Shake Hands with the Devil
Directed by Michael Anderson
Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts; adapted by Marian Spitzer from a novel by Rearden Conner
1959/Ireland/USA
Pennebaker Productions/Troy Films
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] “The Irish people will only be free, when they own everything from the plough to the stars” – James Connolly[/box]

James Cagney was born to play a ruthless Irish nationalist.

It is 1921, Dublin as the Irish Republican Army battles the Black and Tans.  Kerry O’Shea (Don Murray) is an Irish-American medical student who studies under surgeon Dr. Sean Lenihan (Cagney).  He resists urging to get involved in the IRA.  When a friend is shot by the Black and Tans, he discovers Lenihan is actually as interested in killing as in saving lives.  He is a ruthless Commandant in the IRA.

The violence continues and Kerry is eventually moved to become a fighter.  As time goes on, Lenihan’s tactics begin to disgust him.  Conflict deepens when Lenihan kidnaps the beautiful daughter of an English politician (Dana Wynter) and holds her hostage for the release of an aristocratic IRA sympathizer.  With Michael Redgrave as the IRA “General”, Glynnis Johns as a sympathizer bar maid, and Richard Harris as a thug.

Cagney is great but I thought the movie was just OK.  Despite the great cast, it never really caught fire for me.

Trailer