

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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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
English
  • rebellion
  • liberation of hostage
  • irish-american
  • dublin, ireland
  • hostage-taking
  • ira (irish republican army)
  • ireland
  • bombing
  • medical student
  • 1920s
  • freedom fighters
  • new recruit

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

Ireland, United States of America

Where to watch

All options

Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

Still from Shake Hands with the DevilStill from Shake Hands with the DevilStill from Shake Hands with the Devil

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • TheatricalNR24 Jun 1959

Frequently asked questions

Shake Hands with the Devil was released on 24 June 1959.

Audience reviews

2
  • J

    John Chard

    9/24/2015

    7/10

    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 Blac…

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    5/4/2024

    7/10

    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 "…

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