Shake hands with the devil focuses on the idea that the passion and. James cagneys character shows the schizophrenia that grips a surgeon and turns him to evil. You imagine youll spend the film looking for cagneyisms, spotting the tough guy cliches. Oshea cant go back to his ordinary life after what hes done. Cast in credits order complete, awaiting verification. Of the many coldblooded killers james cagney portrayed in his long and illustrious career, i dont think he ever played a more completely sinister character than sean lenihan in shake hands with the devil.
Shake hands with the devil a frica is the scar on our conscience, said mr blair, but this outstanding documentary exposes the subtle evasions built into that metaphor. Shake hands with the devil riding the high country. Shake hands with the devil 1959 steps a little further back to the. Shake hands with the devil is a 1959 film produced and directed by michael anderson. Sean lenihan james cagney is a medical professor at the university of. The battle for irish independence in 1921was a very harsh and demanding time.
Shake hands with the devil from the guardian the guardian. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. Shake hands with the devil 1959 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In 1921, kerry oshea don murray, an american medical student living in ireland, learns that his esteemed professor, sean lenihan james cagney. Theres a bit of a commentary at the end, and some personal reaction to the material. The title comes from the old irish adage, if you shake hands with the devil, he will never. His professor, sean lenihan james cagney, is secretly a commandant in the irish republican army and when oshea unintentionally becomes involved in a shootout between british. Shake hands with the devil film bw 1959 eire 111mins. By the author of shake hands with the devil, conners strange choice of a title revolves about life and characters in an irish town cloth.
It stars james cagney, don murray, dana wynter, glynis johns, michael redgrave and sybil thorndike. Romeo dallaire, roger spottiswoodes film follows the peacekeepers. Apolitical and sick of killing after fighting in world war i, he is drawn into the struggle between the irish republican army and the british black and tans after his friend and fellow medical student paddy nolan ray mcanally is shot and killed. Irishamerican kerry oshea don murray is studying medicine at the college of surgeons in 1921 dublin, ireland. Shake hands with the devil, trailer 1959 james cagney. Irishamerican medical student kerry oshea hopes to stay aloof, but saving a wounded friend gets him outlawed, and inexorably drawn into the rebel organizationunder his former professor sean lenihan, who has shaken hands with the devil and begun to think of. While the action is dark, the acting alone is superb and makes the film a classic. Shake hands with the devil is a 1959 film directed by the english director michael anderson. The picture was filmed at the ardmore studios in bray, ireland, and the streets of dublin, ireland.
A warm, quiet man who was viewed as a merciless thug by fans around the world, he was forever trying to deflate his public persona, and he simply didnt care about fame. It is set in 1921 dublin, where the irish republican army battles the black and tans, the exbritish soldiers sent to suppress the ira with excessively. Shake hands with the devil isnt going to be such a straightforward good. This article is within the scope of wikiproject film. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. From kids clubs to bargain days we list the ways to save. Those two films dealt mainly with the smaller midcentury campaigns in. This time its shake hands with the devil, director roger spottiswoodes dramatization of united nations lt. It was based on the 1933 novel of the same name by rearden conner, the son of a royal irish constabulary policeman. The film is set in 1921 dublin, where the irish republican army. Btw, the title does not refer to cagneys character being the devil, as the uniformed, albeit unerring, may speculate. Shake hands with the devil essay individual to global. Film score monthly fsm box 03 country united states format cd release date 14aug2008 12 cds. Glasnevin cemetery museum will show the 1959 michael anderson film shake hands with the devil, a film whose opening scenes were filmed in the cemetery 55 years ago.
Like the people of rwanda were not an insignificant black mass living in abject poverty in a place of no consequence. Its a shame that the entire film does not measure up to it. His professor, sean lenihan james cagney, is secretly a commandant in the irish republican army and when oshea unintentionally becomes involved in a shootout. Often in its turbulent history, the men of ireland had arisen to fight for their freedom only to be crushed. The documentary, shake hands with the devilthe journey of of romeo dallaire 2007, is a movie that recaps the events that unfolded from the perspective of canadian u. The story of general romeo dallaires frustrated efforts to stop the madness of the rwandan genocide, despite the complete indifference of his superiors. When the world turned its back, one man stood up canadian lt. Cagney convinces one of his more pacifistic students, don murray, to join the underground struggle against british rule. This is an overlooked film that stars james cagney as a leader of ira rebels and also a doctor of a famous medical.
A distinguished cast of british and irish actors, plus american don murray, bolster james cagney in this somewhat grim and melodramatic but wellmade mix of politics, romance, and violence. Shake hands with the devil 1959 michael anderson, james. The picture was filmed in dublin, and at ardmore studios in bray, ireland. Evidence that you watched the film and answered the questions well. The british government want to route the ira so they send over an army of thugs known as the black and tans. Shake hands with the devil 1959 unravels through the perspective of kerry oshea don murray, an american wwi veteran studying medicine at his fathers alma mater in dublin. It is set in 1921 dublin, where the irish republican army battles the black and tans, the exbritish. With roy dupuis, owen sejake, james gallanders, michel mongeau. Starring james cagney, don murray, dana wynter, glynis johns and. Shake hands with the devil 1959 the movie database tmdb. The british government want to route the ira so they send over an army of thugs known as. Shake hands with the devil is directed by michael anderson and adapted to screenplay by marian spitzer from the novel written by rearden conner.
With james cagney, don murray, dana wynter, glynis johns. Dublin 1921 and the irish fight for freedom goes on. This film confirms what ive heard todays filmmakers scorcese and spielberg are sayingthe work of michael anderson deserves much greater recognition. Filmed on location, shake hands with the devil is set in ireland during the troubles of 1921. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th. Shake hands with the devil dallaire didnt begin writing the book until 7 years after his return writing took several years 1993 shaughnessy cohen award for political writing 2004 governor general s award for nonfiction 2004 documentary film, shake hands with the devildir. It was also the year of the black and tans, the army assembled to replace the. James cagney plays a brilliant medical professor who doubles as head of the irish republican army. For a young canadian general, romeo dallaires assignment as commander of the u.
They were individuals like myself, like my family, with every right and expectation of any human who is a member of our tortured race. Shake hands with the devil 1959 dvd james cagney actor dana wynter actor format. Would you look at what the murdering scum have done to you now. Shake hands with the devil was the most shocking thing i ever read, both for its account of the genocide, and that i had never heard anything about it, or dallaire, a true canadian hero, though i was in high school during the genocide. It is not quite as moving as the earlier hotel rwanda and is less geared. Shake hands with the devil watch the documentary film, and answer the following questions, as you go through. Starring james cagney, don murray, dana wynter, glynis johns and michael redgrave. James cagney is rivetingly brutal in this actionpacked story about the irish. If dallaire is not a traditional hero, he and this film are unflinching witnesses to one of the crowning moral. Shake hands with the devil 1959 in 1921, kerry oshea don murray, an american medical student living in ireland, learns that his esteemed professor, sean lenihan james cagney, is also a. Sean lenihan james cagney, as they fight oppressive british forces. It was first published by random house canada in september 2003.
Shake hands with the devil 1959 the movie soundtrack. Shake hands with the devil film and video for social. Shake hands with the devil 1959 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses. One thing that makes him so evil is the fact that he appears to be a.
Set in 1920s dublin during the war of independence, the story sees a young medical student, sean lenihan, drawn into the irish fight for independence after returning from. Shake hands with the devil 1959 cast and crew moviefone. Sean lenihan james cagney is a medical professor at the university of dublin and a secret commander in the irish underground. Shake hands with the devil focuses on the idea that the passion and commitment of a revolutionary can sometimes lead to an obsession that can turns man in to a devil. Animated by humanitarian ideals and a belief in the. Unlike political movies that focus on the dangers corruption, greed, power run amok inherent in the messy administration of an unwieldy republic like, say, the united states, shake hands with the devil shines a lurid light on a more primal menace. As part of his recovery, dallaire wrote a book also entitled shake hands with the devil describing his experiences and making recommendations for strengthening the u. Murray suffers a crisis of conscience when his sweetheart dana. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing shake hands with the devil near you. That this horror wasnt major news was horrifying in itself. Music is by william alywyn and cinematography by erwin hillier. Shake hands with the devil 1959 there may not be a hollywood icon who was less enamored of his own star status than james cagney.
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